After going out on a few more walks since finding Twigs right side, I had about 45 minutes on Tuesday, Valentine's Day, to go look right where the camera was set up where Twigs and the yearling were coming in. I figured that if that yearling kept coming around, his antlers could easily be laying right there. I didn't plan on going for a walk, so I didn't even put boots on. As I approached the camera site, it sure looked like the deer had been digging around for any last kernels of corn. I scanned the area looking for these smaller antlers and didn't see any. I walked a little ways down a trail or two and came back to the camera site. I figured I better bend over and look really closely where there was some corn under a crooked willow tree. Once I finally got down low, I suddenly saw tiny little antler tips jutting out of the leaves. I'm talking small. Before I did anything else, I took a nice still photo of the antler and looked around again for the other side before I recorded a video. Nothing. So I came back to the antler and took a video of me pulling it out.
As soon as I stopped recording, I looked one last glance a little deeper under (and almost behind) the willow branch and caught a glimpse of something that looked like an antler. Sure enough, less than 12" away from the first one, was the second one, burried under leaves.
Stud's Right Side - 2-14-12 from Mitch Haaby on Vimeo.The crazy part is that in the original still shot up top, and in the first video, if you look really closely, you can make out just a little section of the mainbeam of the second antler!
On Sunday I went for a walk with mom up into the swamp east of the standing beans. It was really interesting to get on some good trails and find that they just kept going east and north and east. I got all the way out to where the treeline opens up because of the horrendous swampy conditions. 50 year old trees grow to about 10 feet tall. It looks like something from a scene from the Lord of the Rings - The Dead Marshes. Anyway, the deer have been bedding out there. So, I marked my route and will be heading back out there at some point. There were so many trails that it's hard to choose which ones to take. The biggest positive right now is that most bucks held on to at least the 25th or 29th of January and we got that last 2" of snow on the 31st of January. Whatever sheds are out there, should be on top of the snow.
Friday before that, dad and I went for a walk in the -30 windchill weather near the S curves north of Grygla. There was lots of deer traffic, but unfortunately, there was a lot of human traffic too. I'd like to revisit the area when the snow leaves and hike further west into the swamp. After that day, the temperatures have really warmed up. Sunday was about a high of 25. Monday and Tuesday were both 36 degrees, which had a "Real Feel" of over 40! It's been ideal conditions to pick up sheds. Too bad were weren't on the trail of some really big bucks this year. There are a handful of places I'd like to check before we get snow, but I'm sure there won't be time for all of them. Regardless, I've got 4 antlers so far.
No comments:
Post a Comment