When I reached the treestand at 5:45 in the morning, it was a very brisk 18 degrees.
With recent snow on the ground, I was definitely thinking this was going to be the morning that success finally smiled on me. Hunting with snow is always exciting... everything is easier to see, including blood trails. Unfortunately the deer still haven't been reading the same book that I have and they once again decided that coming through in the morning wasn't on their agenda.
By 10:00 I was ready for some coffee and a bit of a change in plans. The stand I had been in all morning is small, and although there's a flip-down seat available it doesn't offer a whole lot of comfort and my knees were killing me from standing up in tight quarters.
I decided to follow a suggestion from my brother and went to sit in his stand on the edge of the property. At around 11:30 I saw movement on the hill north and east of the stand... 5 does were coming my way. Unfortunately they were coming at a dead run and were on a mission to get away from something. I never did see what that something was, but I did see the deer come running to the edge of the treeline and head straight west over the fence... never slowing down at all.
So... by noon I had seen 5 deer for a brief moment and was once again heading back to the barn empty-handed. However, the scenery had been magnificent and once again I had spent a morning watching the beauty of God's work in a sunrise... and that's nothing to sneeze at.
The season is winding down and my chances for filling space in the freezer are starting to get thin, but I'm still not giving up. Perseverance is part of this game, and it's a part I've learned to take in stride over the years. I'm thinking my last hours in the stand this year will be spent in the afternoon. Mornings haven't produced much and all evidence now is pointing towards movement later in the day.
I'll let you know how things go...
