I'm surprised there are not more posts on this thread. I can't be the only bowhunter out hunting...
My son and I headed to SW Ohio for the final weekend of the deer season. We had hoped to take off friday and hunt with mr. and mrs. Ferret, but work and school stuff got in the way and we couldn't leave until saturday morning. We arrived after noon, at "the farm", a place we have been hunting for 10 years. Unfortunately, "the farm" will soon be a golf course and development, as the farmer and good friend Jim died several years ago. His widow is hanging in there for now, and her health seems good, but the vultures (developers) are circling and relentless. She had a warm lunch waiting for us, so we all ate and then Daniel and I headed out, first looking for rabbits and squirrels for him (he had already filled his deer tag). This rub shows that some big bucks are in the area....
No rabbits or squirrels were found, so we headed to a treestand out in the overgrown pasture. I set his ladder stand at the bottom while I was higher up in the honey locust tree...
We had a good view of probably 40 acres of pasture, which the deer have really been using now that the cows are gone...
The wind was in our favor and we should have stayed until last light, but Daniel was cold and a little bored since no deer had been seen, so we climbed down and headed to the truck. I had been watching towards the south, as I used to see deer coming from the adjacent property near this white house....
We soon realized our mistake as we drove out the driveway and past the white house - there were about 10 deer feeding towards the tree. As we watched, they filed 10 yards past the tree -dooh!
Of course Faye insisted that we stay at the old farmhouse, and after a good night's sleep and breakfast, we headed out in the rain and wind to the wooded portion of "the farm", where Daniel had killed his first deer back during the youth hunt of November. Daniel sat on the ground next to "his" tree, while I sat in a treestand. I knew the swirling winds could cause problems, but was glad that my son wanted to hunt with me. Sure enough, the winds betrayed me twice as deer approached within 25 yards before spooking.
Anticipating Faye's cooking and respecting her request to be back at noon, we hunted our way back to the farmhouse and barns, looking for rabbits and shed antlers, but found neither...
It was time to head home and we had a long drive. The weekend was too short, but better than no hunting at all. Another season had passed without me filling my deer tag, but I didn't care. My son is coming of age and developing into a good hunting partner! As we ate and remembered past gatherings and activities with the farmer and his wife, I couldn't help but wonder just how many more times we would enjoy this place. I hope many more.
Topic: Daily Hunt pics and Stories 2006 (Read 49405 times)
