Yesterday I went out hunting on my own for the first time. Saw a bobcat (didn't even know we had them) and almost got run over by a young doe while I was sitting on a log drinking a bit of water. It was a beautiful day down here in SC, almost caught a chill. Had a bunch of problems with my climbing setup, thinking I may have to abandon SRT except when I have presets, the throwbag is just too finicky in the woods. I guess what I learned is that things that seem quiet at the park or in your back yard sound ungodly loud in the woods.
Hunted one area in the morning that I had previously scouted, Its low lying and wet in spots but I wouldn't call it a swamp. Hy hope was to set up just southwest of a certain stream crossing. On the way in, I sank to my knee into muck, filling my boot with water. Unperturbed I continued on. When I got to the creek both sides were absolutely torn up with deer tracks, we had heavy rain 3 days before this. I tried to set up in a tree for a good 20 minutes before just setting on a log with my back against a tree and pulling a bit of brush in front of me. Didn't see any deer, just a bobcat, who never knew I was there! I was planning on going back for the evening but it has a gate and when I went back in the afternoon the gate was closed and there were about 5 firetrucks parked just down the road along one of its edges, I dunno if they were doing search and rescue or what, didn't see or smell any smoke.
When I found that gate shut, I went another 30 minutes down the road to a big state forest and scouted one corner of a huge hardwood swamp, found some old roads through the swamp that are not marked on the map and are blocked by fallen trees. lots of deer sign and lots of waterfowl hunter sign, didn't see any deer stands or anything. At the terminus of one leg of the unmarked old road I found a group of 6 or 8 very obvious deer beds, reeking of urine. I bet in moderately high water during the rut, those raised road beds would make for decent buck hunting. On the way out I sat down on a log and took a drink of water and I heard a noise behind me, it was a little doe who had just jumped one of the logs across the road, she was running full tilt straight at me, seriously thought I was about to get hit. When I turned my head I could tell she saw me and veered a little bit, passing within 6ft of me as she bounded over the log I was sitting on.
All in all a rewarding day, gonna get back out there this evening I hope, and hopefully successfully get up a tree and sit.
