Last Day Success!

Kevin has a knack for coming through in a pinch.  This year was no exception -- if it wasn't for him there would be no venison in my freezer -- cuts from this one and a button buck he shot the week before.

 

It was the last day of muzzleloader and the plan was simple:  Find the most inaccessible piece of public land we could find and simply try to kill a deer for the freezer.  And thanks to the good will of Kevins' brother Jay we got access to just a spot.  Jay knew a farmer who let him cross his property to hunt an isolated piece of public land that is about as good as it gets for a public land hunter in Indiana (the year before Jay pulled a heavy-beamed ten-pointer out of there that pushed 200 pounds) and Jay secured permission for us.

 

At the split in the logging road Kevin went one way and I went the other and we both had the uncanny sense a third party would be accompanying us on our way back to the truck -- if not a fourth party as well.  Yeah, it was just that kind of feeling on the last day of the season.  And if it wasn't for an error on my part while loading my muzzleloader we would have been dragging deer all day but, that is something I will talk about later.

 

Kevin posted up at a well used creek crossing where he had seen quite a few deer in the weeks prior and waited for something to move through.  This buck saw him about the same time he saw the buck and the buck tried to make a quick escape across the creek.  But, with the creek still swollen from the heavy rains the week before he decided it was too risky to get wet and he came back towards Kevin on a flat out run to beat all.  Kevin got him in the scope at seventy-yards with a sense of urgency that it was going to be now or never, followed him for a few moments and squeezed off the shot.

 

I was off across the thicket a way when I heard the loud boom and I had no doubt we had a little work ahead of us.

When it comes to true trophies this may be as good as it gets.  When I think about the lost sleep, the miles spent on the road and on the foot, the monotony of going to work every day all year long so time can be taken during the season, the effort, the money  . . . , I think you know what I mean -- and for it all to boil down to the last few minutes of three months of time spent, hard work, and hope -- and then everything comes together in just a few moments, well -- everything suddenly becomes worth it and this deer is the culmination of all of that.  And now all we can hope for is that next season is going to be just as good as last.
 

The Creek Crossing

I secured this camera on a log this September at The Creek Crossing hoping to get a few pictures of shedding bucks and maybe an otter, but I had no luck with either one.

Deer season is over now and if it wasn't for the persistence and patience of Kevin there would be no venison in the freezer, but thanks to him there will be deer steaks on the grill in July. 

This Barred Owl is a first for me.  When I zoom in on the picture it looks as if he is eating a big crawdad.  The largest crawdad I've ever seen was in this creek -- it was big enough to pass for a lobster and it could have really put a hurting on a careless finger or thumb.