Opening day in VT, New pics and some scouting

[tim roberts]

You are right, but when you get rid of the hide, bone and all the other stuff that you can't eat it sure taste better!  

[kawika b]

it's all about the journey Tim,,, glad Dave is taking us there.

[sticshooter]

Wow Vman great hunting area. Looks like you should score easy. Awesome landscape ya hunt buddy. Now lets here about that prime rib..        <><

[T.J.]

Doing good, can't wait to hear the rest of it and great pics!

[vermonster13]

Now the meat and potatoes version for you guys. lol

The morning started with a flock of about twenty turkeys on the far side of the cow pasture(about 150 yards away). I could here them calling to each other as more came down from roost down by the stream in the pics. I had a callmaker box call with me that John Cooper had given me. So I did a little bit of calling to see if I could coax them to me. They answered as did another flock up the ridge, but I couldn't get them to come to me, they had other ideas on where they wanted to feed.

[vermonster13]

So I still hunted down through the evergreen stand along the edge of the sugar stand. The squirrels where everywhere in there. I sat on a stand I have along the edge of the sugar field and the drainage where the brook flows and that's where the nut I took the picture of(no one has identified yet by the way). Hundred of husks littered the forest floor. I sat there for a while and not much more than the squirrels were happening. Though I could here the second flock feeding away from me in the hardwoods above me.

[vermonster13]

All of the sugar lines lead down to the tank I pictured and when I took the pics of the brook bottom I saw the rub. That sapling was still wet and destroyed. Some decent size tracks running through there. The wind was changing so I decided to work up to the edge of the cow corn and see how things looked.

I watched some P&Y grays running around having a grand time. I was tempted to loose a broadhead at one but fought of the urge. One sat on a stump not ten yards in front of me, very tempting. A little red chased him off and sat on the stump scolding him, when boom, a big Red Tailed Hawk took him off the stump. Red's make an awful noise when that happens. Was cool to see another hunter in the woods be successful though and I took it as a good sign.

[vermonster13]

The wind changed again and the sun made an appearance. It was a good wind for the lower stand and I had a little less than 2 hours of light left so I decided to still hunt down to it. I knew I would have a good chance on coming up behind on some deer also as they liked to bed in the sugar stand where new growth had come up real thick where all the old trees had been cut down.

A lot of trees are down all over the place also from the storm we had this spring and a couple others from late summer. Blowdowns a plenty with potential for ground blinds. Made a lot of notes for next year.

[vermonster13]

Working down a very overgrown path that Hope and I had an encounter on last year history repeated itself. There is an Oak along this path that is a few hundred years old and is not very tall but as big around as a dining room table. I was about 35 yards from it working through the raspberry bushes when I saw some ears flicker by the farside of the tree. A glint of antler and a big body standing in some real thick stuff. A smaller bodied buck stepped out into the little opening first and looked right at me.

[aroflyte]

thats a hickory nut. tree rats love'em

[vermonster13]

Sure do. The deer seem to hit the Beech first when we have them, then acorns and will crunch a few of these as the others start running out. But apples are first on the menu and corn. The soybean leaves have started browning and once that happens they don't eat them anymore until first snow melt when they will pick over the cut fields until things start to green up.

[vermonster13]

The second buck stepped in right beside the first. Looked to be an 8 and a 6 running together. Unfortunately there was no way to draw and shoot with 4 eyes watching and even if I could the odds were both would be hit so no dice. We watched each other for about 30 seconds and they turned and went down the path away from me, looking over their shoulders.

I stepped off the path and bleated at them once and they stopped again about another 20 yards away. looked for a minute and headed off slowly. I took a guess at where they were headed and took off at a 90 degree angle to them to another path that leads to the fence line along the cow pasture and garden.

When I got to the fence line I saw a pretty cool sight that cost me a few minutes but was well worth it.

[swp]

AND????

[Hogtamer]

Vermonster, it just isn't fair!  Still 90 and humid down here though relief in site for the week-end.  Ah heck, I hope you enjoy your short little season....I'll have to post some hog hunting pictures in January to get even, though...

[vermonster13]

Out where the turkeys were in the morning, a coyote was hunting. I watched him take a few mice and then a cottontail ventured out. Bad tactical error for the rabbit. It was an incredible chase. If cars could corner like those two did it would be an amazing ride! The yote took the rabbit and went to the field edge to have his prize. He looked to be a young on out on his own for the first time but he had been taught well. I admire other hunters with skills, though if he ventures near me I will be using my own on him. The farmer here wants them all shot when ever possible. They cause troubles with his milk cows and when calves get dropped in the field.

[Shawn Leonard]

David, nice pics. I am heading your way now. Family and I are taking a long ride fro foliage. i should be within 10 miles of ya! Shawn

[vermonster13]

Can you bring a bow and a climber? I have a great spot for you and lots of targets.

[vermonster13]

SO after watching the show in the field I worked my way down the edge of the cornfield and up to the trails pictured by the apple trees on either side of the tractor road at the beginning of the thread. I wasn't alone......

Still interested in the story, or am I boring you folks now?

[hormoan]

Just came into the story Dave. You are doing great!! Thanks for sharing it with us, cranky winers (at times)  :D  

                 Brent

Were still waiting for the potato's and venison    version!

[vermonster13]

The deer where everywhere now. There were two standing on the trail that leads from my stand on page one and several more in the woods behind them. The does took a look at me, weren't sure what I was so went back into the woods as I was watching them two more came out from my right and headed up the trail behind them. Either of those girls would be shooters next weekend but not today(I know shoot on the first day what you'd shoot on the last, but it's a short season and I like to make the most of it). I could hear several more in under the apple trees chowing down and light was fading fast. I eased into a hay blind I have on the corner of the road that let's me see the heavy used trail from under the apples and the corner of the corn for a little bit. I could hear deer all around up behind me and in the apples.