The Opener - 2009

Deer hunting tends to humble a person and this year was no exception. I started the day before opener by making a visit to the ER at St. Marys Hospital in Superior. I contracted Lyme's Disease and was about as sick as one could get. They gave me a shot in the hip and armed with 10 days worth of pills, I headed home. Didn't feel worth a damn on Saturday but hunted anyway.
Remember those big bucks from my previous blog? Well, we never saw them. I shot a nubbins buck Sunday afternoon and Johnny shot a doe Monday. Tuesday I was in the Cities and it poured all day Wednesday. Johnny and the girls came up for the Thanksgiving weekend and we hunted hard. He saw a couple of does and a buck but didn't have a shot. I heard one.....
I was still sitting in a tree when darkness hit Sunday night.
The trail camera is out and I'm already planning new stands. Watch out Mr. Buck, I'll be waiting for you next year......
Oh, and for you folks that wander out where ticks live, read up on Lyme's Disease. It can be wicked if not treated. I was in today for a follow up and though I feel fine, I have to be on pills for another 11 days. They told me if I didn't take them, I would be back inside of three months and that wouldn't be pretty...

Deer Hunting

These are a couple of the big boys roaming my land. I captured them with my trail camera and only posted them to get your attention.
Thirty or so years ago, a buddy of mine told me that his grandfather had once told him that if you hunt deer for nine days just for that split second when you pull the trigger you should probably find something else to do to occupy your time. The return on the investment wasn't worth it. For some reason I never forgot that.
I first started hunting deer when I was 15. I got to go with my dad the last 2 days of the 9 day season. There weren't many deer back in the 60's and by the last weekend, what few that were left were hiding out pretty good. I wore hand me down clothes, socks stuffed in old shoes and overshoes and stood in the snow carrying a gun I had never shot. Never did see any deer but dang it was cold!! My dad asked me later why I kept hunting considering the lack of deer and lousy clothing I was stuck with. I guess I was just too stubborn or maybe I just liked hanging out with my dad and my uncles Wally, Lenny and Vern. They enjoyed each others company more than they did shooting deer. What I group of guys to be able to hang out with. I miss all of them so much.
When I was 21, my dad bought me a used 30.06 semi-auto rifle. It was used but was in good shape. We also started to see some deer. The way we hunted in the woods was to get out to our stands in the dark and sit all day. I'd pass the time by reliving my life (that would take 5 minutes), thinking about work, wondering if the other guys were as cold as me and looking at birds and whatever creatures would wander by. Then, out of nowhere, a deer would appear like a grey ghost in the morning mist. I'd wonder how the heck did he get so close without me seeing him? My heart would pound so hard, I just knew he could hear it. As long as my heart keeps pounding, I'm not going to worry about the return on the investment.
Next Friday my son and the guys will arrive for Saturday's opener. The hunting party is changing again. One guy's gone but we've added a new hunter. We can tell him all our stories and plot our strategy for opening morning, which basically consists of all of us sitting in trees....
Opening morning I'll walk out to my stand in the dark. I'll sit there and, of course, relive my life. I'll look down at that old 30:06 I'm cradling in my arms. I'll think of my dad, I'll think about my sons and I'll wait for that grey ghost to appear out of the morning's mist......

Hangin' Out With An Old Friend

I've been busy of late with my trail camera. I got some nice pictures of numerous does, two bucks (one of which is huge), a bear and a crazy rabbit who keeps stealing my apples at night. BUT, Sam likes his picture taken so I opted for my old dog.

Sammy just loves it up here. So many new smells. One day I walked out to one of my stands thinking he was back at the house. I started messing around at the stand and a couple minutes later, I heard a noise, turned around and there he was. He doesn't want to miss a thing and follows me everywhere.

I have to be careful as 5 minutes of walking around in the woods will cause him to be sore and stiff the rest of the day. Big time!

Yesterday he finally discovered deer. He saw a doe and fawn next to the house and growled at them through the window. He wouldn't leave the window until they had left. Last night I let him out and as he walked out of the garage he saw a doe and two fawns across the street. He tried so hard to run after them. I managed to call him off as every such effort causes him to stiffen up so bad. He was happy though as he chased those darn deer away. He likes that.

Today I sighted in a couple of guns behind the house. He had to stay in the house with Glenda as he goes nuts when a gun is fired. Once I was done, he was let out of the house and headed right for where I was shooting. After sniffing around, he headed for the target and tree I had pretty much blown to smithereens sighting in my 30.06. He was looking for the bird. He hasn't hunted in seven years but has never forgotten what it's all about.

Right now he's fast asleep in the kitchen. He's had another big day. Later he'll limp into the bedroom, start to snore, and rest up for whatever tomorrow brings.

I now understand why "old" people get so attached to their pets. People come and go and even good friends and family are only there some of the time. That dog is there every morning when I get up. Ready for a treat, a trip outside and then his breakfast. Oh, and then he has toast with me. Been doing it for 10 1/2 years. I hope we can do it for a little while longer.....