The Fools! I Am on Their Trail. Yep, Still More Antler Hunting

This is a process so I am proceeding.

More narrow trail but not uncomfortable and hoof prints to guide me. Common and well-traveled trails are for deer, like for human highways, familiar, reliable, and normally predictable paths from important place (e.g. water,) to important place (e.g. feeding ground, shelter).

Antler Hunting Continued, Continued

I continue to search.  This shows me coming into the area where I think they bed down. I try to be stealthy, without showing off.  A friend told me that my chances of seeing deer were much better if I left my dog at home.  I didn't have a dog but I bought one so I could leave it home and improve my chances.

This is me going home after traipsing around the woods for awhile. I'm new to this community but I'm forming impressions already.  I stopped at the bank to ask directions, as I was a little lost.  They acted very rude.  The Kwik and Go And/or Stop folks made up for it though.  They gave me money and cigarettes without me even asking. 

Antler Hunting Continued

I continue to hone my skills (or so I think).  I've been able to run across deer every day, sometimes a half dozen or more, sometimes only one.  I get as close as 20 or 30 yards, which in the woods with a leaping deer might as well be a half mile.   I've learned that they tend to run away from me when I yell at them; whistle a happy tune; call them by name (no one likes to be called a "bambi"); or tell corny jokes.  I'm learning.

This is one of the trails I followed and searched.  This is not a deer trail - its a human trail.  I understand that my chances of finding any deer stuff on this trail is slim, but it much less annoying to trek than the deer trails so I thought 'what the heck.'.  Kind of the same logic I use when playing the lottery - I don't buy a ticket but I figure the chances of winning are so slim that the chances of winning without buying a ticket are only somewhat slimmer.  What the heck.

Beautiful Maxx

Got this dog as a pup about 18 years ago.  Hyper as any Aussie could be but true blue, teachable, and a loved member of the family for always. 

Antler Hunting

I've been interested in antler hunting for a few years but have been unsuccessful so far.  I will continue to try.  I've been tracking a herd of deer near my brother's place  It's still too early for shedding, I think, but I've scoped out about a half dozen nice places where the chances of finding one are good - where they bed down; where they jump fences.  The good thing about these spots is they are free from hunting so I feel safer.  Not sure what to expect.  I was chased by a mother deer once when I got too close to her young.  I was nearly run over by a herd once as they ran by (running from something out to get them).  Any tips are welcome.

I sneaked up on a herd of 7 deer, in the woods just beyond the scrub.  They froze and I froze.  I moved my camera up to my eye and snapped a pix but it was too late, they had pranced off in a blur. 

Neither Fish Nor Fowl, Plant Nor Beast, Grendel Was a Dane, Beowulf Was a Geat

Retirement so far (and no I don't know what it is either; I just describe what I think I see).

Sledding Adventure Part 4

When its bitterly cold the lungs struggle to breathe in enough air.  The blood concentrates on the brain and heart and lungs, most essential, and the sinews have to manage with less oxygen.  We labored making the climb, that on a summer day one could almost run up.  At the top I told Herky to give me a minute to catch my breath.  He gasped something in reply.  Tommy Stein stayed at the bottom end of the incline so he could watch us.  He was a bit of a tough and him not wanting to sled the hill gave me pause.  I've never seen him hesitate to do something risky.  When I had the clarity to see I looked at the run.  Dark, very dark from beginning to end.  Our eyes had adjusted a while back and it still looked dark.  Small trees and shrubbery lined either side at the top to form a launch area, shielded from the wind. We were using Herkey's sled, a single sheet of hard plastic, curled up at the front. There were places to grab on the sides.
I felt afraid, I admit.  The daring of this act overflowed the boundaries of my personal comfort zone.  I almost reneged but that would mean ridicule and endless ribbing.  No bodies lined the sides of the track.  No ambulance lights oscillated at the bottom.  I read the paper for the last week and never saw an obituary or tragedy connected to this place.  No warning signs posted.  It had to be safe, right?

Getting ready to Launch into the night!