Just when I thought the weather was starting to level-off at mild, the cold came back. While driving to Georgiana on Monday evening, I was just past the McGowin Tower, and I glanced to the right, and saw

a herd of deer grazing on the cable-cut.

The place where cattle grazed all summer. But the best part was that &uot;Ole’ Grand-daddy Buck&uot; was with them!

There were two spikes, about eight does, and on the edge of the wood line, Old Crusty was watching over them.

Had to have at least eight-points in the rack, he did.

I continued as far as the McGowin estate driveway and turned around, heading back to the site of those deer. I figured that I might be able to get a good shot (no, not with a gun, with my camera), especially since the sun was not too far into the west yet.

As I returned to the road, headed back, I turned my camera on, and started advancing the zoom, so that I would just have to raise it up and click, figuring that there would only be one chance.

But, just as they were nonchalant for the traffic that zoomed by (it was not out of the ordinary) what did stir them up was when I came back up, and hit the brakes.

I would have had a better chance at taking a picture of paint drying!

Those rascals took off, and although some were probably 10 or more feet from the wood line, I don’t think I saw a single one touch the ground until they were in the woods.

And which do you suppose was the first one to vanish from sight? Of, course, it was the big-racked buck–The target of my lens to begin with.

Sounds sort of like the story about the fish that got away, but I’d be willing to bet that you could ask old Larry Creech, who’s property butts-up to that cable line, and he would tell you about &uot;Old Buck&uot;.

I would have to say, though, this particular buck was the first that I have seen this season with a big rack.

Sure, there have been pretty of button-heads and spikes, but that was the first &uot;real&uot; rack I’ve seen.

Unless of course, you count those on the back of trucks. But then, someone else had already gotten lucky.

Should be getting close to time for someone to come by with some extra deer meat, you know, ’cause there’s more than the freezer will hold.

Or, better yet, I should probably get up off of my laurels and go out in pursuit of Bambi myself!

I would be interested in hearing from those of you that have a good recipe for deer, or any other wild game. If I could just convince the kids that there’s nothing wrong with meat that’s not sold in stores.