About 200yd out in the field I saw a couple deer coming down over the hill. A couple deer turned into 22 as they just kept pouring out of the woods! They slipped and slid down to the flat, went into a narrow strip of trees, and turned back toward me when the dogs started barking at them.
I did not move from my spot during this whole episode and soon the herd was coming right into the woods with me on a trail about 50yd away. The bigger deer would break through the crust occasionally, the little guys were just prancing about on top of the ice. Right in the middle of all these does was a nice buck! It looked like it may have had 8 points.
They piled up and milled around when they hit my scent stream. A few of them noticed me standing there only 40yd away but I didn't budge. Eventually they turned and ran down over the field the way they came. What a stampede! You should have heard the noise they made busting the ice as they ran in single file. I certainly didn't want to make them run and possibly get hurt on the ice, but they all seemed to be getting good footing.
The deer must be having a rough time lately with all this ice on top of the snow. That is the most deer I've seen around here in many years.
That was the first buck I saw since last summer. I was starting to think they all left. Anyways it was a cool experience and I was glad to see it.
Yeah, they must be having a harder time getting to food now. I've had deer in my yard every evening and off and on all through the night, eating the plants around my house.... some right up AGAINST the house. Over a dozen last night at dusk. I didn't see any bucks though. I can see them during the day sometimes laying back there in the woods.
Seen many deer the last couple weeks walking in the road. Not across...............right down the middle. Saw one the other day walk down the road, turn right and walk up one of my neighbor's driveway! ;-) They learn quick it's alot easier getting around IN the roads.
My wife put a bunch of veggies down in the woods for them today to try to divert them from her plants, they ate some, but it's not working. They're up here too.
I don't really care about our plants, if they're that hungry, they can have em.
Maybe I'll run down there tomorrow and look for a good tree or two to drop for em.
Lol... dogs are barking again.
Course you could throw corn out there.... They won't be hungry anymore :)
I had a sawbuck, but I spent it on pizza.
I've had several does and fawns hanging around here all year. I was lucky enough to put one in my freezer and played around with the others throughout the season. Where all these others (including the buck) came from is anyone's guess. There is a lot of mountain between my woodlot and the windmills.
If it weren't for the half dozen locals it would have been a very sucky hunting season. I think I saw 4 other deer while hunting other areas.
Back when we had a decent (and very healthy) deer herd it was nothing to see a couple dozen come out in the big field across from the house. One winter day I counted 75 at one time.
With the nice mix of farm land, small woodlots, and huge parcels of forest we have here in southern 2C there was no reason to thin them down so drastically. Even during a rough winter the deer were always in good shape.
Don't get me started! LOL
It was a nice blast from the past to see a decent size group of deer again.
It's been one week since I saw those deer trying to navigate on the ice. In that time we now have 2' of fresh snow on top of the ice.
I tried to go up to the woods today but it was not worth the effort. I stomped a path on my range and shot a bit. Then I plowed the driveway, twice. We got another 6" today. It's getting old.
