That was the forecast yesterday (Thur.) and I wanted to get out and spook around a bit, set a trail cam, and just get a good workout.

It was cold, wind out of the west, and sunny. And yes....the snow came today.

If you have the time come along with me if you like.

So I am sitting on a log right now looking at that south exposed hillside. It has been recently logged and there is all kinds of cover over there for a deer to bed and grab some heat.

I glassed but like I said lots of cover.

So today I am carrying a cool little deal of a an ILF riser. It's a VPA and measures a whopping 13". Really built well and super compact. The way they designed it, it is only suppose to put on the same amount of # as a 17" riser.....and it's pretty close.

My buddy Darren got one of these and he really likes it. I use to have a Morrison Mini 13 and I really liked it.Rumor has VPA made the Mini 13 ?

Quality thru and thru.

Now, the question has been asked over and over, can 40# kill a deer?

I think we know the answer to that by now. But I was wondering "Can 35# kill a deer ?"

Not really, I was wanting this rig to come in no more than the low 40's and at this point in the game I did not want to invest a pile of money in a set of limbs till I saw just how close the equation was going to be.

So I ordered a pair of Bearpaw 35#ers. A very nice set of limbs.

The deer were coming down off that sidehilll pretty well, I am going to skirt up alongside it to get up to the first bench.........

Telltale sign of Pennsylvania Teradactyl activity, also known as Pileated Woodpecker. A very cool bird that has a swooping flight and call that once you hear it you won't forget.

Almost 3/4 of the way, a bit to go yet.......

It's cold, here are some ice flowers coming out of a rotten stump.......

Up on the first bench now, it used to be just a deer/foot path and then 4 wheelers came along.

Sometimes I do not like technology........

Another season of Pennsylvania Gray. Green is my favorite color, it's life, and Conifers are some of my favorite trees........

This bench runs east/west, and the bucks cruise it during the rut. Looks like someone was taking out some frustration........

Some things just make you go hmmmmmm......

There is a saddle right here that gets a lot of traffic. I am going to take little time here and brush a camera in, hopefully get some nice shots with the snow......

We have about 3 inches here in Bedford County, cold and windy as I type this.

So okay, all brushed in and ready to go. I have an issue with setting cameras close to a lot of human activity. I usually don't. Do you see it?

very nice trip & pictures-thanks

Yes very cold and heavy wind here today

more snow last night

Us to George, about 3-4 but was like baby powder, the way i like it.

Anybody see it now?

A little shallower angle......

Now you see it.

Brown, green, and gray....all day long.

Beautiful...simply beautiful ;)

I hope this guy smiles for me......

Or this fellow....yikes!

So I am heading west out to the gas line, I hope it's not my unlucky day.......

Thank you brother Ralph, hope all is well with you and your crew.

So made it to the gasoline and did a turn and burn, I have about two miles to get back home and I am going to be going on candlelight shortly.

Wind kissing me on the back right now and dead center slightly to the right I just was greeted by the white tail culater wave. That's ok.

So back down to the bottom now, it never really warmed up much, this is how it was when I passed it going up. Oh well, couple months from now and we will be wishing it were Fall.

Take care, and thanks for coming along.

Good Shooting->->->->Craig

Craig, Thanks for taking me along. The N.C. gun season ended 1-1-22 and my whole family was sick over the holidays and I didn't get to hit the woods as I'd intended. My best-laid plans to give one of the two deer I got during archery season to a co-worker and take one during the gun season for smoked summer sausage when the processor began accepting them never panned out. But "L'il Trusty", the buck I photgraphed every time I hunted and gave a "pass" to all fall will live to see another season! How do I know? I'm still getting daily (mostly nightly) pictures of him...so he made it, despite his cluelessness. Are you bowhunting gun season or is Pa. generous enough to offer a late bow season? I know from other posts their seasons vary depending on zones. Now in a day or two, you can share the same shots covered in snow!

Craig, always love your romps in your woods, so good to see your world. May 2022 be a a blessing to you and the cute one.

And since you brought up the pileated woodpecker, I think the greatest mystery in all of creation may be how a bird that wouldn't weigh three-quarters a pound soaking wet....and as far as I've been able to observe does not have a titanium beak or neck....can make a racket of such decibel that it will jolt me out of a quick snooze in my comfy blind in such as way as to cause me to bang my head and injure myself!

One of our Pileated's at our old place back in MA in a shagbark hickory.

Craig, I always like seeing pictures of them big buck rubs. They get me all fired up. :)

To dark to see the white stuff in the woods, and cold to cold fore me, keeping wood on the fire. Well Craig how does that new bow shoot? Christmas present I guess.

Great post!

Thanks for the tag a long Craig. Lots of great pics!!

Deno

Thank you. Great pictures.

Thanks for the tour Craig, we have a lot of them pileated peckers here in Florida, they just love these dead pine trees and we have a lot of them also.

I have mentioned before I would like to see snow before I pass onto the campfire in the sky, after thinking about it and looking at your photo's that jogged my mind when I was ten and the Ice broke on the Allegany river and I went under, I scrambled so fast that I was able to get back up on the hard ice and make it back to shore and walk home, when I got there my pants were solid ice.

I think I will stay in Florida.

Thanks again, that was a wonderful trip.

I like the looks of that bow combo, how’s it shoot and feel? Making me think

Some beautiful country there!

Getting misty for PA.

Richard, We are in our late season right now, till Jan.17 but you can hunt with your bow in any deer season in PA.

Ron, Smart decision buddy. When we were kids we use to go down to the local creek(which fed into the Susquehanna)in the dead of winter with a hatchet.

First we would cut a long limb off of a tree, then we walk out to the edge of the ice, and you had to do this where it was not frozen clear across, and using the hatchet chop ourself loose. Iceberg ahoy! Thank you God for never allowing us to get to the river....so I can relate to the frozen pants.

Poppy, So far so good. Shooting a heavy arrow off of it right now, spine and weight, soon as season is over I am going to work on a lighter arrow. Nock tip to nock tip with medium limbs it is measuring 54" strung. I am drawing very close to 28" and it is stack free.

Thank you everyone for the comments and coming along. I am going to pull that camera after the season....hopefully we will have something else to look at after I do that.

Take care and Good Shooting->->->->Craig

Very nice. Love to see those Pa pics. Reminds me of the WV woods. Great stuff.

Those are some very nice deer trails also

Great pics, thanks.

Beautiful. Nice follow-along as usual. That is a cool little setup, need to check it out.

Good stuff! Great pics

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