Just In Time For Halloween - A Bit Gruesome

 A month after the hunt, my guide, Red, recovered the mule deer that I shot in Utah.  He texted me these photos last night.

 He said that the coyotes had been enjoying it.  It was found about 100 yards away from where Red and Eric jumped it up when tracking blood.  It looked like the shot hit in the 5th rib which he thought would be liver.

So, somebody will get the lucky job of boiling this skull in order to make a European mount.  If we hadn't been travelling the next morning, I suspect that we would have made a successful recovery.  But at least I will have something to show for this hunt.  As usual, my hunts have drama.

News From Utah and The Weekend Hunt

 I hunted the driveway stand on Saturday afternoon.  It was cool and I thought they'd be moving.  This small button buck was out early.

During the day, I got a call from the outfitter in Utah.  Apparently one of the other guides found my mule deer while out on a elk hunt.  No details or photos yet but I suspect that I will at least be able to recover the rack.

 This is a phone shot thru binos to some does up in the main field.  I watched five does on one end of the field and three or four coyotes on the other end of the same field.  They were both out for an hour before dark.

 This is a trailcam shot but they were frolicking like this.  Jumping on each other, rolling over on their back, running in circles.  There were two blond coyotes and one or two darker grey ones.

 Trailcam of a grey one.

 Poop of the week.  This is a coyote pile on the driveway.  Don't see too much hair in it but it seems that they've been eating apples.

 Like this.  Multiple pictures of them snarfing apples down.

A blond one.

A grey one.

Apple in mouth.

I checked the propane tank and found a nest under there.

 It's looking and feeling like fall now.

 We had a low of 31 and a high of 44.

 The leaves are turning.

 The deer were in the main field that I planted in August.  It is over-run with a annual weed - galinsoga.  I was surprised that there is a good amount of clover under there.  Maybe it's possible to save this field after all.

 Just enough apples left on the tree to be an attractant.

 Of course the rubs and scrapes are everywhere.

 This one is pretty beastly.

 Typical scrape.

 Sunday morning I hunted the barn field.  I did some grunting and this young buck came right in.

 He came into the field looking for who was grunting.

 And he walked out right under the stand.  I also had a couple coyotes on the field edge shortly after grunting.  I need to start taking a varmint gun to stand with me.

This was an interesting trailcam capture.  Looks like a fight between a bluejay and a woodpecker.

Dave and Grant were out last week on a very warm night - didn't see anything.

Eric got a new 45-70 lever action for his birthday.  My friend Mark helped me get it sighted in for him.

 A look at the 45-70 shell in comparison to the 223, 17hmr and 22lr.  It's a thumper.

Mark lives in Spain and hasn't had much exposure to firearms.  He got a few rounds in blowing up leftover pumpkins.

Trailcams 10/29/17

 We seem to be overrun with coyotes.

 There are hundreds of photos of them.

 Some in the same frame as deer.

 There is a coyote in the background by the stand.

 I have never seen turkeys in the same frame though.

 Fox.  Still a few around in spite of all the coyotes.

 Groundhog.

 Skunk.

 The bucks are definitely sparring.

 Or kissing.

 Coyote standoff.

 And a few does for equal opportunity.