Deer Hunting 2023 - Sounds of the North Woods

I've called it a year for deer hunting.  Oh, unless I get antsy and decide to try the "second chance" season in early December.  I've spent a lot of time up in trees looking at....other trees.  Deer numbers apparently are way down this year.  We had a nasty late winter storm that was hard on the critters so this is not a big surprise.

The woods have been quiet most of the time.  Oh, I've heard some gunshots but not as many as most years.  Some afternoon to early evening sits I have not heard a single report.  But I have heard other interesting things.

My first morning out for instance.  I was creeping to my stand in the pre-dawn darkness.  The woods were still and mysterious.  Until I touched the ladder of my stand.  At that point the flock of turkeys that was roosting in the tree took off in all directions while making prehistoric sort of squackings and screeches.  I'm not saying that's why I have not seen a deer from that stand all season, but turkeys are basically Mother Nature's Car Alarms.

On another early morning walk in I heard something that was both creepier and more encouraging.  Coyotes howling to each other in the distance.  A reminder that the dark woods really do not belong to Man.  In the past when the predators have been in chorus the deer were up and moving.  But alas, another morning with no sightings.

Eventually the standard hunting spots were abandoned in favor of backup sites.  On yet another predawn mission I crept along a river bank with an elaborate climbing stand strapped to my back.  I'd never actually set one of these up alone, much less in the dark, so when the sun rose and gave me a pleasing vista I was happy.  Until about 7:30 am when rock music started blasting from somewhere over the hill.  7:30....c'mon people!

As it happens the site was across the river from the headquarters for "Birkie".  This is a ski race but they use the course for other things.  Evidently this includes a day after Thanksgiving "Birkie Turkey" bike and running race.  The music must have been the Warm Up before the race started.  It was close enough to be annoying - and who knows what the deer thought of it - but not close enough to make it out.  I think it was some kind of generic 70's "RAWK".  Scrawny exercise fanatics really like their fifty year old rock 'n roll.

Oh well.