Deer Hunting with the American Grouch

Finally got out today at about eleven had some things to do this morning so I couldn't get into the woods right at dawn. There was a heavy fog and mist anyway so I let that bleed off while I took care of some loose ends. The woods were soaked, leaves were soft and a man could walk with little to no noise. So I headed for the big timber to ghost the tall wood in search of some venison for the table and freezer. The wind wasn't quite perfect though so I ended up walking big loops through the timber, over several ridges and gulleys. I sort of drifted cross wind and head north, then veer off to the west and loop back face into the wind. I've found this tactic works very well in the wet after rain woods. Today was no different. I also remembered to bring my other small camera in order to take a few pics of the filter adapter for the AW100. As you can see, the adapter clips over the lens. It will accommodate a 40.5mm filter, which then in turn will hold a standard poker chip quite well, thus you have your lens cap for the AW100. I was trying to stay on the ridges and glassing from each each and into the gulleys between. I love this part of my woods, some old growth stuff here and the walking is easy. Rifle for today was the same one I intend to take for the wolf hunt in a couple weeks. Weatherby, 7mm Rem Mag. At about two in the afternoon I was moving slow and easy up a creek bed, moving back to higher ground. As I neared the top I went into slowmo mode, barely moving forward as I scanned the area before me. Over the years I've become accustomed to using binoculars to scan even in thick woods. The number of deer I've found this way, I've lost count of. I was about to move on when I realized something wasn't right, I scanned back across, there, between two trees at about eighty yards, brown, tan, little bit of black. Then I realized I was looking at the hind end of a whitetail and could see nothing but that. The rest of the deer's body was hidden by the tree trunks. The wind was quartering out of the north east and in my face as well as the deer's, but the wind had been shifting all day. I waited and waited some more, the deer was locked up and stock still. I think it knew it wasn't alone, I needed to move. An agonizing three steps and ten minutes later I had an angle. The rifle bucked as did the deer, I watched it scoot sideways with a high jump and take off only to pile up twenty yards away. Bounty of the wild shared, memory made never to fade. A pretty mean chili to boot...