I enjoy cool weather. I don't like extreme cold, but I don't like hot weather either. The cool, barren landscape of post-winter is a great time to be out scouting for next season. Post-winter scouting is an activity which I've enjoyed doing for the past few years. It has helped me position myself in areas which have provided increased shooting opportunities. Of course there is no guarantee.

Cool weather offers benefits which I find particularly pleasing. There are fewer bugs. I don't have to flail my arms constantly to ward off mosquitoes and other flying insects. There are fewer people too. They "bug" me sometimes. (Although most people tend to avoid a camo clad nut wildly flailing his arms in the middle of the woods). I don't sweat as much in cool weather either. That "bugs" the deer.

Post-winter is a great time to look for sheds, which can be an indicator that there may still be a good buck in the area. Last year's rubs are easier to find, as are trails, crossings, and funnels. Certainly, a deer's feeding patterns will be different in the fall than they are during this time, but you can still learn a lot about their bedding areas, travel routes, and general "lay of the land".

Just to be in the woods; no pressure from work, no rushing to my stand. Simply looking around, discovering new things, reflecting on life, and conversing with God as I go. What a peaceful feeling as the pace of life slows.

Did You See that Sign?

The Bible gives us many signs too. Signs of Jesus' return. Jesus speaks about these signs which foretell the coming end of the age and of his return in Matthew 24. In verse 6 the disciples come to Jesus on the Mount of Olives and ask, ". what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" 4Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming ` I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. 6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning of birth pains." I believe we are seeing all of these signs in today's headlines.

Don't overlook areas which can act as funnels or crossings for deer. This close-up photo shows the white hair from a deer's underbelly snagged on a fence wire. This is not the top wire but one in the middle of an old fence. The deer are stepping through this hole to move between a corn field and their bedding area.

I will setup my stand this fall near the areas I have seen sign. I may spend hours sitting and watching for an opportunity. A huge buck could step from the thicket at any moment, or I may never see a single deer. Nonetheless, I will continue to watch because I know the deer were here by their signs left behind.

There is another stand which I have taken in my life. The one I've chosen for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  I have felt and seen the signs of His presence. And though I don't know exactly when, I do know He is coming back. I will be watching even until my final season.

See you beyond the Woods.......

Roger Fugate

(Lord of the Harvest newsletter Apr-99)

Finding deer sign in a particular area is no guarantee you will see any deer.  Now, or, in the fall. These are simply signs and evidence; a buck did make a rub last year on a particular tree, you see the evidence. Deer are traveling through the area; you can see their trails, find their droppings and tracks. All just signs, but you know them to be true.

Reading sign in the woods can tell you deer have been in the area, but you cannot tell from the tracks and rubs when a deer will return. Finding sign and understanding the how and why of it's existence can be an educational and enjoyable adventure. The more sign you find, the more you learn about it, and the more you understand, the more you can share with others.

We cannot predict precisely when a deer will return by the signs they leave in the woodlands, nor can we predict the exact time of Christ's return by the signs we see in our world today. Jesus makes it a point that we understand this. In Matthew 24:36, 42, and 44, Jesus clearly states we cannot know the exact time of His return, but admonishes us to keep watch. v36"No man knows about the day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father". v42 " Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come." v44 " So you must also be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him".

Droppings and tracks common signs of a deer's presence.