Monthly Archives: October 2011

Pictures

Deer Watching, October 7, 2011

Last Saturday, while working on my food plots (where’s the rain?), I pulled both my right and left quads in my back and have been laid up since then, not even knowing there were any quads in my back, I tried to keep going, but finally, I couldn’t even stand up straight.  Monday, the doc advised me to keep heat on the back and he gave me some stretching exercises for the muscles, but it hurts like heck getting in and out of bed!

After breakfast Wednesday morning, still laid up, I happened to glance outside and a spotted fawn, it seems late for them to still have spots, was walking in the backyard, right by the house and hurrying (slowly) back to get Layla’s camera, raising the blinds and through the window and screen, got this “shot” of the fawn walking in the backyard.

Then the fawn walked the length of the house, turned around and started browsing and I got these “shots” through the back door.
     
Then the fawn did something most strange, it walked over under a big mesquite tree and lied down, giving me this “shot”.

Hunching down, the only way I can walk now, I shuffled over to the old, rock house to scan the pictures of the deer and out of the corner of my eye, as I walked, stole a glance and the fawn was still under the tree, happily snoozing!

Later in the afternoon, as I was walking back to the “big” house carrying my camera, glancing over, I saw the fawn had moved and was sitting in the shade of the grand kids playhouse and I got this “shot”.

Thursday afternoon the little deer was back under the mesquite tree.  Looks like it’s got a new home!

 

Hunting

Deer Watching, September/October, 2011

Keeping harping about our serious drought, over the last 2 weeks we’ve had .7 inches of rain, not a drought breaker, but enough to wet our whistles and the little front even lowered our temps 10 to 15 degrees!  The rain has encouraged forbs and other things that deer browse on to grow just a little and the deer have responded!

As we were sitting on our back porch enjoying the cool afternoon, doe and fawns started to congregate in our field causing me to make a mad rush into the house to get the camera.  Camera secured, I waited until the deer got in somewhat of a group, the results being this “shot”.

The ground was damp from 2 showers and this picture is of a nice, big deer, track, right beside the gate to my garden, the gate being shut, of course.  At night we’ve seen 6 or 8 deer browsing around our yard, but thank goodness, they haven’t learned how to open gates!


Not only did this doe and her 2 fawns browse in our yard, but they did it when Layla was sitting outside waiting for me.  Now, with zero cows, the gate into the ranch proper remains open and these 3 deer walked right past Layla, not caring if she was there or not.  Rushing into the bedroom to get my camera, the results was this “shot” of the doe and fawns browsing around!

Pictures

The Corn Feeder, October 3, 2011

Over the last week we’ve had .7 inches of rain, not a drought buster, but certainly well received! The rain has caused the forbs and little greens the deer eat to come out and browse more, but some big bucks have been frequenting the new feeder.  The first to come up on the 24th of last month was this tall 9 pointer.  This was not the 9 pointer shown in my post of September 15th, “[The Water Trough]”.

Later that morning a wide 8, another new, husky buck, showed up accompanied by a younger 6.

On the 25th a scraggly 8, seen before, came in to get a bite.

The morning of the 26th a 7 came in, then a little later a wide 6 showed.  Both of these deer have been “shot” before,
    
Finally this “magnificent” spike, 2 curved horns and all, came in.  This one shows vivid results of our prolonged drought!