I used a pine tree and the bluebird box as a natural ground blind to watch the Front Meadow in case a doe came by.
You get out what you put in. That has pretty much always held true throughout my life and the 2025 “first day of buck” proved no exception. Make no mistake, my goal wasn’t to fill an antlerless tag as much as it was to not push small or maturing bucks to neighboring properties where they would surely be shot. So far, mission accomplished based on some trail camera photos I got. That seems an article of its own so I’ll not go into details here.
There’s not a lot to say about the day so I’ll share some photos with captions instead. Ultimately it was a good time as we spent the night at the cabin in front of a warm fire, put up the camp Christmas tree, and got some rest and relaxation.
This is how far from the cabin I was. It was a comfort knowing Angela and Will were in there enjoying themselves. I “may” have taken a few breaks to warm up and eat a Pop Tart :).I actually think this setup will work. I had a doe and fawn coming my direction within the first 15 minutes of the season but the old mama winded me and snorted. I never saw the deer but later walked the road and saw the tracks. Two other times I heard deer moving below me behind the shed.This was the pre-hunt meal, S’mores Pop Tarts. It wasn’t much but just getting something warm in your stomach makes a difference. I’ve never wanted to eat much before a morning hunt. Typically something small like this or a protein bar is my go-to.
