The Deer were Two Steps ahead of me all morning
I went out this morning after we received a fresh 1 to 2 inches of snow last night. Immediately walking in I saw fresh tracks and sat on the edge of a big knoll and quietly watched as nothing came by. I decided to try my luck at still hunting which I hate to do but, I figured if anything it would give me a idea of where they might be.
I went over and down into a hollow that is fed from the swamp above and picked up a couple more sets of tracks and followed them for a bit. They headed right for my favorite place “the swamp”, so I kept going and soon came across what looked like a deer highway. Must have been a small herd so I got real excited and did a little scouting from where they came from and what appeared to be where they were going.
They were definately keeping to the thick stuff which once you get out of the swamp is laurel bushes. Seeing as I am grounded for the rest of the season I certainly can’t hunt to many areas that are covered with laurels because you really can’t see much so I concentrated on the swamp end of the trail.
I went all the way around and picked up the trail that lead into the swamp and found a beautiful knoll that overlooks the swamp and which the deer walk right over to go into the swamp. i picked out the best vantage point of where to place a tripod stool and tried to figure out a game plan for the afternoon.
As I was planning out the afternoon’s master plan “haha” I was started when two dogs that looked like pit bulls were following the deer tracks until they saw me standing there. I didn’t know what they were going to do so I cocked the hammer and was ready to defend myself. Fortuneately for the dogs one was not interested and the other just stood there and barked relentlessly at me. I was just about ready to give up and walk away when I heard some lady yell out for the dogs and they took off running, lucky for them.
I still am planning to sit that area this afternoon hoping to catch the deer coming back through the swamp. We will see, I just hope those damn dogs don’t show up again.
Man I’d love to have some tracking snow. I left the woods about noon time because the temps were over 70′ today. Not much movement with the heat. I hope it gets back to more normal temps and maybe even a bit of snow.
The dog situation is not good one I had a similar situation a few years back when I had 3 track me through the woods. I was forced to take action when they advanced on me after they knew I was human. Scary situation.
December 8th, 2007 at 11:30 pm
Moose, It sounds real warm where you hunt. What state are you from?
The dog situation is for sure not good. I did have the hammer back just in case they ventured to close, they looked like pit bulls I think. I would have hated to shoot one of them but I would do what I had to do. Hunter harassement for sure.
3 strikes and these people and their dogs are done, I will let the law do their jobs.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
Hey Rick,
I’m living in NC and it’s unseasonable warm here. We are looking at temps maybe hitting 80 today.
Here in NC deer hunting with hounds is a legal in some of the counties. I hunt in one where it is legal although I don’t use them nor does the club I hunt in use them.
There is little that the law will do down here for dogs running loose. In the situation I faced I had done a doe in heat drag using a section of hide off a doe I had killed a few days earlier and soaked in doe urine. The dogs came along following the trail I laid an hour or so prior and came right to the hide I had hanging in the tree about 30 yards from my stand. There was 3 dogs one that was a German Shepard and the other two were chows. By their appearance it would appear they had been running for a while and probably better described as feral. I stood up in my stand and they looked at me and began growling and advancing towards me. I yelled at them and they continued slowly advancing. Knowing I had to get down and walk back to my truck in the dark with these creatures hanging around I decided I’d better taken some action. I killed two with my 30/30 and one got away.
I certainly don’t want to kill someones pet or their hunting dog but also people got to stop turning unwanted cats and dogs out.
December 10th, 2007 at 12:18 pm
Moose, that was one heck of a story and I could have only imagined what you were feeling. Thanks for sharing.
December 12th, 2007 at 9:31 am
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