Venison Ambassador

Four-Legged Excitement Runs Through Breakfast

This week we have experienced much excitement of the four-legged variety. It has all been in that "WOW" & "So Frustrating" all wrapped up in one! Sunday morning I was calmly making breakfast when the peace was shattered by "Look at that Deer!!" (mentally hear this in a very excited, not to mention startlingly sudden male voice and you're there). Looking up I caught a buck sprinting behind...nothing. Running to the window at the other end of the house allowed for a view of the whole happening, as a doe trotted just ahead of the buck.

Monday morning, I was the spotter, catching a glimpse of Buckie Junior (what Jeff & his hunting buddy call the little basket rack bucks) strolling along the woods in back of the house - no doe in sight.

Tuesday, 2 fawns made their way straight down through the yard, scaring Echo (kitten) half out of her mind as she squished herself down into "invisible" mode. These 2 young deer, a button buck and a young doe, were wandering through, just old enough for mom to have suggested they get out on their own.

The Hunt for Excitement

On Sunday evening (10/17) I had a great opportunity to sit in a ground blind and scout for Jeff. I settled in about 4:45 and starting trying to slow my brain down and just enjoy. I told myself I would be happy to see a couple of squirrels and a bird or two. (Big lie, of course, but you try all the same. You're always hoping to see the "big one.") Finally, about 5:45 I had given up my pretense, largely because except for 2 flies, nothing in nature was even attempting to entertain me. I could hear birds behind me and see the evidence of squirrels in the trees, nuts were falling like crazy, but I saw nothing.

Then, I checked out the noise on my right - a gobbler!! I had never seen one in real life, this close up! They are taller than I had thought. He was so dark, he almost looked to be black. He had a beard hanging down (Jeff says that means its a gobbler, not a Jake) and he was eating away at bugs or corn, I'm not sure which. Turkeys are funny and this one suddenly jerked his head up and flapped his wings, then ran down the hill into the woods, completely out of sight. I watched and a couple of minutes later, he came right back up the exact same spot! He freaked out again and ran into the weeds and finally (according to the ruckus) ran down the hill into the woods, not to resurface.

I was so excited! A turkey, acting all crazy and close enough to really watch. Next, out of the woods popped  a doe and her fawn, ready for the evening browse. Both walked out, stared straight at my blind, then twitched their tails and settled into the business of feeding. The fawn was completely engrossed in her nibbling, but momma would check my direction every so often, just making sure. Something spooked the doe and both scurried around the bend, out of sight.

What a night! Folks, if you have a chance to get outside and sit really still and watch - who knows what you'll see! Just go! By the way, if you get delicious meals in the process - woo hoo!!

Amazing Sights and Sounds

This past Friday was the first day of shotgun season here in Illinois. My husband and I got up early and snuck into our stand. An owl hooted loudly above us. There are so many sounds in the woods at night. Coons were fussing at each other. We were quiet - it sounded like we were the onlyones out there being quiet. We jumped three deer walking in. We climbed up into our 2-man stand, got situated and waited for daylight. Its so amazing who finds their voice as night slides into day. The night sounds, the owl, the racoons were no longer vocal. Instead, songbirds welcomed the sunrise, happy for the new day. Squirrels began to scurry around and it was officially a new day.

We sat there watching and listening to the birds and the squirrels and suddenly we heard a doe blow. I remember Jeff (hubby) talking about a doe blowing and just dying to hear what it was like. One day they showed a doe in a bit of a huff on a hunting video and then I really wanted to hear it for myself. Since then I have heard it, live and directed quite at me when we have walked out and spooked a doe. This doe, though was really unhappy. She just kept blowing! Jeff & I looked at each other, it was so strange because the sound was getting closer to us. (When a doe is blowing because she has smelled human odor, she doesn't normally come closer, of course.) Then, it got CRAZY!!! The doe burst through an opening, running and followed by a large buck who was roaring. Roaring! Not a grunt, a roar. I never even knew a buck could make that sound! I was relieved that Jeff and I were together, because not in a million years could I have explained that sound to him. After the doe and the big buck came 3 smaller bucks, followed by a spike buck. Really - isn't that a bit much? We could hardly believe our eyes! (and ears!) The big buck kept roaring, the doe was running, the other bucks followed & the whole mess went running up the hill and out of site.

I can't think how to do justice to what we saw and heard. When I write it here it doesn't even give a glimmer of how it made our hearts pound or the level of WOW we felt! That's something Jeff and I will always have to remember. No deer were harvested that morning and its still a hunt we will never forget.

Deer & Greens

Yesterday (Saturday) I had to stay home and work on my studies, no hunting for me. Around 4:30 in the afternoon I was taking a break by gathering some greens from the outdoor garden. As I clipped my Swiss Chard I heard a twig snap and jerked my head up. There he was. A buck, not big, but definitely a buck watching me. We have a bit of woods and brush along side the yard and he was making his way up there, no doubt checking for the does who live in these woods. Let's just say that this did not really enhance my studying. Next thing I knew I was sitting here at my computer trying my best to concentrate and jumping up to look out the window every time I heard anything from the woods.

Deer fever - seems like its contagious.

Deer Last Weekend In My Front Yard

One Buck, Complete Disruption

This morning, I was calmly fixing Jeff's lunch when the shouting started.  "Get in here, QUICK! There's a buck, a buck!!" Sure enough, right out the bedroom window in the brushy woods was a 9-point buck. He had a really nice, white rack. Jeff, who has seen enough bucks to know assured me it was definitely a Pope & Young deer. The buck swaggered up the hill toward a doe. She gave him very little consideration and laid down. He made a rub while we watched. The little sapling he was rubbing didn't make it - it broke under his beautiful, aggressive rack.

The buck finally disappeared, hidden by thick shrubs. The doe lay quietly as though she hadn't been what all the fuss was about. Jeff announced in a firm voice that "it's on & I've got to hunt this weekend!" Yes, its "that" time of year!

We looked down the yard and the deer shaped target (complete with antlers, of course) was headless in the yard! I wonder who might have done that....hmmm

Deer In The Front Yard This Past Weekend!

A Deerhunter's Dream!!!

I just heard a noise and looked out my front door - here's what I saw!!!!!!

This one isn't as clear, but I love that she's looking right at me!