I had a chance to get out today after a nice storm that swept through our area yesterday. I located a small piece of state land near my kids day care, and thought I should check it out. Since we had several inches of fresh snow I would be able to get an idea of how many deer are around by checking out the fresh sign.
It was very clear today with some pretty good wind, and very cold. The only thing I can hunt right now is coyote but, it's an excuse to carry the bow around. I brought my calls and my gear figuring I'll make a few set ups while scouting this new place.
The snow was easy to walk in since we had a lot of ice mixed with it. It was very packed with just a little dusting on top. I followed a fire road into the property from the parking area and found a few track of deer that had crossed in the night since the snow stopped. Great to see sign right off the bat. I soon walked into an open area that had been cleared by the state. I saw a sign on a tree, and found that this was an experimental food plot. I found this to be very interesting.
I moved off into the woods behind the food plot and found that it dropped off into a low laying area with a lot of cover below me. I found a nice vantage point and tryed calling yotes for a bit. A few seconds into my calling, I see 4 big tom turkeys come out of the Hemlocks about 50 yards in front of my. They sure didn't like the sound of that squealer I was wailing on.
I picked up and decided to move on. I dropped down into the low area and soon found another ridge that dropped down again. Now I'm figuring there must be some kind of swamp near by. It's just starting to look that way, but every thing is burried under a bunch of new snow.
I notice what looks like a stone row off to my right, so I investigate. I find more deer track. They are moving up a slight slope toward an area with thick Hemlock cover. I follow and come to a marked trail. I figure I'll follow the trail to see haow far it goes, and where it might bring me. After about half a mile I come to the back of some homes. A new development being put up back in the woods. This I figure is the back side of the state land.
There were many places along the trail that deer had crossed and one of those places were pretty fresh. After seeing the houses, I went back to that spot and thought I would follow the track back ward to see where they had been. It was obvious they were heading to a bedding area since the direction they went was thick Hemlock forest for a long way.
I followed the track hoping to find where they had been feeding. They had come up from a low area behind and below the housing area. (This turned out to be part of the low area I had originally found when I came into the property). I noticed that there was a strip of woods going up between two places I could see houses through the woods. This was where the deer had come from. Now I'm all ready thinking the deer are eatingthe goodies around the homes during the night, then moving up into heavy cover for the day. Especially with the snow covering any acorns that might be left. OK, getting a preliminary handle on the place all ready. Yeah sure, they won't be doing this stuff in the fall. lol
I want to move away from these homes, so I decide to cut through the woods in hopes of finding that area I thought a swamp might be, but nature is calling. I stop to leak and as I'm unzipping here come some deer. The first deer has antlers, so does the next one, and WOW look at the third! I end up with six bucks coming right up and stopping 25 yards in front of me with no idea I'm there. The big one has only one antler, but it has 5 points on it, and it is high and out past his ear. The second in size was a nice 6 point. The others were a tiny 6 and two 4's. There was one other deer with no antlers, but I'm thinking he is a first year or has all ready lost his antlers.
They had been moving right along as if being pushed, but they were not looking back. They stood in front of me for several minutes giving me great shot oppertunity of course. I just stand and admire them.
I decide to follow them as they move off. I have a nice wind in my face and they are not looking back. They move pretty quick, and I soon loos sight of them. I follow the track crossing a few low ridges, but still in this bottom land. Then I come to some water. I knew it had to be here. The cover starts to get heavy. I find more old track along with the track from the bucks. Seems every place a Rhodie or Mt. Laurle is, they browse it.
The track drops down into some real thick stuff, so I figure I'll give up and check out the ridge in front of me. It seem familiar. Sure enough, it is one of the ridges I found when I saw the turkeys. As I move up the ridge, the fresh deer track come up out of the swamp and cuts in front of me. These boys are covering some ground. I follow the track up the hill. Wouldn't ya know it. They past right by the first place I made a set up for yotes. I had been thinking it would have been good for deer too.
It was time for me to head out, so I climed up to the food plot area I started at. So did the bucks. I ended up crossing thier track as they zig zagged through the woods several time until I hit my car.
You can bet I'll be back learning all I can about this place. If that many bucks are running around after all the deer seasons are over, I think it could be a great place to hunt. I thank the Lord for such a great day in the woods.
Topic: Coyote hunt, turned scouting with bucks! (Read 667 times)
