Searching for Columbus Day magic.

Today is the Columbus Day holiday, usually one of my better days. I've killed several deer on the Holiday, including a few decent bucks. I got up at 4:00am and was again greeted by very humid, 71 degree weather. I turned on the coffee pot, splashed some water on my face and took the trash cans out to the road as the coffee brewed. After completing that chore, and a quick shower with scent free soap, I grabbed my steaming mug and headed for the computer to check weather.com. They are calling for a record high today of 87, beating the old record set in 1882. I decided to use the black lightning stand hanging in the creek bottom by the big white oak. The wind is light and variable, but supposed to blow from the east when it does blow. The stand sits in a small valley about 40 yards wide. There are hills that rise about 20 to 35 feet in elevation on both sides, and a creek running through the middle of it. The creek still has some water flowing, and there are several white oaks dropping acorns like crazy close to the stand. There is also a huge old beech tree raining down beechnuts about 50 yards up the valley, all signs that point to a good morning... well, except for the weather.

I haven’t been to this stand for a few weeks, and only used it once so far this year, and that was in the afternoon with no deer sighted. I want to give it a try in the morning and see if that is when they prefer this spot. I got settled in plenty early, about 75 minutes before sunrise, and quietly waited for first light. I could hear the buzz of civilization coming to life around me before the first hint of daybreak reached through the trees. Commuters busily making their way down a winding county road towards a nearby highway, the trash truck making it’s rounds (glad I remembered to drag the cans out before heading to the stand) and car doors slamming shut in nearby driveways as people began their work week. At first light the squirrels came to life and started knocking acorns from the trees around me. Not that those nuts needed any help falling…they came down like rain all morning. The only action for the first few hours was those pesky bushytails, and a sharp shinned hawk that nearly took my nose off, as he decided at the last second to change course.

At about 9:00am, I heard what sounded like a deer sneezing about 50 yards away and up the hill. A few minutes later I saw one deer move through breaks in the leaf canopy, up on the hill I walked across to get to the stand. It was the same place I have seen deer twice before from this stand, and I made a mental note to pick a tree over there before going home today. That deer never made it’s way to me, but vanished behind the heavy, early season foliage. At 9:45am I got down and went over to where I saw that deer and looked for another tree. I quickly remembered why I had not set up there when I previously saw deer…there just isn’t a good place for a stand. I guess I need to do some further scouting and find a spot on that hillside that they seem to use regularly. By 10:00am it was already getting hot and I was on my way home.

This afternoon seems like a better day to mow the grass than hunt, so that is probably what I'll do. Can't wait for this cooler weather and rain they are calling for by weeks end.

Good Hunting-DV