We were out the door again around 5:15. Tom and Joe left around the same time.
Rick dropped Kevin off at a farm a ways away, then looped back and dropped me at the Powell farm. Instructions to the blind were simple enough. I walked past a deer on the way there and it didn't blow out until I was well past it. Odd...
The stand was a raised box blind. As it got light I could see a small deer on the pile. At first I thought it was a doe, but with a bit more light I could see spikes on its head. It stayed for around a half hour before sauntering off.
Shortly after it left, a doe stepped out right in front of the blind. It went into and out of the trees for a bit before disappearing forever.
Shortly after it left, I saw more movement by the pile as two deer, then a third made their way in to the corn pile. Two of the deer were small, a small spike and a rather tall spike. The third was more interesting. When I originally saw it, it was facing away from me and its rack went out past its ears - just barely, but it was past its ears. I spent quite a bit of time looking at it. I convinced myself it was good enough and had the safety off while looking through the scope, waiting for it to turn broadside. When it did turn broadside, I wasn't sure I was looking at the same deer, the antlers looked small. I put the safety back and and just watched. It was a wide but not huge (and young). I passed and texted Rick a picture.
The three deer stayed for quite a while. They moved in and out a few times. It was a bit hard to keep seeing that wide rack every time it faced away or towards me.
Other than a brief showing by the tall spike, they left just a few minutes before Rick texted to say he was on the way.
It took a while to get picked up. Thankfully the mosquitoes had chilled out since I had shut off my ThermaCell while I was waiting.
Kevin had seen a few deer including a small 8-point.
Back in camp, we had breakfast before going out a feeding several of the stands.
Mike from New York had come in to camp to hunt for two days.
After a bit of lodge time, we headed out for the afternoon. I was on the same stand I sat on in the morning. It was easy to get situated, but there was absolutely no air moving so it was stuffy and hot.
Not long after sitting, two does came out followed by a third that only stayed for a few minutes. They kept me entertained for a while.
This was followed by a very long time with nothing happening. It was hard to sit still. I tried to occupy my brain, but I actually got a little be bored which almost never happens when hunting.
Around 6:15 a doe popped out from the right. This was followed almost immediately by a buck about 50 yards from the blind on the left. Unlike the morning's deer, this was a very tall rack and an 8-point. But!!!!! It wasn't very wide. I snapped a few pictures and texted Rick. Beautiful, but no...
This one hurt.
It came and went a few times until it ate corn for about 10 minutes. Then he left leaving me alone for a bit. It got oddly dark quickly with the weird lighting; the sun was setting directly away from me and with the corn in a hole, I lost most of the shooting lane early. Full darkness came with a few does and a spike on the pile.
Dinner that night was exceedingly good taco pie.
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