Left the house at 4:00am to be in the stand opening day morning. First thing I noticed was the feeder did not go off. Shoot!!! This is just for the piggies any way. Last year I only saw a couple of deer at the feeder toward the end of the season. Saw 3 coyotes going up the creek about 3 seconds apart, but other than that, did not see a thing. Got out to check the feeder at 8:00. It looses its memory when the motor starts....... Batteries maybe, even though they are new. Off to Wally World for new batteries and while driving out spot a doe with a yearling running up our road and a silly little buck in the neighbors pasture.
With the new batteries in, it's 11:00am and back in the stand I went for the rest of the day, never done this before!!!!!! Saw one doe at the back of the sandera, looked like a small bush in the picture. Four different flocks of turkey, one had several jakes. They would come and go at the feeder all day, but with very little corn consumption???? I don't mind these guys coming around if they leave the corn!!!!!! When the feeder goes off, I see the pigs running along the creek to the feeder. Must have been around 20 or so. No pict because of the low dusk light. Lined up 3 and go boom.........
The next morning, the feeder spins for a 1/4 sec........... Long enough for the piggies to hear it though. Same pack in a frenzy for the few kernels. Line up two and go boom.
The feeder must have a motor going bad electrically now that I know it is not the batteries and is free mechanically. When the controller fires the motor, the motor must be shorting the batteries, causing the memory to be erased in the controller. With room in the box, I added the other two batteries in parallel for twice the juice. It's working for now..... I'll bring a new feeder next time, just in case.
A doe and yearling show up at the back of the sandera, probably the two that were spotted on the way out yesterday.
Out of the stand early to go hunt a spot where the big creek meets the little creek, I scouted during preseason. I spooked up a small yearling on the way, he looked confused, someone probably shot mommy. I froze when I saw him just 30yds away. I got tired of standing in my awkward position, moved and he bounced off blowing. That does not help with my position. Walked over a ridge, there was a pack of turkey, just 20yd away. I stand there and they slowly walk off. Once there, I lay on a high spot in the green grass under the tall oaks, pure paradise......... I stayed there for 4 hours. While there I heard another deer blow and some piggies grunting. This being out of the stand is a new technique for me. I'm sure I'm doing it all wrong, but the stand was real bad last year for bucks and this year, even the doe seem scarce.
Back in the stand at 2:00. 3 or 4 flocks of ducks circle around the feeder and land. The corn is gone in seconds. They fly off, but come back to check it out several times within the hour. It looked like they were 20ft from the stand sometimes. This duck thing at the feeder is something new........ The rest of the evening, only saw 3 black medium sized piggies at the very back of the sandera. Boom and one went down. Nothing else the rest of the evening, not even turkey. No piggies either when the feeder went off. I guess they know I'm back in town. They will be there the next time I show up, that is if the feeder keeps working.
I captured the sunset. They can be amazing down here.
Packed up and headed home. |
