That was eventful, but no carcass. I’d say within three minutes of entering the treeline I saw a deer walk past but didn’t provide a shot opportunity and then another animals was behind it. At first I thought it was a bobcat, then I saw white on its tail and thought it might be a fawn. The tail got longer as it crossed a couple of open patches in the brush and I realized it was a coyote so I tracked it through my scope, led it a bit, and took a shot at it through the brush. I missed, but the deer took off, the coyote ran, and a squirrel went nuts. My thinking on the coyote was this: it was either hunting the deer it was trailing or eating on the buck I may have shot. The yote was literally walking along a path I flagged earlier in the morning. I didn’t see much of anything besides squirrels and birds after that. Another deer wheezed deeper in the woods later on, but I never saw it.
The yote hit two brief clearings in the brush in the background of this photo I believe.
Here’s how I kept track of areas I’d already searched for a carcass.
Some parts got pretty thick with briars, vines, and brush. I checked as best I could checking deadfall’s and all. I also found a few beds and an interesting earthen den (I didn’t photograph it).
I am thinking that I didn’t hit the buck or may have hit an antler or something. Although I don’t recall seeing any branches through my scope, I may have shot some that were not clearly visible. I’m still trying to understand the buck’s reaction when it went to the edge of the steep embankment next to the creek bed. It sounded as if it was stumbling or caught in some brush. I thought it was going to fall over by the way it sounded. That one is a mystery to me. I hope I missed clean.
I also took this hunt as an opportunity to test out some new gear. I got a larger backpack that can fit some scoped big-bores within the scabbard. I also got my Lelya to fit into another compartment, but it’s a bit tight and a little thought to remove. The pack got heavy after a while. I also brought some “briar proof” chaps. I still got stuck through them by some old, dry, sharp briars, but for the most part they helped prevent me from getting hung up, scratched, and cut by the vines. Thank you
@gendoc for the suggestion (I’m still waiting for the farmer that I originally ordered). Also, Louisiana requires us to wear orange hats on private property when hunting deer. I have to get used to that, although I do feel somewhat safer with it one.
I forget to mention that I’d laid my Trigger Stickc Bipob agains a tree this morning and couldn’t find it. Thankfully I found it this evening when I returned. I’d say I enjoyed myself. I needed to get out and it was great to have some action, see number of animals, and to just be in nature for the majority of the day.
www.unitedbloodtrackers.org 
