The No Trail Ride

We rent 150 acres from a neighbor.  Less than 50 acres of that is open.  The rest is covered in woods, autumn olive, rose bushes and blackberry vines.  We are not allowed to overwinter any livestock there, so we round them up in the early winter and turn more out in the spring.  J has always sent cow/calf pairs.  But this year he decided to change things up and send replacement heifers.  It seemed like a good idea but for some reason they just won't stay together.  Earlier this week J was missing 1 out of 22.  The next morning he could only find 12.  He spent 3 hours checking line fence and neighboring fields, nothing.   I said I would ride Otoelene around and see if I could come up with anything.  Otoelene was a champ.  We rode through tall grass, steep woods, and open brambles.  Then we got into the border between the woods and the open area.  This was choked with rose bushes and autumn olives (a brushy type invasive tree).  There was no trail and no riding through the mess.  I finally just got off and lead her until the woods opened up more. 

 Then I found this, a trail cam in the middle of the woods in a small clearing.

Then there was this bait feeder hanging from a tree,

and a nearby tree stand.  I am pretty sure baiting deer and then shooting them is illegal.  I have no idea who's stand this even is.  On the way back out we had to cross over down fence and push through more rose bushes, blackberry vines and honeysuckle all matted together.  Otoelene saw the opening but only got part way before the rose bushes stopped her.  I dismounted again, stomped everything down and lead her out to the open.  Two hours of riding and I never found the other 10 animals.  But they were all there the next day.   There is not telling what's going on in there.