The most rewarding stalk I've ever done!

[Dakota]

Well, yesterday afternoon I checked out a camera and tripod from the Media Dept. and drove down to Archery Outfitters. They own 35 acres of riverbottom in the northeast portion of Sioux Falls between SF and the suburb of Brandon. It was a real nice day so I knew that the deer wouldn't come up to graze on the archery range. I decided to head down into the riverbottoms to see what I could find along with the owner/operator of Archery Outfitters. We spooked up a few deer right away and they ran back out of the cut fields and into the woods. I got set up and he tossed some "corn" to attract the deer; I think it was something like C'mere Deer or something of the sort. I got the camera and tripod set up and was sitting there for well over twenty minutes, all the while I heard pheasants cackling and geeses honking as they flew low overhead. Well, just as I'm about to slide up the tree to a standing position I see a white tail flicker a good distance ahead of me, a doe and her yearling fawns were making their way out into the field nearly three hundred yards away. I tried to zoom and focus, but there were too many weeds in between. Keeping the lone tree between me and the deer always covering my movement, I made my way about 50-75 yards to get in front of it. Weeds again! Well, I decided there was nothing for it and began to slowly inch my way forward; crouching and walking at times, crawling on hands and knees while trying to avoid deer mines everywhere and hold the camera and tripod up at the same time at others. :D:D All the while, more deer and pheasants kept filtering into the field and an hour later I was at the edge getting nearly 20 minutes of video footage! I'm going to see if I can find a way to post it on here to show you all. Man, I had so much fun! :D:D

Dakota

Edited March 6, 2009 by Dakota