Now that November is here, it won’t be long until the big bucks are on their feet and looking for does in daylight hours. Today, with temperatures still hovering around 80 degrees, only the little ones are moving up and down the creeks. At daybreak, I had a pair of yearling spikes come near, which are fun to watch but of little interest for trophy bowhunting. Even so, watching them in their natural element was enlightening.
The wind was calm, and even though out of the “right” direction, thermal drift threatened to give me away. Cool air flows downhill at daybreak when breezes don’t counteract it, and my scent was wafting to them. One buck was working to puzzle it out, not convinced it was dangerous. And that’s when a Carolina wren showed up, spotted me, and blew my cover.
Carolina wrens light up the autumn timber with their beautiful songs, but when they spot trouble, it’s a rasping chatter that warns every critter in the woods. And when the mate joined in, the bucks hit the road.
The bucks never did really figure me out, but it didn’t matter. They boogied down the trail. It’s another example of how nature’s watchdogs can work for you – by telling you that a bobcat is coming – or against you, by tipping you off to a nervous deer.
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