The Unicorn Buck!

 

The Buck and the Full Moon

 

I have been in the woods off and on all month squirrel hunting and placing and checking trail cams.  The worry is over about the negative effects from the late season frosts and summer drought.  There is plenty of mast in the trees and on the ground.  White oaks, red oaks, chestnut oaks, black oaks and every other oak in between are dropping acorns. 

 

If you know where a good persimmon stand is and the trees hold their fruit for another couple of weeks you just may have a prime time location on your hands for the bow season opener.  Several evenings this week I have watched deer move under the persimmon tree in my back yard cleaning up the fruit that fell during the day.  Several days ago I watched a small four-pointer and a young gray fox chase each other around under the tree trying to get the fruit.  Finally, the buck grew tired of the games and chased the fox off into the woods.  After securing the persimmons the buck triumphantly strolled over to my little cherry tree and went to work on it with his antlers.

 

Rubs, scrapes, and licking posts are all popping up in the woods as the deer transition into the pre-rut.

 

If you're not taking the time to do a little squirrel hunting you're missing a prime opportunity to prep yourself for deer season.  This is a wonderful way to perfect your woods stealth again and tune your senses to the sights, sounds, and smells of the field.  Not to mention the benefit you get from pulling the trigger on actual game instead of a paper target.