# I'm back



## Carolina Rebel (Aug 25, 2005)

I muzzleloader hunted last Friday. As all the creeks are dry around here I decided to hit up a local pond, as not only was it a water source but the reduced water levels allowed growth of alot of lush vegetation around the pond rim which the deer seemed to be feeding on judging by their tracks. No luck Friday, but Saturday I took the rifle back to the same place again to no avail, did not even hear a deer which is unusual in that place. Had other obligations Saturday night, but Monday morning I returned to that location one more time, neither seeing nor hearing hide nor hair of the jokers. 
Monday afternoon I changed up my approach and set up my climber in a swamp, again trying to target both water and well known travel routes. I got into the woods around 4:30 and stayed till dark, hearing only wood ducks and turkeys roosting. I sat in the tree a little late just to hear a deer, and did not hear anything. Next AM I moved to a nice cool bottom alongside a creek that used to be big but that is now barely flowing. Got in the lock-on around 6:30AM, spooked what sounded like a young'n on the way in. After that, I didn't hear anything but turkeys and crows, which were conveniently roosted all around me in the pines and began flying down and fighting all at once. A hawk flew through and that was a BIG ruckus. Around 9 a human-induced ruckus began about 150 yards away on an adjacent property, some of our neighbors have apparently decided to plant a small garden on a leased tract, something like a mile from any paved road. We checked it the other day, as we have had problems with people growing dope on our place, and strangely it was corn, tomatoes, and peppers, way back on the very back corner of this 600some acre tract of land. They hunt the land, and the garden's on a prime spot, but they obviously aren't concerned with the deer there. They were talking loudly, sometimes yelling, pushing spreaders, hoeing, raking, trimming, smashing foliage, throwing things, and I'm not sure what else but I detestedly played games on my cell phone until 11:30 when it got hot and I left.
Tuesday evening I moved to a spot overlooking a little over 100yds of logging road which deer have to cross when heading from the pines/hardwoods where they socialize and feed to the swamp where they bed. Pretty uneventful evening, did not see or hear anything until after dark. Saw a little buck and a doe (maybe a knothead) alongside the main road as I took the 4 wheeler back to the truck. Saw 6 or 8 deer along the roadside on the way home.
Closed it out this AM. Got in around 6:30, again overlooking the logging road. I heard a couple deer before daylight, which was promising. Finally around 7:30 I heard a deer approaching the logging road from my left, so I raised my rifle in preparation. The deer casually, loudly approached the road, I figured it was a small buck. Sure enough out he came, a pencil-necked little 3 or 4 point. He had a nice rack for his size, probably 12" wide with at least one forked beam, other may have been forked too. I watched him stroll down the road and feed on grass for a few minutes before he headed for the swamp. I heard a few things after that, but I believe it was mostly turkeys and squirrels. Headed out around 10:30 as it was already scorching hot. I was gonna go this weekend but with this heat I just can't get myself into it, going on a head boat instead. 
I honestly haven't seen but two decent rubs this season and one scrape, and the scrape was iffy at best. Usually they'd be popping up pretty regularly by now. The deer will rut this year, and they'll do it on time as rut timing is most influenced by photoperiodism, the duration of daylight. Its also influenced by weather though, and if it doesn't cool off a good bit I'd wager good money that almost all of the rutting activity will be nocturnal. They'll have increased water consumption then, so if it doesn't rain (it probly won't) target water and food sources around that time and hopefully we'll be able to score on a good buck or two as they drag in late and dehydrated after a big night out. 
Or go fishing :beer::beer::fishing:


----------

