Tuesday morning, waking up at 5:00AM, it was raining, so I crawled back under the covers. One hour later, the same story, so back under the covers. Finally getting up at 6:40 AM and slipping into my lined, house shoes, I ventured outside to replenish the firewood.

There was still a misty, foggy drip, not rain or drizzle, just a drip as I looked out over my hay field. There, not noticing me, on the far side, two hundred yards away, loping down the fence line, was a buck, probably on the trail of a hot, doe. Cupping my hands, I issued a low grunt. As expected, the buck stopped in his tracks and turned toward the sound.
Horns were wide, probably twenty inches and tall, over twenty, a big, big, buck! This was the second time I’ve seen him along this track, the last being five days ago. The buck doesn’t know it but I have a hide right along his path and will be waiting for him next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

No, the hide isn’t on my back porch.