More close encounters

It was uncomfortably warm and humid, so I hunted a short time, early, and went on to some chores I needed to do. I continued picking up pecans under my little tree; I’d get another handful every time I passed nearby. I get as much reward from growing things as I do from hunting and fishing. Maybe it’s all in the same primal instinct. I went back to the field in the late afternoon, to see whether that big doe might come back; she might even bring some friends along. I watched the thickets and approaches until sunset, then moved to the edge so I could watch the clearing. There was the doe, feeding in the field again. With a favorable wind, I started a stalk. Unfortunately, that field edge was a tangle of limb, leaves, and vines. It was impossible to get through that stuff quietly, and it was getting too late to go a long way around and approach from another direction. So I just moved to a vantage point at the edge and hunkered down to watch. The doe was still in the clearing and another, smaller doe had joined her. The old doe was suspicious of me; probably had heard my movements in the thick stuff. She kept feeding toward me, occasionally raising her head and swiveling those ears to check out my position. The smaller deer was coming along, too. I sat tight and she fed her way abreast of my hiding spot. It was past legal hunting time and was getting too dark for a reasonable shot, but I didn’t want to alert her by moving out. I hoped to sneak away without giving away my presence. The old doe must have seen me or some freak air current may have taken my scent to her. She snorted once and both deer made a hasty exit down the field. Hiking back to camp, I heard coyotes again; this morning there had been quite a yelping, yowling, howling chorus.