Last week was the end of our late season here in my part of Penna. It has been colder than cold and was just starting to warm up a little last Friday.

  Snow was on the ground and it was actually quiet enough that you could sneak around a little. I grabbed my Osprey,put some snow camo on and hit it.  

 Everything looks different in the snow...

   

The plan was to head up over this point then try to sneak down into a bedding area.

 

The snow camo blends pretty well...

 

Sneaking out along the north-side of the big ravine.


   

We go from all that beautiful color in the fall to the browns,blacks,and grays of winter. When you do see some color ,it pops out at you.

   

   

Up over the first bench now, the wind is right and I am picking my way down over.

   


 Just down over from that one dead tree on the left there is a doe bedded down. The pictures are with my cell and it has no zoom so actually showing it was out of the question. She has no idea I am above her,maybe 75 yds away.

I glass the area as much as I can because you know there are going to be more. There was. Just to the right of that standing Oak and down below was a really big doe bedded and she also had no clue.

 

Problem was,there was a huge mess of brush and jaggers to get through if I wanted to try and get closer.

Some of you guys will get what I am talking about here when I say, "It's not always about the kill,that makes the hunt special."



 I decided to try and backtrack out of there without spooking them,which seemed harder then getting up to them,but we pulled it off.

Snow-capped Fungus on the way down over...

 

And some "hard to give it up" Beech leaves...

   

Hunted back down thru the bottom,have to pick my wife up at work today,lots of tracks around...

Actually sneaked up on two doe browsing on the way out. I hung tight for a while and just watched then had to get moving. When they spooked there must have been at least eight of them take off. It was a great afternoon.

 

 Almost home now........

What a cool day,thanks for taking me along.

Craig, I LOVE your posts, always good pictures and feel like I am along with you. I also really like your sense of the hunt, killing not needed all the time, getting close and seeing nature is always well presented.

Man that is great.  I really like hunting in the snow but down here in SE Texas, we rarely have the opportunity.  Better luck next time.

I always enjoy your pictures and travels through the timber.  That's very beautiful country.  Thanks for sharing!    

Bernie Bjorklund

NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin

Great Photos as always Craig.

Love your Rasta Hunting hat!

Nice pics of a beautiful day in PA!  One of these years I'll catch up to you at the Shade Mountain shoot!  Take care!

Snow, the hunters friend, they really stick out on that white background (not saying I saw any of the ones you caught on camera but I really like hunting in these conditions) glad you're in an area that has a decent population, last time I was out when there was snow on I didn't cut a track in the area I hunt in GOOD POST.