Hello again folks. I needed the break from everything. Caught up on the posts yesterday and glad everyone had some fun fishing.
Last night was a fantastic night of fun and live music. Jerry Garcia lives !!

First day of rifle yesterday.
While PUTTING ON A SOCK around 4 AM  pulled my back out significantly- never did that before.
Took the hour long painful drive and made into a ground spot - hadda leave in an hour- another painful hour back home.
Never shoulda been in the woods- As I sat there, realized the spot woulda I been in  even trying to gut one , much less dragging.
Guess I kept hoping it would get better- just the opposite.
Now its day two and I sit here typing--AAARRRRRUUUUUGGGGH.

That sucks Trevor, sorry to hear and hope it gets better quick.
Not sure about fun in that but I'm back in the trees. 2 more days of the mechanical bow then gun on Saturday.
With fresh snow Tues and cold last night, it's crunchy. Little wind .
Heavy snow tonight so I hope they get active today.

Rootin for ya Rich.
Ruts in  full swing here.
They can  pop up anytime anyplace now.

Another beautiful day staring at trees. Not a creature is moving, not even a mouse.

Gonna get ugly up here tomorrow

Bout 2" in two hours so far here- to be topped off by late night rain- ICE

I'm keeping my fun stuff inside a ground blind looking out the window today

Speaking of backs,
The motel we have been staying at for 33 years has probably hit rock bottom.
It used to be an awesome mom and pop run place . Another 10 years ago they sold out to a chain and we have dubbed it the terrorist training center. Its sketchy as heck. The quality makes the worst of places in Pulaski seem like the ritz.
Learned a few years ago to bring my buddy heater just in case. Well it was put to good use last night as once again, the heat Don T work.
Now for the back :
Worst bed I've ever slept in, of course I bring a sleeping bag for fear of using never been changed sheets. It took quite some doing to get stood up straight and try to work out the pain.
Only 2 more nights of sleeping in there to go , ugh..
The health department would have a field day.

I'll gladly pay $105 a night for the tailwater with no fish in the river than $100 a night in a dump with no deer in the woods, lol

Well today was the day.
Like I been posting, we have spent a LOT of time in the woods since my actual hunting began 3 weeks and 1 day ago. We know there is deer and lots on our property, my cameras dont lie, lol. We know these are mountain deer and NOBODY hunts our 1,800 foot mountain. It was starting to get frustrating as the deer went nocturnal a month agao and the rut wasn't yet ON. Still we prevailed because we'd catch a glimpse of a nice one here or there. To me its about body mass, the deer up there are very lean on that so seeing just another " Small" deer started getting me worried.
The snow we received and cold temperatures Thursday changed everything.
Now deer were moving because they were being chased by , other deer.
I seen more deer yesterday than I have in the total 3 weeks combined, all on a mission. My son seen what he described as the biggest he's ever seen, its still out there :).
In all that we built a plan for today. Go where the highest concentration of does are.
After 14 does, 1 spike and a 4 pointer passed through his stand, this came behind a doe.
He shot a beautiful 8pt last season and now he's got a 10 point to add to his and my memories.
It was a Fun day indeed and it only takes 1 to make it special.
I know there is a few 8' s another 10 and a 12pt still around that my cameras dont lie.

Absolutely super!

Experienced the same situation without the kill.

For the last three weeks of archery, had 26 different shooter bucks on camera, all at night. Not a single deer in the daylight.

The season goes out and there were five shooter bucks, including two taxidermy (and I don’t have a mounted deer because none have been big enough yet) worthy specimens, with 1.5 hours of each other last Wednesday during the middle of the day. At least one shooter buck every day during the daylight from Tuesday through Sunday.