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Stealth, or What I Learned Today

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So, This is gonna bounce around a bit. Great day on the first day of rifle season. Spent the whole day out, either waiting in ambush with my high-powered, high-precision, instrument of instant death, or actively working the land as a team "flushing" the hunt.
First thing this morning, a hawk is chittering out on the riverbank, and flies not too far over head. pretty cool.

Young buck comes into my little area, small one with two spikes. I could tell he was small right off, so I just sat as still as possible and observe. He got so close, I could have spit on him. Got pics on my phone! It occurred to me several times that if I had a spear, I could have dragged him out, and probably would have. But come on, lets be fair?


At the time this picture was taken, I could have jumped on his back and taken him with my knife.


30 minutes later, two nice size does come from behind me in the opposite direction. Oh yeah, broadside about 75 yds out, 150lbs.. mmmmmmm; carrots, taters, some pepper and stew..
Click!

dead bullet and now I gotta make all this noise to jack another one in while not dropping the dead one 20' down and making even more noise. Foiled yet again by modern methods. Needless to say, I was mad, and the noise drew their attention, so as I tried to get back in position, one or the other had eyes in my direction. They never did throw a flag, but hurried on out of the area. All i could see was hams by then...

Had I been properly equipped? These bullets were just from last year! If technology was ever gonna let me down, not now.
The only thing I really had going for me was stealth. None of the stuff in my bag, nor the machinery mattered anymore at that point. I missed my meal because I had to compromise my stealth. Deer are easily spooked. As the buck was slipping through the area he scared up a bird which scared him just as much. He jumped back a little haha.

So after dinner we decide to do some scouting. There are some places around where two people can walk toward each other from opposite ends and corner up some food. Never did run anything up, but it's so dry that there are places you can cross now. lots of grasses taking hold and building earth in places that were clear last year. We did see places that were touched with rubbings and droppings and lots of tracks, I think we just happened in there at the wrong time. Narrow lanes good for bowhunting.

In old times, deer could be found in herds. piles of 'em. a few guys could get together with their various primitive implements and get a food store together. Nowadays, you'd BETTER have some orange on. All the regulations (practical, mind you) make it impossible to hunt in this fashion anymore, but the technique was a combination of the two above. A few would wait in ambush while others did the flushing, and when timing was appropriate, sustenance was obtained.
Stealth, even in this modern day, is still our best hunting tool.

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