Recycled Research

Recycled Research by James L. Bruner
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I peer cautiously from behind the lacy foilage of dying cedar trees that have lost an earlier battle with the wind. Their root system desperately made several final attempts to pull enough liquid life from the earth before relinquishing to defeat in a rust-colored mass of entangled groundwork. At first light the little black demons drop from the trees and clutter about the forest floor with their heads hung low and eyes ablaze with mischief. Every morning it’s exactly the same. They come to taunt and ridicule my daily efforts which resemble a self-made prison to which I am bound while putrid decompostion continues to process every minute of every hour of every day. My breath hangs low on this early morning as I anticipate the first screams breaking the silence and realize no amount of penance can help me now. One by one the demons move closer while observing the hierarchy of their pecking order. Muttering to each other in guttural disposition, they adhere to a map of communication while death fills their nostrils and darkness falls swiftly into their eyes where I hope to never see my own reflection. In that moment, the leader, largest in stature and assumed knowledge, locks my position and the screams begin to fill the air.

Not everyone views an early morning congregation of crows the same way but all the same, it’s part of nature and how you visually perceive your sorroundings. This was one of many mornings where I attempted to watch and research the local wolf population feeding over a whitetail deer carcass. I used the word attempted earlier because that is more or less the result as the wolves chose to feast at night. The deer was a roadkill doe that I had transported back into the woods to a sensible area that provided absolute viewing from a distance of which I will not disclose. Let’s just say it was off the beaten path but on the trail of least resistance. Typically, this is where you wont find me. Understand? As a footnote in my journal reads, “It’s difficult at best to visualize the scene of a wolf pack feeding in the snow without viewing said scene firsthand. It appears to be uncontrolled chaos but confirmed research tells us differently.” Research, in most forms, will bring surprises and I’ll share a couple brief notations here with the readers.

I hear hunters talk all the time about whitetails. It’s a great topic of conversation as the whitetailed deer is widely distributed and the most sought after big game animal. Mess around a deer’s home too much and before you realize it that deer is gone. Well, that’s definately not always true. In fact deer adapt quite well which is why suburbia has problems with deer eating their flowers and gardens. I suppose that in some form of rational thinking the idea of the deer leaving the area floated around the room for a bit before being regurgitated into a void conversation. Quite possibly it was spoken in broken english – Me build house – Deer go away. Sorry pal. Not likely with the opportunistic and lazy whitetail. Yes, lazy. Like humans.

Several years ago I watched the same groups of deer using the same trail at the same time every morning. Quite honestly, I was bored of the repetition and decided to change the rules of research a little. The next day found me with a chainsaw cutting down a dead spruce tree 40 feet from the trail that the deer used. And where did I drop the tree? Right across the trail of course! The top 6 feet of the tree laid perfectly across the trail at a heigth of 14″ with no branches to suggest any major deviation from normal travel pattern. Yes, the deer would have to step over the fallen tree but it was nothing to actually break their normal stride and surely not a monumental obstruction. After a single day of letting the place rest I returned the following morning and observed.

Right on time the first small group of deer sauntered up to the tree and looked around as if they were about to be ambushed. Well now, something to jot down in my journal for a change. After a brief moment they played follow-the-leader and proceeded to walk around the tree. They showed no concern or further cause for alarm and that continued for the entire morning as every deer chose the same path. Within one week of time they had a very visible trail worn into the soft ground. A simple length of string laid along the trail showed the deer walked an extra 14′ and 6″ rather than stepping over the tree. Does that confirm or debunk the suggestion that deer are lazy? What it does confirm is that if I were bowhunting from that treestand instead of observing, and those deer were out of my range, I could have used that tree to my advantage and moved the deer in range. Of course it would be a hell of a lot easier just to move closer so don’t take that as a suggestion. It’s the difference between hunting and research. For the sake of argument let it be noted that this scenario took place in the end of October and shows their willingness to adapt rather than divert. I realize this is a minor point in case but many pivotal topics begin with a benchmark of basic observational research platforms. You “can” drive off the main road and still find, or make, another road.

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