Deer Hunting?

[rockbilly]

As I kicked back in the blind yesterday morning I thought about the past 50 years and deer hunting.  Years ago, I sat out on foot with the old 30-30 walking and watching until I found a suitable animal to harvest.  Often many days were spent scouting and watching before the season, and wwhen one was finally killed it could be chalked up to prepration, skill and perhaps a bit of luck.

Yesterday I crawled up into a blind at 5:30 AM, i sat back in the nice office style chair, lit the heater, slipped the headset on and tuned my favorite country station, poured a cup of coffee and opened up the bag of donuts we had purchased on our way out of town.  It started getting warm so I slipped out of my jacket, opened one window for a bit for fresh air and then sat back and relaxed until daylight.  At daylight I spotted a bunch of deer in a pasture ajoining our property, I opened the window, attached a spotting scope, and watched as they fed.  

I thought about past deer hunts, chasing mulies all over New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Idaho. I couldn't survive a hunt like those today, so I guess I am destine to spend the remainder of my days in the comfort of my blind and watch and dream of past deer hunts, it ain't hunting, but it gets me out.

[Mohawk]

Exactly, Rockbilly. It gets us out. And yes, at least this year, it is more of a harvest rather than a hunt. Deer are all over the place. But it keeps a tradition that will never fade. Good eatin' things though!

[markc]

Don't be too hard on yourself.  It's still hunting, just much more comfy  now.  You can always set out with the 30-30 again.  I took my first buck, first deer actually, walking the woods with a model 94 and plain Rem Core lokt ammo.   I do at times hunt that way, and other times in a comfy blind with a thermos of coffee..   Its all good....

[kix]

  Rockabilly, it sounds as though your apologizing for not enjoying sitting under a mesquite tree (or big cedar) in a cold, driving rain because that is what constitutes hunting-being miserable. Let me tell you about my REAL hunting trip to Colo. this year. Let's see, 7 nites in a tent above 10,000 ft, 2 ft. of snow and below 0 every morn. Not to mention having to saddle horses when my hands were hurting so bad from the cold I was in agony. I'm sure you've looked for firewood under snow-fun! And I got no elk although we saw a good one.          And then I returned home to Texas, thank God. Now I climb into my sliding glass equipped blind, turn on the heater, wait for daylight and then I pick up a good book to pass the time while still keeping an eye                             

[john keyes]

I don't know why we do it sometimes....yesterday I got up at 3 am, drove to my lease sixty miles away, it was so foggy you couldn't see twenty feet. Everything was soaking wet or a huge water hole mud puddle.
I cursed myself for even being out there, but the sun came up and it was a beautiful day...but then of course the dang wind had to start gusting! 

Got in my climbing stand (another love/hate affair), nothing till 10:15, then a NICE eight point came out, but I could see more deer behind him afraid to come out. 
so I waited for the 8 point to give the "all clear, come on out boys and girls" so I could see the other deer, but instead he started puttin his nose up in the air sniffin, yep, I'm busted he didn't look right at me but he knew something was up, turned around and took all the deer through the thick stuff around me.

stayed till dark, nothin.


but you know what...

IT WAS A GREAT HUNT MAN!

 

[BBF]

  That's what happens when you horn hunt.
If it is legal and edible and in range it is mine !

[markc]

True that when you horn hunt or hunt for a particular animal, you pass on some that you might wish you hadn't.  But, as the man said, he had a great hunt!

[BBF]

True enough, no argument from me. I keep the cavity in my freezer uppermost in my mind.

[markc]

BBF, I tend to consider the freezer as a priority here too.  We tend to try to get the meat deer taken early and then settle in for horns as the season progresses. 

[nealglen37]

I think what the man was saying is that something is sweeter the harder you work for it. Vegtables that came from your toil, in your own garden, always taste better than store bought. We have have lost alot, yes its true that modern conviences are nice, but a person feels more satisfaction when he or she has worked hard to atain that. People use to do more things on their own.......hunted hard (no feeders or cameras)..cleaned their own game.......worked on their own cars and trucks.........had gardens and raised animals. you can't appriciate a cool breez on the poarch unless you have lived before people had airconditioners. Progress is good.....but for everything you gain.........you loose something..................such is the fate of man.