In between the successful camping trip and today, we had a family vacation that chewed up a couple of weekends and then preparation for the recent holiday. I had planned on spending more time afield during the extended weekend but unfortunately the weather was less than cooperative and that managed to keep me out of the stand for two days. While the trip to a sunny beach in Florida was great, I gave up some great hunting by taking off during the rut. Be that as it may, spending quality time with the family was wonderful and I got to see my little boy dip his feet in the Gulf of Mexico and make sandcastles in sand so soft he said it felt like flour.
When I headed for sleep last night I did one more check of the forecast, and saw what I had hoped for... a break in the rain and high winds, with highs in the 40s and moderate breezes replacing the 30 MPH winds with gusts to 40 that had been in the area for several days. When the alarm went off this morning I awoke to a very different forecast... clearing skies but still sustained winds in the 20s and gusts in the 30s. I can't seem to catch a break...
Still, I was up and wanted to be in the woods so I bundled up in my hunting gear, got my Thermos of coffee ready and kissed my beautiful wife and sleeping son before heading out into a very cold morning hunt. Wind chills were harsh but my layers held up pretty well throughout the sunrise hours and into mid-morning. The sunrise was beautiful... as you can see in the attached photo. Despite the blustery winds, I did see several deer on the drive to my spot, and several more in the area when I arrived. Unfortunately none of them were necessarily around me so I was forced to be a spectator today.
Next week, the guns come out. I'm hopeful that I'll be able to score something for the freezer with the .243 and then get the bow out again when the noisemakers have had their turn. It's definitely been a frustrating season so far, but I'm not giving in just yet... there's still some good hunting to be had...
Keep your fingers crossed for me!
