First Day of Bow Season

This morning was cold, very cold. A heavy frost that looked more like snow than frost. Pretty. But it made a lot of noise when the sun started melting it. Just another noise in a very noisy woods to keep you on your toes. I didn’t see much, a small doe that snuck in from behind me, then came back an hour later. A small bear a couple of hundred yards away, down by the spring. My afternoon was interrupted by a trip back home to take Jeff to work. Jann was at a conference. A quick stop at Home Depot to buy a new freezer. I didn’t get back to the valley until 5ish and so I just went across the road from the house and sat in a tree stand there behind the small grove of pines. I couldn’t afford the luxury of time going to a more distant and what one might presume to be a more promising locale. I did see a group of doe bedded there Thursday night, so thought I would give it a try.
It was a blast! About 5:30, an average size black bear jogged through the woods about 50 yards away, headed towards some apple trees by the log landing. It was the last I saw of him. But I was excited to be quick enough with the camera to get my first picture of a bear this year. Then about 6:00, a small 4 point buck showed up, accompanied 5 minutes later by 5 does. He chased them around and they played hard to get. It kept me entertained for the next half hour. I had several opportunities at shots, but I just couldn’t muster the will.