day 36

Tonight I got out to the vineyard at about 7:15 or so. I confess that I took a short nap at 5:00 after Mrs. Z took the kids down to the lake for the Taughannock Park concert. And the sausage is a big hit, my oldest daughter insisted on it for supper . . . .

So when I arrived it was only about 65 degrees, with a slight NW wind. So I got out of the truck and for the first time in two weeks, walked downhill and stationed myself down the slope below the newly planted grapes (essentially the vineyard slopes downhill to the west up until the edge of the cliff to the water; at that point the lake cottage property begins). I was basically on the western edge of the property.

Scouted a bit and found out where the deer trails are from the woods to the clover field below the grapes. Didn't see a whole lot of fresh sign, but a couple of trails through the field indicate that the deer are passing through occasionally. As I came out of the woods at about 8:30, I noticed the vineyard owner up on the deck of the winery, so I headed uphill, and we had a nice chat. He says he hasn't seen a whole lot of deer action lately either, so I don't feel so bad.

Anyway. It was a beautiful, cool evening, with no bugs, and I didn't even work up a sweat. But no deer.

It's still a long season.

And that's tonight's confessions of a deer sniper.