Counting deer

  There are taboos and prohibitions about counting people or animals.  If you can COUNT something, you are well on the way to controlling it.  The Saudis, for instance have concealed their true numbers for years.

  I toss census information when it comes to the house.  Incredible questionaires.

  That said, our first deer count was a big bust.  Alan's forman was spraying the food plots with herbicide to kill the summer weed growth as we were driving up.  We saw less than 20 deer.  A record low.  Couple of little bucks mixed in.  Usually we see 50-80.  Low 40s was the previous bottom.

  We spotlight from a raised bench on the back of a 1967 Ford Bronco.  I use binocs to look at the deer up close in the light.

  Beautiful night.  Owls in the open blinds.  Barn Owls had filled up the Leaning Tower with rat fur and bones from their castings.  I'm sure they raised a whole brood in there.  We saw several other pairs of owls.  Stars and a quarter moon lit the scenes.  Some ground fog down along the creek meadows kicked the lights back in our faces and probably lost a few deer.  Data is supposed to be submitted to the state by this weekend.