Every other year I get to go hunt the opener in Vermont with my Dad. Wasn't able to get there opening Saturday (Nov. 12th), but made it back to hunt Monday-Wednesday with him. He's nearing 70, so fun to get back with him even if just for a couple days. I hunted in his stand in an old apple orchard on the edge of a pasture. I saw does and fawns on 3 of 4 sits, but nothing with antlers. Still fun seeing deer.
Now, every year, usually 5-6 days before the season like clockwork, a primary scrape appears 20 yards from his stand in the orchard. Big scrape, complete with licking branch overhead. He's shot a few nice bucks off it. Anyway, this year, nothing. No scrapes. Right through the opener, nada. Wondering what was going on, as the rut should have been going strong or past peak for the most part. Well, go figure, after my last sit Wednesday morning, I got out to leave, and the scrape had been made sometime in the night. So Dad was a little excited to say the least. He hunted it from last week until the weekend, when a big storm kept him out of the woods.
He was able to get in Monday evening of this week with 6 inches of snow on the ground. About 45 minutes before dark, a doe and 2 fawns that I had seen there came in, hung around the scrape. My Dad says all of a sudden, theirs ears perked up, heads looked south behind him, then they bolted. Then comes a deer charging into the orchard on a mission, looking for that doe. Dad had just enough time see it was legal, and bleated to stop it right smack dab in the shooting lane. 20 yard shot, 3 ribs and both lungs blown out. He called me to let me know, very excited. We've always been meat hunters, so anything is good. Especially when it means 60 pounds of meat for the winter for him and Mom.
Anyway, happy for him. Wish I could have been there to help drag it out, but oh well. Next year maybe.....
Now, every year, usually 5-6 days before the season like clockwork, a primary scrape appears 20 yards from his stand in the orchard. Big scrape, complete with licking branch overhead. He's shot a few nice bucks off it. Anyway, this year, nothing. No scrapes. Right through the opener, nada. Wondering what was going on, as the rut should have been going strong or past peak for the most part. Well, go figure, after my last sit Wednesday morning, I got out to leave, and the scrape had been made sometime in the night. So Dad was a little excited to say the least. He hunted it from last week until the weekend, when a big storm kept him out of the woods.
He was able to get in Monday evening of this week with 6 inches of snow on the ground. About 45 minutes before dark, a doe and 2 fawns that I had seen there came in, hung around the scrape. My Dad says all of a sudden, theirs ears perked up, heads looked south behind him, then they bolted. Then comes a deer charging into the orchard on a mission, looking for that doe. Dad had just enough time see it was legal, and bleated to stop it right smack dab in the shooting lane. 20 yard shot, 3 ribs and both lungs blown out. He called me to let me know, very excited. We've always been meat hunters, so anything is good. Especially when it means 60 pounds of meat for the winter for him and Mom.
Anyway, happy for him. Wish I could have been there to help drag it out, but oh well. Next year maybe.....
