Thursday, October 22, 2009 a.m.

Thursday, October 22, 2009 a.m., 38 degrees, mostly cloudy, wind N-NE 15-20 mph, sunrise 7:36 a.m. (Hunting opens 7:06 a.m). After playing hockey last night and not getting home until 12:30 a.m., it was tough dragging my butt out of bed. Nevertheless, it is beginning to get close to the start of the rut and I need to capitalize on every opportunity. On my way down the hill side, I heard a deer blow out a warning call from the Stump food plot. I was only about 100 yards down the hill, but the wind was swirling. I was settled in to the point ladder stand by 6:40 a.m. This was a good half hour before shooting light with it being overcast and the fact that I was hunting from inside the wood line. At 7:10 a.m., just as it was getting light I could hear something walking and "mewing." I looked back over my shoulder to the SE and saw a big doe walking through to the north about 15 yards to the east of me. She saw "Stubby" and circled around to the north of me and came through at 10 yards. She didn't like the fact that she couldn't smell stubby and she walked off to the SW toward the house/ Ridgeback stand. That was it. Totals: Bob - 1 deer, 1 doe.