Live from the stand Friday edition...
About midweek I saw today was going to be an E wind. I have 1 stand I have been waiting on a wind like this here at home because it blows my scent off over a big hollow so I took today off. 5:15 AM I started toward my stand moving as slowly and silently as I could. The first half of the walk went without issue. I could hear a buck fight going on about 100 yards to the east and they were getting after it...I hoped one would come my way... About the midway point I heard a deer bouncing on my left to the west. It seems it stayed with me most of the rest of the walk.
I finally got to my point I leave the interior road and have a 75 yard straight walk to my stand...mind you everything here is solid woods so the leaves are noisy and I haven’t been to this stand in over ba month. I move as silently as I can but the leaves are unforgiving. With 20 yards to go I hear something running in the leaves just past my stand. I assume a deer so I carry on. As I get to my stand I realize I have walked into a pack of coyotes as they turn on with barking and yipping from less than 30 yards. I can hear them running around and they just will not leave. I make note that if any are in sight when it gets light enough to see that I will shoot it/them.
With coyotes at less than 50 yards carrying on I figure they will have to leave before any deer may show up. Well behind my stand is SE and I hear a deer plodding my way headed toward the coyotes. The deer walks directly under me and pops out in front of me and it is the youngest of my hit list bucks at 4.5 yrs old. He is a solid 10 point and I put the scope on him at 10 yards...and then I let him walk slowly away stopping every few steps browsing with coyotes 40 yards from him carrying on...I figured a buck like that with no fear earned another year here on our place...
About midweek I saw today was going to be an E wind. I have 1 stand I have been waiting on a wind like this here at home because it blows my scent off over a big hollow so I took today off. 5:15 AM I started toward my stand moving as slowly and silently as I could. The first half of the walk went without issue. I could hear a buck fight going on about 100 yards to the east and they were getting after it...I hoped one would come my way... About the midway point I heard a deer bouncing on my left to the west. It seems it stayed with me most of the rest of the walk.
I finally got to my point I leave the interior road and have a 75 yard straight walk to my stand...mind you everything here is solid woods so the leaves are noisy and I haven’t been to this stand in over ba month. I move as silently as I can but the leaves are unforgiving. With 20 yards to go I hear something running in the leaves just past my stand. I assume a deer so I carry on. As I get to my stand I realize I have walked into a pack of coyotes as they turn on with barking and yipping from less than 30 yards. I can hear them running around and they just will not leave. I make note that if any are in sight when it gets light enough to see that I will shoot it/them.
With coyotes at less than 50 yards carrying on I figure they will have to leave before any deer may show up. Well behind my stand is SE and I hear a deer plodding my way headed toward the coyotes. The deer walks directly under me and pops out in front of me and it is the youngest of my hit list bucks at 4.5 yrs old. He is a solid 10 point and I put the scope on him at 10 yards...and then I let him walk slowly away stopping every few steps browsing with coyotes 40 yards from him carrying on...I figured a buck like that with no fear earned another year here on our place...
) Most of my stands are set up for SE winds, N or NW winds and it's extremely disappointing to have to stay home with all the SW winds we've been getting the last few weeks. I looked at the forecast for next week though, and Monday and Tuesday are gonna make me happy if they know what they're talking about. Meanwhile, I'm working around the house and moving stuff (from the place I sold) back home. 
