Deer Season 2014 - Opening Day

The opening day of Missouri Deer Season 2014 has come and gone.  We had our gathering at Ralph's house and (as usual) had a wonderful time.  We didn't kill any deer but made lots of memories.  The lease where we hunt has been logged off since last deer season so I had to find me a different stand.  I found a place looking down a ridge where there were some scrapes and a couple of places where deer had bedded down.  I was sitting with my back to a logged tree top and piled a few cedars in front of me to break up my outline.

 If anyone cares, the view straight up from my stand was unique, with the moon shining through the trees.

It was about 21° when we got to our stands and very still.  After about thirty minutes the wind kicked up and I started to get colder.  Even the coffee I brought along didn't keep me warm long.  About the time the picture below was taken, I was seriously considering heading back to the truck.

I happened to look down toward the the ground in my stand, and would you believe it?!  Somebody had left their boots in my stand!  They were just sitting there where my feet used to be.

I knew they couldn't be mine, because mine had already froze off!

Even if the morning was cold, we are a hardy bunch,  and so Ralph, Claire, and I loaded up in "Rocinante" (AKA "The Ranger") and headed back out in the afternoon!  (Still no luck but the season ain't over!)