I was feeling very positive about the start of the season (my first!), had been stumping/scouting at least a few days a week all along, had my spots picked out, loads of fresh signs. Good apple crop on the land, things looked good.
A week or so before the opener.. nothing. No tracks, no scat, nothing. Haven't seen a thing since. My wife pointed out the buds are gone, they've probably moved down to the farms. She's right. Well I've learned something, anyway. Hoping they'll move back up by late season; I always see tracks again when there's snow.
Guess they save the apples for later?