Scouting Report

My Buddy the Gun Enthusiast knows people. Relatives, actually, that sit on good hunting land. So we went to check them out this weekend.

His Brother only has a few acres, but his property backs onto a 4000 acre wooded lot that isn't posted. No one knows who owns it, and people have been hunting it for years. It's far enough out in the country that hunting it with a rifle is no big deal. Once you crest the hill behind his brothers property, there isn't an inhabited structure within range. We had high hopes for this land, as his brother has been complaining about the deer being pests.

The woods are way too dense, though. And dense as far as you can walk. You can't sneak into an area in the dark to shoot a deer as it gets light, what with all briars and mountain laurel. You'd trip up and sound like a herd of buffalo rumbling through the leaves. No place was the vegetation thin enough to make a rifle practical, either. Revolver or shotgun would be more appropriate, for any short range opportunity. Maybe with more time we could find a more open area DEEP in the woods, but it is less than practical.

What was neat here was several chestnut trees, still bearing nuts. They looked sick with the Blight, but they were still trying to come back. Eventually they'll get it and we'll have chestnut again.

No deer sign was noticed. Squirrels are eating the acorns and chestnuts, but it doesn't look like deer.

Plan B. MBtGE's Sister has a farm/nursury that backs onto a Civil War battlefield. Stuff is more devopled that close to the suburbs so shotgun only hunting there, but the nursery has several ponds on it, and the fence is such that deer get funneled into a narrow area heading toward these drinking holes. This property has much more promise. Walking it we saw MANY deer sign. Bed down areas, scratch marks on the trees, and plenty of scat all over. There is a deer stand in place, too. I figure we'll go here opening week, and chance are SOMEONE will bag something for the freezer. I was hoping for a rifle hunt, but beggars cannot be choosers. Especially the first time out.