A couple years ago I was driving back from a regional meeting. I always enjoy travelling the backroads of Florida.
On this road, SR471, I passed a sign that indicating a new State park was going to be opening. Colt Creek State Park. Fast forward to a couple weeks ago.
On a fishing website, a fella posted about fishing the lakes in Colt Creek. So it was my duty to take a road trip. On December 13th, I took my fly rod and GPS unit and headed north.
Arriving at the park, I found everything covered in frost. My intent was to fish, but with the cold and the wind starting to rise I abandoned that idea. Instead I pulled out my GPS unit and set out to find some geocaches I loaded earlier in the morning.
My day was going to get interesting for me.
I set out to find my first cache. It was a multi cache. For those who don't know, that is a cache that someone puts out, and you have to find a couple before you get to the ultimate cache. They do this by putting out smaller caches with coordinates that you enter into the GPS unit.
I found the first cache, entered the coordinates and set off for step two.
While walking through a hay field,I was glued to the GPS unit. But then I looked up and saw what I though was a deer and a hog eating in the field. Instantly I looked for a place to hide so I could observe them for a while. In the middle of the field was a spoil mound so I headed for it.
Eventually I got there and snapped a picture. But I was too far away for a good shot. The only obvious move was to get a bit closer.
I shed my back pack, grabbed my binoculars, camera and set off.
It took me about twenty minutes, but I finally got up to a roll of hay that I could use as a barrier. Now, I started snapping pictures. It was not a hog and a deer, but two deer eating in a little depression.
It was quite a long time I spent standing behind the hay bale, and the deer were oblivious to my presence.
Then I found out that I was being observed.
Behind me I hear a snort. Turning to look, I saw a huge doe (maybe a buck who had dropped his rack, I don't know) about 30 yards away. It was staring my down and pacing back and forth. Further to my right, there were two more doe.
I am standing in the middle of five deer right now. And one of them seems agitated with me. It just keeps snorting.
So now, I am looking at the deer in front of and behind me. This was amazing.
Out of the corner of my eye I find something odd. Pulling out my binoculars I spy two more doe out by the tree line.
Seven deer. This was awesome. I could stay here all day. But I have to go and find some caches.
It was a good day to get out of the house. Oh yeah, I did complete the multi cache that morning.
On this road, SR471, I passed a sign that indicating a new State park was going to be opening. Colt Creek State Park. Fast forward to a couple weeks ago.
On a fishing website, a fella posted about fishing the lakes in Colt Creek. So it was my duty to take a road trip. On December 13th, I took my fly rod and GPS unit and headed north.
Arriving at the park, I found everything covered in frost. My intent was to fish, but with the cold and the wind starting to rise I abandoned that idea. Instead I pulled out my GPS unit and set out to find some geocaches I loaded earlier in the morning.
My day was going to get interesting for me.
I set out to find my first cache. It was a multi cache. For those who don't know, that is a cache that someone puts out, and you have to find a couple before you get to the ultimate cache. They do this by putting out smaller caches with coordinates that you enter into the GPS unit.
I found the first cache, entered the coordinates and set off for step two.
While walking through a hay field,I was glued to the GPS unit. But then I looked up and saw what I though was a deer and a hog eating in the field. Instantly I looked for a place to hide so I could observe them for a while. In the middle of the field was a spoil mound so I headed for it.
Eventually I got there and snapped a picture. But I was too far away for a good shot. The only obvious move was to get a bit closer.
I shed my back pack, grabbed my binoculars, camera and set off.
It took me about twenty minutes, but I finally got up to a roll of hay that I could use as a barrier. Now, I started snapping pictures. It was not a hog and a deer, but two deer eating in a little depression.
It was quite a long time I spent standing behind the hay bale, and the deer were oblivious to my presence.
Then I found out that I was being observed.
Behind me I hear a snort. Turning to look, I saw a huge doe (maybe a buck who had dropped his rack, I don't know) about 30 yards away. It was staring my down and pacing back and forth. Further to my right, there were two more doe.
I am standing in the middle of five deer right now. And one of them seems agitated with me. It just keeps snorting.
So now, I am looking at the deer in front of and behind me. This was amazing.
Out of the corner of my eye I find something odd. Pulling out my binoculars I spy two more doe out by the tree line.
Seven deer. This was awesome. I could stay here all day. But I have to go and find some caches.
It was a good day to get out of the house. Oh yeah, I did complete the multi cache that morning.