The midwestern U.S. finally got a blast of reality after being spared any real winter to date. Once the plowing duties were finished, it was time check the landscape for tracks. Any tracks. But, at the top of the list was an area surrounding a deer carcass set out conspicuously to attract meat eaters. Coyotes, specifically.
The deer was provided by an ignorant deer hunter, who had taken an ill-advised frontal shot, and because the bullet did not exit, there was no blood trail for the sorry hunter to follow. The coyotes had no trouble finding it, however. So, I moved it to an area that I could view from the comfort of a heated deer blind, complete with a solid rest for long shots.
I didn’t expect to find a lot of tracks, because the storm had just passed through a few hours earlier. Past the brassica plot, that has seen less than typical traffic, a few deer tracks were evident – some relatively fresh.
The carcass was still some 400 yards away and out of sight when a familiar red-tailed hawk soared nearby. And, when I got a good look at the remains, it was apparent that the winged beast’s breakfast had been interrupted by me.
Rabbits were holed up but the squirrels were making tracks in a stand of walnut trees. Should be fun Saturday bagging a few reds with a 74 year-old Marling bolt-action .22 rimfire.
