The Great Fox Stakeout (Featuring One Very Judgmental Buck)

More extreme sports
no one should invent!
Perhaps a metaphor.
Ride nature don't 
try and control
it. i.e. be yourself.

The other day, I set out my live traps to see if I could catch that fox whose den I’d found. I baited the trap with sardines—because apparently foxes and I share the same taste in questionable snacks—and placed it about 50 feet from the den. Inside the trap, I put my bait, like a tiny woodland charcuterie board.

I use live traps so if I catch the wrong critter—or something I legally should not possess—I can simply apologize, open the door, and send it on its way. I covered the trap with leaves and twigs to camouflage it, although in hindsight it probably looked like a suspiciously rectangular bush.

If you’ve never seen a live trap, picture a dog kennel that went to engineering school. There’s a panel inside, and when the animal steps on it—bam—the door shuts. It’s like a surprise party, except everyone is disappointed.

Later, while picking up my traps (because I’m busy tomorrow and don't want leave it more than 24 hour, although the rule is 48 I believe-hunter ethics), I bent down to grab the bowl when I heard something crashing through the woods. Not a squirrel—this sounded like two animals big enough to make the hike worth it on the way in and get a lot more exercise dragging weight on the way out.

Can you see it?
I covered it in leaves.
Mostly so others don't see it 
and steal it.
A balance of hidden
but you can find it if
you know what your looking 
for and where you are looking.

A buck was chasing a doe, and when he noticed me, he stopped. We locked eyes like two people who both reached for the last donut. He was about a six-pointer, stomping his hooves as if to say, “Buddy, this is my forest.” I moved slowly because, honestly, I wasn’t mentally prepared for a surprise deer stare-down. Bow on ground and arrows in my sack.

He kept watching me to see if I was a threat and snorting to warn his friends they shouldn't come to my next dinner party. He didn't wait for the invite. The buck ran about 30 feet, then stopped, apparently deciding he wasn’t done judging me.

Near the secret peninsula
that my buck spirit guide
led me to. When I was
a kid I used to hear about spirit
guides. I don't remember where
but certainly interesting. 
I looked it up Buck Spirit Guide
I believe there is much more to 
spirituality then we understand
and it has been 
part of society since the beginning
for a reason.

I began to ready my bow and creep up the hill to get closer. Now, when you’re trying to walk quietly, you’re supposed to land on the outside of your foot and roll inwards, avoiding twigs. Unfortunately, humans are basically giant, uncoordinated toddlers compared to forest animals, so the buck already knew I was there. Probably knew what I had for breakfast, too.

I finally had one shot, but it had to pass through a branch. The arrow deflected, and the buck vanished like a magician’s assistant who’s sick of the act. With all the deer tracks in the area, tracking him further would’ve been like trying to follow footprints in a crowded mall on Black Friday.

I walked the rest of the way up the hill and discovered I was standing on a peninsula overlooking a little valley, with a creek wrapping around it. A 200 degree view with easy lines of site. Between the water, grass bedding, hardwoods, and pines, it looked like the deer’s version of a luxury resort. I’m pretty sure they sit on stumps and critique my technique whenever I’m not around. 

“A fox is subtlety itself.” — Aristophanes

Today wasn’t successful—just like most of my fishing trips—but I was outdoors, enjoying the challenge. I prefer using a simple bow without all the high-tech add-ons (There are some moral arguments for it and it depends on why your hunting.). Likely why I'm not always lucky. For me, hunting is only partly about the catch and wild life management. The rest is about connecting with nature, or at least discovering new and creative ways to miss, while spending time like our ancestors-before grocery delivery ($7.99 to my place). Do we really respect how lucky we have it when we just go to the store and buy our food? No special gadgets means I have to earn it with skill development (Basically if I had to I could widdle a bow but one has to learn the skill on how to use it without the scopes and impossible to miss tech). Gratefulness is important. 

Michigan Fox Hunting and Trapping

Deer Behaviors Non-Verbal