Muzzleloader Weekend Etc

I was last out to the farm for the bonus weekend.

As mentioned in a previous post, Dave and I hunted without success.  Dave took a shot at one of our well-known bucks, Junior, but we never found any sign that he was hit.

So both Dave and I were pleased and relieved to find photos of Junior on camera a week later.  There was no evidence of any injury.  Whew.  If you're going to miss and not recover a deer, you always hope for a clean miss.

I was in Florida for the holiday and this is some of the festive decorations that I encountered.  Incidentally, that buck came off the farm but he now lives in Florida.

 I've always really liked this mount of Leo's.

During gun week, my buddy Jim took this buck on his property in Warren County.  He's been growing some big ones.  He actually had a bigger one running around this year but a neighbor got it in archery season.  You can't complain about this one.

 I did replenish the salt blocks that I had out.

 Making the camera tour.

Still lots of buck sign everywhere.

 Rubs and scrapes all over the place.

This is the main field that I had in a mixture of oats and brassica.

 Some of the brassica was turnips.

They are working on them but there's still quite a bit of green clover and brassica around.

 View from the main field stand.

 Creigh and I saw a few does and young bucks both days.

 Sunday morning, eight does were running around skittishly in this field.

Sunset Saturday evening.  I snuck out of this stand without being busted by 3 does standing 100 yards away.  The wind was in my favor.

 Marshmallows continue to produce results.

I'm not sure what the prediction for winter would be based on this caterpillar. I forget - more black is more winter?

 I did a little still hunting - the leaves were wet so it wasn't too noisy.

 It's hard to tell in this photo but these greenbrier are all chiseled off at the same height.

 Poop of the week - a fresh one found on my walk.

 I did set up and just watch in a few spots.

Creigh took this photo - hard to tell but the white spot is an albino squirrel that's running around.  Not sure how he survives. We saw some raptors this weekend - I think a harrier and a kestrel.

Creigh had this buck in his last hour of hunting - he chose to pass. He took these photos so we can all second guess him.

 It's a pretty nice 9 point and I think the call could have gone either way.

The body does look young - hopefully we'll see an even bigger rack next year.  We haven't taken one deer this year.  I may still try a little bit of late archery - I have taken a late doe for the freezer in some years.  We'll see.