Day 1: Sunday October 29, 2017 --- Pre-LEH deer hunting
Finally up at the cabin, did a slow drive the 50km up the FSR Sunday afternoon absorbing the moment. The sun was shining warmly and the full spectacle of fall was painted across the ridges and valleys.
The drive was uneventful, only excitement was rounding the bend as 2 young hunters were bailing from their vehicle, doors ajar with a look of anticipation on their faces as the scurried off into the woods. There was a slight ripple of disappointment from them as I continued on past, blazing the trail up the valley, now ahead of them. No shots were heard as I continued the journey north.
My buddy and I had split up when we hit the FSR, he had his dogs and was anxious to see his mom up at the cabin. He saw one Grouse on his journey, but is not hunting this year, so it lived another day.
Was nice to leisurely take the FSR up, saw things that I otherwise don't when we blast up or the long weekends of summer, it's a special place with few outsiders.
Why is it an ice cold beer tastes so good after a long day of travel? Plus they go down so well.
Walked down the 333 yards to retrieved the pictures from the two Xtrail cameras I have by the old tree stand and analyzed the results. Almost daily visits from a WT doe and her two fawns, another solo doe.
Interestingly enough, the 2nd camera that was intended to be the "security camera" for my 1st is the one that picked up the 3 WT bucks that regularly pass through, a 2x2, 4x4 and a larger 4x3.25. They avoided the primary camera since their travel paths are different.
Yes, you read correctly a 4x3.25. So disheartening to see the one guy I had been monitoring all summer had somehow shattered one of his primary points. This was a post velvet break, so he must've had met the 2 am monster 5x5 buck I'd captured passing through and they had "words".
Spent the rest of the evening catching up with my friends and having great food, drinks and conversations.
Hit the sack at a reasonable time and floated off into the Netherland of slumber.
Day 2: Monday October 30
Two more days before the Moose LEH tag is valid.
Decided to hunt the old Xtrail tree stand on my buddies property this morning. Since the camera activity indicated visits at 9am 11am 1pm and 4pm, I was in no rush to get my but out of bed. Was all situated by 7:30am.
Takes a while to get back into the rhythm of the woods; the cadence of the falling leaves, the scampering and chirps of the squirrels the unique vocalization of the ravens with the drumming of the woodpeckers keeping time. At first you are tense and strain to decipher each sound in search for your quarry. But eventually your excitement calms and you become part of the composition and absorb the symphony that plays out around you.
The squirrel, the rouge trumpeter that announces to the woods your presence. It's a love hate relationship -- you love it when you are not the source of their attention, but cringe when you are.
He somehow noticed me, I caught his eye when he was 20 feet up in the next tree. I was not moving, but he was sure I was not normally there, he climbed in behind me, I could feel his presence and hear the "hello, who or what are you?" chirps. I knew we was within inches of my back, but was not going to be so easy for him. He dropped down to the lower deck of the tree stand and scurried over to the tree I was facing. He slowly climbed and chattered to me, he stopped with 4 feet and continued his dialogue with the unmoving camo blob until he decided it was clear, then moved on.
There are at least 6 around me . . . What's the recipe again for southern midwestern squirrel and dumplings? Cause the little sh*t just came back, shaking the tree branch next to me, might have to try out the old savage .22/.410 model 24 I just imported from Missouri. I bet it's silenced quite a few tasty squirrels in its life.
Basking in the morning sun, you want to curl up and take a little snooze when 11am rolls around, but a 20 foot drop would not be the best wake up call me thinks.
The morning hunt ended as the day rolled into the afternoon with no luck, did hear something that could have been a couple of bucks mixing it up, but it was out of eyeshot.
Finished off the rest of the day trying to organize my load of gear and storing what was brought along for the remote base camp.
End Day 2
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Originally Posted by ElliotMoose
