As much effort as it took for me to get out scouting today figured I better put something up here. Been scouting hard but haven’t bothered taking the time to post much here lately.
Been a rough few days after messing my back up on Friday morning. I was able to pop my spine back in place this morning after the severe muscle spasms quit. Sounds crazy but I have learned how to do this after living with back issues for so long. Guess I learned something from so many chiropractor visits over the years. I’m sure he wouldn’t be too thrilled to know what I did.
I hobbled out into the marsh today determined to do some scouting. Not gonna lie it was tough but I was able to cover just under 5 miles. No doubt the hardest 5 miles I ever covered. The longer I walked the better I started feeling. Over the years I found that nothing is better than walking to cure bad back pain.
I was determined to head out to an island I set up a trail cam at the end of the season hoping to get a picture of the buck I missed on Jan. 1st. Plenty of water in the marsh but the ice beneath was still solid. Good thing because if I had gone through and tweaked my back again I would have been down for the count.
Passed this one before. This buck was dead in the cattails on my way out. The coyotes ate good.
Once on the island I was greeted with these rubs. Didn’t see them last time I was out there. Guess I walked just north of them.
This rub was chest high. Notice the scar from an old rub below it. Same buck from an earlier year?
Found these in a shaded area nearby where there was still some snow. I realize there is some melting here but this is obviously a very big track. It dwarfed any other track nearby that was the same age.
Another chest high rub I found.
Checked my cam and saw some bucks were still carrying antlers this week. Bad news is I didn’t get a pic of the buck I missed on New Years Day. I put fresh batteries in and plan on leaving the cam in place till September. Hopefully there is enough juice till then.
This buck has shed but not old enough to be the same buck.
Few more smaller bucks. Looks like Feb. 20th was a good evening for deer movement. Boys night out. Must be a bachelor party nearby.
Notice the buck in the background.
Found a few beds but nothing I considered mature buck bedding so didn’t bother taking any pics.
All in all it was a pretty good day considering the challenges I started the day out with. Sometimes you just gotta suck it up and get out there. A good walk and some fresh air is the best medicine there is. A few painkillers don’t hurt either.