Beautiful Monday morning in the fall woods

[roundball]

Reminded me why I like hunting so much.....never fired a shot out of the .45cal Early Virginia but:
Ready before it was light enough to see, 35*, 12-14mph wind, trees swaying so I didn't expect much but I was out there.
About 8:30am a platoon of Turkeys came scratching through the leaves...passed about 20 yards from me sitting down in a natural blind.
Tail End Charlie was a jake and spotted me over the 2ft high brush in front...cautiously stepped closer and closer until he was only a few yards away.
Decided I wasn't anything to worry about and went back to scratching off in the direction of the flock.

About 9:30 I hear something off to my left and here comes a deer at an easy relaxed rocking-chair sort of canter.
I soon see it's a spike and watch as he approaches on a line that he's going to crash into the natural blind.
But he runs parallel tight across the very front and I guess his peripheral vision picked me up because he pulled up and stopped to look at me.
If I'd had a yardstick on the end of my gun barrel I could have touched him.
Small but a very mature looking little deer with a good dark winter coat...had about 8"spikes.
He stood there making eye contact for 8-10 seconds...beautiful classic look of a deer face/head full of curiosity...then resumed his course & speed again.

No Virginia to clean but it was a nice, memorable hunt just the same...a thermos of coffee and one of hot home made veg/beef soup didn't hurt either...LOL

 

[LarryS]

Nice ! Good of you to pass on the little guy. He'll be a big one some day

 

[Matt85]

sounds like a good morning.

-matt

 

[hanshi]

I'd call that one very fine morning.

 

[wattlebuster]

Sounds like my kind of morning :thumbsup:

 

[lizz]

Sounds like you still had a good time.

 

[ncmtmike]

Thanks for taking us along :wink: Sometime it's more fun to watch :grin:

 

[dbutch]

Its all about the Journey!! Hope you have many more of these days!

 

[steve free]

Sounds like one of those times when a man can just look around and see he's blessed. Thanks for sharing roundball. :thumbsup:

 

[Silex]

Sounds like a wonderful morning to me. Thanks for sharing.
I'll take a morning like that any day instead of sitting in the dungeon at work.

Silex

 

[lorren68]

There is nothing like the feel of a sunrise, from the dark woods of fall. :hatsoff:

 

[KyFlintlock]

Always a blessing to get out for sure!!!!

Wess

 

[caddo]

Had a few mornings like that myself over the years. Glad you had a great day.

 

[Richard J.]

It always amazes me that more people cant see the real world out in the woods. They go out and come home never watching or seeing nature at its finest.

 

[Roguedog]

Great story Roundball. The kill has always been secondary for me. My primary joy is simply being out there in the woods. The relaxation and peace it brings me is hard to fully articulate. However, harvesting an animal now and then doesn't hurt either but that would never be my primary reason for hunting. Thanks for sharing the experience.

Jeff