Ok, here in Central Illinois it was nice, then warm, then cold, then rainy, then super rainy, then cold and now nice again.... I drive a bus for a local school district and it is through some good farm/deer country. I week ago I saw 49 deer on my afternoon bus route. Now....all of the river bottoms were flooded and the deer were pushed out of their normal hiding areas. The massive sightings lasted for about 2-3 days. I saw bucks, does, yearlings and a few monsters! It turned colder and we got a little snow and the sightings slowed down. However, last night I saw a first; a batchlor group of 11-12 bucks in a creek/waterway just 70-80 yards off the road. They looked at me as the big yellow bus approached. As I came near, a few turned and that is when I saw how truly great these animals were. The small ones were in the 115-125 range and I could only guess how big they got. The biggest one I have seen 6 times now this fall/winter. He is an amazing animal. Maybe 160 and maybe much more. Also, it seems that he has very unique genetics that have clearly been passed on to about one half of this group. His antlers are thick and the main beems go straight up, all points match perfectly from side to side, not super wide, but super high. I have tried to snap a picture, but hard with a phone from a moving (yet empty bus). This am I saw 13, yesterday afternoon it was maybe 30? I am going to try to hit similar areas on both Saturday and Sunday afternoon and finish the year on a high note, cold and windy, but they have to eat right? I will try to pull a good pic from my phone, but they are from a ways off and not very clear
View attachment 65232 View attachment 65233 View attachment 65234 I know they are hard to see crap, no idea how to rotate those or why they are that way?
Hahaha what a perfect job to have. Work and scout at the same time. Guess the same old route might get old but hey, sounds like you're having a good time.... tax dollars hard at work
