Our friend John and his girlfriend Laura came out a day ahead of us. They mentioned that on the walk to the pond stand, they smelled something putrid. I walked the same route the next day and didn't smell a thing. Different wind direction?
I had an hour to kill before heading to the hunting stand so I decided to dip a line. I took the flyrod out on the dock and put a popper out there. After a few minutes, I caught the aroma that John had mentioned.
I looked back at the pond house and I thought that I saw something under the deck.
Sure enough, there was a dead deer up under there. I couldn't get to it without going thru the water.
So I hung my IPhone over the edge and took this shot. Those are all maggots on the carcass and they were a wiggling mass of life.
On the dock right beside the pond house were all of these canine muddy footprints. So, did the coyotes take down a deer and then stash the carcass under the deck? Or did a deer climb under there to die. I have read that deer with EHD (or blue tongue) often die at water's edge. I'm sure the coyotes would be glad to partake of the carrion either way.
There have been no shortage of coyotes on camera of late.
This shot has a group of three.
A nearby landowner stopped by to introduce himself. His name is Ron and he owns 225 acres. He is also primarily a hunter. He says that he has encountered a bobcat and he texted me this shot of a cat on is property. How about that camouflage? He said there have also been some bear sightings. I've heard of them in Adams County. Anyway, he said he heard about my blog from friends in Dayton.
I had planned to put a ground blind out by the apples and this was confirmed by John's observations. The apples are dropping continuously now. Normally I would leave a blind out for a couple weeks but I had no time for acclimation.
This is a phone shot and there is a 6 point buck staring at me in the center of the frame. He came into about 40 yards, didn't like the blind, circled downwind and then cleared out.
This little 4 point forkhorn was less cautious. He hung around for about 30 minutes but was still spooked by the blind and didn't come into the apples.
We heard that our friend Chris's son took a doe. Good job Brady! I also heard rumors of an unrecovered buck. My insurance agent also told me that he lost a buck. He hit it a bit back and it ran into a 450 acre un-harvested corn field. He searched for two days without success.
Sunday morning sunrise. It was nice and cool but nothing was moving. I did have quite the serenade from owls. It sounded like two different kinds. Never saw them.
I got the Cuddeback out with the new firmware. It seems to be working.
One doe wandered by on the first night. Apparently I have am/pm messed up in the settings.
I didn't have time for a good stand cleaning but I did make the rounds with the wasp spray. This huge nest of bald faced hornets appears to be dead. I sprayed it two weeks ago. I gave it another spray for good measure. I'd like to save this nest but I'm not sure if it is safe.
On the same stand, I opened the door and encountered a nest of wasps right there on the door. The spray did it's job. Normally I don't like chemicals or gratuitous killing but when they are occupying my house and they will hurt me, they have to go.
Somehow I managed to not get stung. I did all of the field edge stands. The main field hi-rise was the worst. There is a family of mice in the barn stand.
I don't remember these asters in past years.
The main field sorghum is showing signs of deer activity. Some seed heads have been eaten and there are trails and beds inside the field.
Some areas even show evidence of the beans, peas and lab lab that was supposed to be there. I thought that was all lost to weeds.
The turnips look better than last visit but are no where near the same as the field that I had last year.
Sometime in the last two weeks we got at least two inches of rain. It was sorely needed.
Here's 4 years of rain gauge readings. I haven't really done anything to analyze or compare.
Some of the stands are showing this kind of damage. Bugs, woodpeckers or both?
A flock of fall turkeys.
Fox.
Many coyote shots - all over the property.
Some reasonable buck activity but none of the really big boys.
Apple pickers. Can't wait for them to fall.
I thought that this was artistic.
Dave during previous visit.
The weather was so nice, we decided to indulge in our other hobby.
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