What seemed at first be a busted hunt, turned into a possible turning point! Since I first started hunting a smaller plot of private land I've only seen one buck, and next to zero sign as I walk to and from the stand. Having been two weeks since I hunted here, I expected good things with the early stages of the rut among us. After getting settled into my stand, I realize I'd forgot my release at home! Not wanting to go back, I figured I'd sit until almost dark just to see what I could see. Even though I couldn't have killed anything, I figured I could make the most out of the sit and see what I could learn from the deer on the warm rainy day. While sitting I could hear some sparing off in the distance to my east. About 5:30 rolls around, and I've yet to see any deer, then I hear the first owl hoot. That's my que I though and I started the walk back to my truck to head home. After getting out of the woods I started the walk across a hay field to the truck parked at the end. I get 70 yards out of the woods and look over to my left. There I see a dozen or so deer standing in the field 150 yards away looking at me like they were trying to figure out what was walking across their hay field? I slowly crouch down and wait for the deer to resume feeding. Once they do, I bear crawl back over to the wood edge to get a better look among the cover. I pull up my grunt call and give it two urrppps. Shortly after a small spike comes walking right at me over a hill 50 yards away. Eventually he trots off further into the field to rejoin the herd. I wait for the fall of night, and slowly work back along the wood edge and take the long way around the field back the truck. Even though I had no possibility of killing anything, I learned what the deer are doing now! Before I had allot of does walking right past my stand to feed in a corn field. Now it seems they've took a liking to the alfalfa over the corn. Today I plan on setting my climber along the wood edge to see if I can find where they're coming out, and then tomorrow setting up 30 yards down wind of where they're entering the field. I know there are some bucks using the area, because that's where I heard the sparing come from, and where the spike came to check things out. Hope things are looking up from here, wish me luck!
