It's not a "Father-of-five" entry, but... This is too good to not post.
Over the last couple of days, Ed has called me and told me a tale of how he and a neighbor of his caught a poacher hunting in their back yards...
Here is that story. The only "edits" were to change any identifying names or "employers" of Ed's neighbor.
Take it away Ed....
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On 11-19-06 at 5:40 pm, I was sitting at my computer when I heard a gun shot from my back yard. I am an avid hunter and recognized the sound. As I looked out my patio door to see what happened, I noticed a stopped vehicle on Hwy. ** begin to head southbound. Knowing something was not right, I called Good Neighbor **** (who works for the ****** PD) to let him know what happened. **** was not home and I had to leave a message on his answering machine. I then walked out to my garage and grabbed a spot light. As I shone it in the back yard, I saw a doe laying down at the back of my property looking at me. I walked a couple of paces towards her to see if she would stand up. She did not. I backed off and went back into the house to have dinner. I would check on her in about a half hour to see if she was still there. After dinner, I looked for her and noticed she had moved. I walked further into my back yard and found her laying down again about 25' from where she was before. This time I could see a small patch of blood on her belly. As she was still alive, this did not sit well with me. I then called 911 and let them know what happened and had them send an officer out to dispatch the deer. Five minutes later, I noticed lights were on at Good Neighbor ****'s house. I called him to let him know what was going on. He asked me to meet him in the back yard in a few minutes as he was calling the ****** PD to let them know that he would dispatch the deer. As **** and I approached her, she got spooked and ran into the woods. She only ran about 150' then lay back down. We gave her a couple minutes to settle down before we started to look for her. This time we did not try to get as close as we did before. **** had a good, safe head shot and took it (**** keeps his squad car at home with his Remington 870 shot gun).
We noticed a gunshot wound which entered low and just behind the stomach and came out her shoulder, totally destroying it. **** was very upset that someone was 1) hunting inside city limits, 2) hunting after legal shooting hours, and 3) shooting a weapon within 75 yards my house. **** had another officer come out to the house and give me a Deer Possession Permit. **** and I hung the deer up in my garage and we called it a night.
The next morning at 7:00 am, I noticed a guy walking in my back yard following the blood trail from last night! I could not believe what I was seeing. I called Good Neighbor **** and woke him out of a dead sleep. I told him there was a guy walking the blood trail in our back yards. After **** shook the cobwebs out of his head, he had me meet him in the back yard. The guy was still about 40 yards away when **** asked him what he was doing. The guy replied that he had shot a deer last night and was trying to find it. **** asked him to come closer and asked the question again. The guy said "I shot a deer on the other side of the highway last night and I'm trying to find it." **** told him he cannot hunt within city limits and asked him for his I.D. The guy asked **** why he was asking so many questions and that he did not have to answer to him. That's when **** politely informed him that he would have to answer to him and that he was a cop. Not believing what **** told him, the guy insisted upon seeing ****'s I.D. **** told him "I don't have my I.D. on me but we can walk to the other side of my garage and I'll show you my squad car." At that point, one word came to mind...NICE! Then another word came to mind...IDIOT! **** asked him where he was parked. His vehicle was about a 2 blocks away parked on Hwy. **. As we all walked towards the guy's truck, he told **** that he followed the blood trail to a gut pile just under ****'s deer stand. **** looked at him and told him that's not a deer stand, that's a fort my kid built about 10 years ago. Another word came to mind...DUMB ASS! About half way to the guy's vehicle, **** had me call 911 and have them dispatch a squad to their location.
As we were waiting for the squad, the guy still did not believe **** was an officer and continued to challenge him, claiming that **** had not shown him any I.D. **** tells the guy "my neighbor called me at 7 am and woke me up. I didn't have time to grab my I.D. You'll just have to trust me on this and we can sort it all out when the squad arrives." When the squad arrives, **** walks over to the officer and they begin to talk about what happened behind the squad car. As they were talking, the guy walked up to me and asks if I was the landowner. I told him that both **** and I were the landowners out here. The guy then asks me "so he really lives in that house?" I said, "Yes, he really lives in that house." The guy didn't say another word but his non-verbal communication was...PRICELESS!
As **** and the other officer confronted the guy, **** asked the officer to confirm that he was a cop because the guy didn't believe him. The officer looked at the guy and said, "yep, he works for us." The guy told the officer that he never knew what ****'s name was. The officer replied "don't worry, his name will be in my report". "And my report" **** said.
I thought to myself...What drives a man to poach a deer in a cop's back yard???
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I would like to personally thank both Ed and his neighbor for standing up and doing the right thing! Kudos to both of them!
David.
Deer Hunting #2 2006
Well, I have unfortunately done what I have told myself that would not do again. That was "put off" writing about my outdoor experiences. It is currently March, and I am writing about a hunting trip I took in November. Fortunately for me this trip was VERY uneventful, and so it will be easy to write about, and not be a very long post.
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As I spoke about in an earlier post, this year I was able to partake in two hunts. My first trip was with Ed to his cabin (which I had not visited in many years) and a second with Joe (my father in law). Joe and I have been hunting at my Uncle Greg's cabin for a few years now, but this year we decided to return to the family farm in Fairmont, Minnesota.
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In years past, we have rented a hotel and spent the night in Fairmont. This year, we decided to just make it "day trips" between Jordan and Fairmont (about 90 minutes). We got an early start. Joe picked me up at home, and we headed out from my house.
In years past, we have rented a hotel and spent the night in Fairmont. This year, we decided to just make it "day trips" between Jordan and Fairmont (about 90 minutes). We got an early start. Joe picked me up at home, and we headed out from my house.
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We arrived (at about sunrise) - a few minutes after legal shooting hours. I set myself up at the far north end of the farm (Right side of the picture at the green arrow) and Joe drove to the far south end of the farm (Left side of the picture). We decided to sit tight until lunch time and then we would quietly "push" towards each other, meeting in the middle of the farm.
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I set up at the top of a pretty big hill, where I could get a good view of the creek bed (looking south), in front of me (looking west).
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As I sat, watched the sun rise, I started hearing rustling down in the fields in and around the creek. The sounds I was hearing was not loud enough to be deer, so I sat and watched the grass rustle, until I could make out what it was that was causing all the movement. Pheasants! Lots, and lots of Pheasant. If memory serves me correctly, I saw close to fourteen Pheasants that morning, and three or four roosters!! This would have been an OUTSTANDING morning for Pheasant hunting, but - as it was I was deer hunting - So I kept to what I was there for, and enjoyed watching the pheasants running around. Honestly, a few times they "startled" me as they flushed from the brush! I made a game of identifying (as fast as I could) hen or rooster. The first couple took me a little longer, but it was just a few minutes, and I was right back to being able to pick out the roosters!.
As morning turned to afternoon, I moved a little more "up" the hillside to where the "farm" met the "field". There is a little barbwire fence there, and I set up along one of the fence posts.
Within an hour or so, I noticed (way off on the opposite end of the farm) Joe had started pushing along the fence, towards me. It would easily be another 30 minutes before he would reach me, so I sat at closely watched the creek bed. (My eight point buck jumped out of this same creek bed within about seventy-five yards from me back in 1998 - So I was ready to expect anything (or... Nothing)).
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As it turned out, I was ready to expect - nothing... Joe arrived, and we decided to head back to the car. It was around noon, and Joe needed to eat lunch. This time, on our trip back to the far end of the farm (where Joe parked his car) - we walked the creek bed. We were way down in the valley, and walked through all the tall grass.
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As expected, I kicked up a few more pheasants, and not a single deer.
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As it turned out, I was ready to expect - nothing... Joe arrived, and we decided to head back to the car. It was around noon, and Joe needed to eat lunch. This time, on our trip back to the far end of the farm (where Joe parked his car) - we walked the creek bed. We were way down in the valley, and walked through all the tall grass.
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As expected, I kicked up a few more pheasants, and not a single deer.
We walked across the farm to the car. We packed up the guns, and as we headed out to lunch, Joe asked how I felt about "calling it a season".
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After my experience at Ed's cabin, and such a still and quiet morning, I was ready.
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After my experience at Ed's cabin, and such a still and quiet morning, I was ready.
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I agreed, thus ending my 2006 hunting season.
Deer hunting #1 2006
First of all, it needs to be said that I was looking forward to returning to Ed's cabin again this year! It was an interesting year for deer hunting for me!
For the first time in TEN YEARS I hunted deer with Ed at his cabin. I was so excited to return, and I believe Ed was excited to have me back as well! My deer hunting experience started about 14 years ago. The first four or five years I hunted deer, was with Ed and his cabin. Nine years ago, my father-in-law asked me to join him deer hunting on their family farm in Fairmont, so I started deer hunting with Joe. Due to time, money, and license considerations, I was only able to hunt with Joe. (Has it been that long? Well, I just checked. My first Deer Hunting trip away from Ed's Cabin was in 1997 - I Deer hunted at Ed's cabin in 1996, so that means it has been ten years.)
Because of the way my work schedule fell into place, and (Since I bought the "Statewide All Season" license (SEE HERE)) I was able to hunt at both Ed's cabin and then a week later down south with Joe (my father in law) on their family farm.
Pre-Trip and Day 1
I had to prepare for the trip early, as I was leaving directly from work on Friday.
I had not yet got my license, so I had to make a stop at Cabella's again. As expected, the line was long. I took my place in line and settled in for a long wait. About 15 minutes into the wait (now about 6 people back from the front of the line, and with three other people behind me, an employee approached the line and said that he wanted the last 4 people (me and the three guys behind me))to turn around and go to the "Bait Shop" cashier, as they were going to start issuing licenses. Well, we did as we were told, and all turned around and walked away. As we did this (since I was "first" in the line of the four guys) as we turned around I became the "last" in the line of 4. This really was not a big deal to me at all because I was at least six people back in the main line, now I would only be four people back. As we got into the bait shop, the three guys in front of me all told me to go ahead of them, as I was in line before they were, and they all subsequently took their "respective" places in line. That, dear readers is what being a good person at heart is all about. I would have been fine being the fourth in line, but these guys all recognized the "order" in which we were, and respected that (without any input). I think this is what you will find in the hearts of MOST hunters. Good people.
I got my license, settled back into the car, and started off on my journey. I again prepared a CD of "Ron & Fez" shows (Best damn radio show on the planet), and I was so looking forward to spending a good couple of hours with the buddays (a show reference), but to my very strong disappointment, the CD I made had some sort of fatal error, and my player did not recognize the files. I was so disappointed. I had my back-up plan in place, and turned on the XM radio. Second choice: Opie & Anthony.
The rest of the trip was uneventful. I made it all the way to Aitkin. Checked in on the Cell phone with Michele, and with Ed before I lost the signal, and finished up the last 30 minutes of the trip.
The last leg of the journey is spend driving a dirt road thru the woods to the access road to Ed's cabin. While on this road, three deer crossed in front of me close enough to cause me to have to break quickly. (I am not traveling fast enough on this road to "lock 'em up".) I took this as a good sign!
Ed and John were already at the cabin, so when I arrived, things were well underway. Ed was just putting "dinner" (and I use that term loosely) on the fire, so I started to unpack. By the time I had my stuff stashed in the cabin, John started to set the table, and I helped him while Ed finished cooking. Well, "dinner" (which was more like a delectable, bountiful feast) consisted of 3 Black Angus Porterhouse steaks each weighing in at just about a pound and a quarter (They came from Ed's local butcher "Superior Meats") and "70 minute" wild rice. No exaggeration here folks... I like steak, don't get me wrong. I do not often buy or order it myself (I am not sure why), but I can -without any doubt or exaggeration - say that these were the best steaks I have ever had in my entire life. They cut with a fork. I honestly did not need a knife to eat mine. Out of respect for Ed I wont mention what he paid for these magnificent cuts, but rest assured they were the most amazing steaks I have ever had.
After dinner, we sat around the fire, smoking cigars, and enjoying one another's company.
Day 2
This was the first morning of hunting. Since just Ed and I were going out to hunt. Having been so many years since I last hunted at Ed's, I was not familiar with where all the deer stands are. They have names for each of the stands, and (because John was not hunting), I got his spot at the "Penthouse". Ed had to walk me to the area, and point it out to me, then he went off to his stand. "The Penthouse" is a nice sized stand with steps up and a patio chair, wrapped in camouflaged netting. It faces north, overlooking a large dip in the terrain. The backdrop is the lake, so other than an extreme angle to your right (east), you have a pretty safe shot.
I climbed up, settled into the stand, and dozed off for a while. I awoke just before legal hunting hours, and just started "observing" around me. I again got to watch a Pileated Woodpecker fly from tree to tree all around me. That was a beautiful site! Other than the squirrels playing in the leaves, and chasing each other up and down the trees, the morning was uneventful.
About mid morning, I turned around and noticed Ed walking slowly back past my stand, towards the cabin. He was quite a ways off, and was moving very slowly. I thought it was odd that he was heading back so soon, but since I had not hunted at the cabin for so many years, I thought maybe that's just the way he hunted. As Ed got closer, I noticed something "odd". Ed kept "fanning" the area around his "backside". He would walk a few paces, stop, and fan - walk a few paces, stop, and fan. I did not pick up on that he was trying to signal me, so I started packing up my gear, and slowly (matching Ed's stride) met up with him. When I met up with him I discovered he had to head back in to yield the "call of nature"... So, I slowly made my way back to the stand, and resumed hunting. The next couple of hours were very quiet. I saw nothing more. I decided to call it a morning, and head back in.
We spent the remainder of the day around the fire, reading Cabella's catalogues, throwing rocks on the ice, and visiting.
As evening approached, we prepared to return to the field. We both took up our original positions, (I was in the "Penthouse" again) and settled in. I could hear a few shots off in the distance, but nothing too close.
It was about the time I had started "nodding off" when from my right (east) I could hear some rustling in the leaves, and as I turned and looked, I noticed two does walking along my side of ridge on the opposite side of the valley. The lead doe was larger than the second, so I made my choice. I raised my gun, and put the cross hairs on the deer, and started following her. As she crossed thru my field of vision, I waited for a better shot. I was not until about two thirds of the way thru my field of vision that a shot opened up in my scope. She was slowly walking, when I took a shot. Both deer froze for just the most brief of moments, and then started more of a gallop down the same path they were on. I saw no signs of a hit. Both deer were still within (what I felt was) my range of fire, so I ejected, and chambered the next round. I quickly shouldered the gun, and got her back in the cross hair. This was a little bit more difficult shot, as she was moving a bit faster. I lined up what I thought would be a good shot, and took it. This time, I saw her hind legs kick out like a mule, and now she ran hard and fast to the left (Westbound). I was pretty sure I had hit her this time.
I have learned over the years, that the best thing to do after hitting a deer (weather it was a kill/drop or a wound/flee) is to sit. I have been told and read about a couple of different theories over the years, but a conservative average seems to be twenty minutes. So I sat. I sat for what seemed like a very long time. As I sat, I started worrying that she may be out there suffering, and that by waiting, I am just allowing it to happen. As the time passed, I felt more and more "paranoid" that perhaps I should go out and end any suffering I have caused this deer, and in the end, (against my own "better judgement") I started to climb down out of the deer stand after just under ten minutes. (Ten minutes does not seem that long, but when you are sitting there just waiting for time to pass, time seems to slow down).
I had marked (in my mind) where I felt I hit the deer, and started off in that general direction. I was quiet as I approached the area, trying to listen carefully to everything around me. I heard nothing. My hope was that I had hit her critically enough that she just dropped over dead a few dozen yards from the kill site. When I arrived at the area I thought I hit her, I began my search. I could not locate anything in the "exact" area I estimated, so I started a "spiral" search.
After covering the area I was sure I had hit her in and finding nothing, I was starting to wonder if I hit her at all, or if I hit her, was just a grazing wound, or a would that would have bled very little. I decided to walk in the direction the deer fled. About fifteen yards from where I "thought" I hit her, I noticed the tell-tale signs confirming I did indeed hit her... Blood.
It was now sundown, and getting dark, about 30 minutes before the end of legal shooting hours. Now that I had a blood trail, I thought for sure I would be bringing a deer back to camp! I began following the blood trail. It started off pretty easy. The trail headed west-south-west along a level plane, and then started heading up the hill in a more south-west direction. I (for a moment) lost the trail, but picked it up again very quickly. The trail continued up the hill until it reached a small opening in a small patch between several trees. Here, I lost the trail. I went over, and over the trail. I started from the beginning again, and followed the trail two more times. By now it was dark enough that without my flashlight, I could not see the blood on the ground, and finding the "next droplet" was getting harder even when I knew "about" where it was.
It was with a very heavy heart that I decided to head back to the cabin, and with head hung low, and a sick feeling in my stomach, I sulked back.
When I arrived at the cabin, John was sitting by the fire, and Ed had not yet returned from the field. John asked if the shots he had heard were mine, and so as I unloaded, and unpacked my gear for the night, I shared my woeful tale with him. About three-quarters of the way thru the story, Ed came traipsing back through the woods to the cabin (empty handed), and so I re-told the story again.
This was one of the worst feelings I have ever had. By this point, I was contemplating the possibility of giving up hunting altogether. The thought of having injured a deer (and not killing it), and of it still in the field somewhere suffering, was one that truly hit me HARD. Ed and John both tried to make me feel a little better, and they shared their stories of "lost deer" over the years - which made me feel better in that I was not the only one who has ever done this, but it did not make me feel better about the deer that was still in the field. Both John and Ed (again trying to reassure me) convinced me that this deer will most likely not make it through the night, or the next day or two, and that it will not go to waste because other animals will eat the deer. This only slightly improved my demeanor.
It was now dinner time. Ed had picked up 6 of the biggest country style pork ribs I have ever seen. Combined they weighed in just under 5lbs (they were so big we each had only 1 rib). These ribs were so good, they took my mind off the injured deer in the woods (at least for a few minutes). The remainder of that night was spent visiting, drinking and smoking. We decided (even though I had already decided this) that after the morning hunt, Ed and I would together try and pick up the blood trail again in the morning.
That evening, I had a hard time sleeping, and (for the first time in all the years I have been visiting the cabin) I had to use the outhouse... If you know what I mean... (This is a story for another time.)
Day 3
My final day for deer hunting at Ed's cabin.
After a long and restless night, the alarm clock woke me, and I found that foreboding feeling still lingering. During my "long and restless" night I had decided that I was not going to fire my gun at another deer this weekend. NO MATTER WHAT. A state record setting buck could cross within feet of my stand, and I was going to take photos of it - nothing more. I trudged through the woods, made it to the stand, settled in, and (I think because of my "long and restless night") quickly fell asleep. I stayed asleep well into legal shooting hours. This was alright because some time after 9am I was going to get down from the stand and resume my search where I left off yesterday.
About 8:45 am I had decided that I was going to wait another hour before resuming my search. I knew Ed was out hunting, and I did not want to make too much commotion. By 9:15 am, my impatience caught up with me, and I slowly and quietly came down from the stand, and started from the beginning again.
I found the trail right away, and followed it as I had several times the day before. The trail was much easier to see in the full light of the day.
In the full light of day, it only took me a few minutes to discover that the deer had stopped in the opening (where I had lost the trail the day before) and had doubled back (about 2 feet away from her original path - which is why I think I did not see the 2nd trail - The trails were so close to each other that it was hard to tell them apart ). This is where my degree in law enforcement helped out a bit. During my training, we learned a bit about blood droplets and how to "read" them. Today in the daylight the subtle differences were apparent. Within minutes, I had picked up the trail again.
I followed the trail for what seemed like a long distance (now that I look back, I can see how short it was compared to the yet undiscovered portion of the trail), when I happened along a (what I thought to be) larger "pooling" of blood. It was evident that this is where the deer stopped for period. I would estimate the pooling to be the diameter of a softball. I did take photographic "evidence" of said spot, and then continued along the trail. About the same distance between "lost trail spot" and "blood spot 1", I came across a place that I believe she bedded down for the night. Here was a significant amount of blood pooled, and it was still fresh, bright red and wet - (I believe that she laid down here, and by doing so, covered the blood keeping it from drying out.) This spot is where I started feeling a little better. Having lost this much blood, I hoped that (assuming continued bleeding) this deer would not be able to last long. Again after taking photographic "evidence", I continued down the trail.
I was easily 30 minutes into a search now, and still had a trail to follow. I was beginning to be hopeful that I may yet find the deer. Several yards west of "blood pool 2" the trail took an abrupt turn right (north) along a very thick and dense area of growth. As I headed north, the land I was on was getting lower, and we entered a portion of the property that is swamp. Lots of downed trees, sunken areas, small mounds... Very rugged terrain.
I followed the trail north, as it wove between trees, stumps, rocks, and mounds. The blood droplets were beginning to get significantly smaller, and harder to find. I would have been about an hour into this search by now, and I kept up hope that just around the next tree, or behind that next log, I would find a deer carcass. I heard some crashing to my right (west), and listened carefully as the sound moved north, then east. I very large doe (not the one I shot - no signs of blood on it) come crashing thru the brush, stop and look at me, then leap up, and bound off in a westerly direction at a high rate of speed. Just shortly after seeing the doe run by me, I actually lost the trail all together. I backtracked and found the trail, and stated again. Still not finding anything, I left my bag at the last droplet, and started a spiral search around the area.
After several spirals around the last known sign of the deer, I started hearing Ed come down the hill into the swamp. He met up with me, and I filled him in with what I had found, and where I was in search up to this point. We (together) started searching for signs, and it was not long after that Ed (being the fine outdoors man / hunter that he is) picked up on the trail again, and we continued down the trail.
One thing Ed did different that I did (and I learned from) was he left a blaze orange item at each of the spots we passed, so we could "see" the trail that the deer took, and if we lost the trail, it was very easy to find the last known spot. After two or three more droplets were found, we went back and grabbed the orange item furthest behind us and used that for the next marker (leap frog style).
(Note to self: Get a roll of blaze orange trail marker to throw in your hunting bag so you don't need to "leap frog".)
By now there were not more droplets on the ground at all. We were finding where the deer brushed up against a tree, or a leaf or a branch. The trail was becoming more and more difficult to follow. A couple of times we really had a hard time finding the next sign of blood, but after a close search, we came up with one.
Things went like this for another hour or more. After 30 minutes of unsuccessfully searching beyond the last sign of blood (with other evidence to go off of) we decided to call off our search. This pretty much ruined the rest of my day. I was hoping I would either find the injured doe, or a deceased doe. I so wanted to do the right thing.
I started my second walk of dread back to the cabin with my spirits broken.
The rest of the afternoon was spent around the fire, around the shed(s) (A.K.A. - "Man Central"), around the lake, playing with Jake.. Ya know.. just doin' "man stuff".
When the time came around for the evening hunt, I was again reminded about how bad I was feeling about the injured doe. As I dressed for the field, I reminded myself that this trip to the woods was to relax, take in the sights, sounds, smells and sounds of the woods ONLY. I was feeling stressed out enough, and an afternoon (nap?) in the woods was just what the doctor ordered.
Ed went back to his regular stand, and this afternoon, John was going to use the penthouse, so I went back and sat at Jim's (a good friend and former neighbor of Ed's) stand. The stand sits along the south ridge of a bowl shaped valley. The other side of the bowl is over 100 yards. The first thing I noticed what I got to Jim's stand is how much smaller it was than the penthouse. That is not all bad. It had a more "cozy" feel to it, and honestly it was easier to sit and lean back against the tree. (The penthouse has a chair in it.). The afternoon was perfect. The weather was perfect. It was a great afternoon, and although I did not nap, it was just what the doctor ordered. The other observation I had was the proximity to Ed's stand. I was less than one hundred yards away, but we were effectively back to back. His blaze orange stood out, and was very easy to spot, as was (I assume) mine. I know that I was not going to be doing ANY shooting, and I trust Ed's shooting completely, so it was a non issue.
After the events of the weekend, and looking at a long drive home, I decided that I was going to pack it in around 4pm. That way I could be back to the cabin, packed up and ready to hit the road between 5:00 - 5:30pm. I settled into the stand and started to let myself "de-stress".
The "de-stressing" was going along quite well. Around 3:30 I started noticing movement on the ridge across the valley from me. I knew right away by the coloring and the movement that I was looking at a doe. I grabbed my binoculars and watched as the doe started walking a perpendicular line across my field of vision. The deer was way out of a "responsible" shot (regardless of my earlier bad experience). As I sat and glassed the deer, I immediately noticed two other deer. I sat back, and watched the three deer pass. About the time they were straight out in front of me, a fourth and much larger buck followed along the same path. The does went over a small crest and rallied in a small opening. By this time I was having to really strain to see them between all the trees that blocked my line of sight. I could hear them continue in a west-south-westerly direction, and thought perhaps Ed was going to have a shot at them. I sat and waited for the rapport from the .30-06. Nothing came. I refocused my attention on the buck, and watched as it followed along the same path the does took.
Anyway, when I was convinced that the deer were well out of Ed's range, I settled in for the last 20 minutes or so before I was going to head in. I closed my eyes, and started to think back on the trip (and how to blog about it) when >>BOOM<<.
This point of the story is out of my hands. I know there is a story on how the deer crossed back and forth thru Ed's field of vision. Perhaps he could send it to me, and I could add it in... Ed?
I turned to look back where Ed was, and noticed him sitting still in a shooting stance, looking thru his scope. I tried to glass him with the binoculars, but had only a very limited view (due to trees in the way). I kept watching for him to signal me, but he just stayed still. I was not even sure he was the one that fired until I noticed him slowly sliding the bolt action. He returned to the shooting position, and I was still waiting for a signal of one kind or another. When I never got one, I settled back into my seat. I was confident Ed knew what he was doing, so I just settled in.
>>BOOM<<
I look back, and it did not appear Ed had even moved. He was still in the sitting position. This time the difference was that he was not quite as "still" as he slid the bolt back. I saw him pick up his binoculars and look off into the distance. After a moment, he turned to look at me, then back out over the deer stand again. If he got a deer, I knew he was going to sit tight for a while, so again I settled in. This time frequently turning to check on Ed.
It was only a few minutes before I saw him stand up, turn to me, and wave me over. I packed my gear up, and started down, and towards Ed's stand. When I got there, he relayed to me the story of having seen the same set of deer, watched them as they continued away from where I was, and then curved around. Again, I hope to add some details here from Ed, but the second shot was the charm. We walked across an open area, and then into a swampy, overgrown area, and laying before us was a 4 point buck! I broke out the camera and took some field photos, and we got the business of field dressing the buck.
After field dressing the buck, we had to drag it about half the way back to the stand, as we could not get an ATV back into the swampy area that the buck dropped. We dragged the deer to an opening, and started heading back to the penthouse where John was hunting. He used a ATV to get into the woods, and had it parked a distance away from the stand. Ed and his dad grabbed the ATV and went to get the buck, while I headed back to the cabin.
I arrived at the cabin and found Chris (Ed's brother in law) at the cabin. We said our hellos and I started telling him both stories (Ed's success, and my failure). He told me the story about how he had "got one" a few days prior, when he hit a deer with the car he was driving (a work vehicle). As we told our stories, I began to pack up. By the time I had all my things packed and laid out to pack in the car, Ed and John pulled up with the deer. Together we got the deer hung, and cleaned a little more. Jake was very interested in the deer!
After hanging and cleaning the deer, I started to pack the car, and was just about ready to head out when Ed broke out dinner for the third night. He had humongous butter-garlic marinated chicken breasts. Let's just say he did not have to work too hard to convince me to stay for dinner!
After dinner I was all packed up, so we cleaned up, and started saying goodbyes when another vehicle pulled up the road. Ed's Mom, Sister (Chris' wife), their daughter, and a family friend stopped up to see how things were going. It was great to see Ed's mom again. She has been my "2nd mother" over the years, and any time I get the chance to visit with her, I take the opportunity!
After a short visit, it was time for me to head out. My drive home was uneventful, and gave me a chance to reflect on the weekend.
To try and help alleviate the guild I was feeling about wounding the deer this year, I (make fun of me if you want, but I am - after all - A faithful Catholic) prayed to
1. The first thing I did was return to work with a resolve to update and improve the "Deer List" which had not been done in two years.
2. I decided that before firing a slug thru the barrel of that gun again, I was (at least) going to get it bore sighted again, and site the gun in again. I would love to get myself a rifle, but at this time in my life - I just cannot afford one. If I cannot do these things, I will not be slug hunting with that gun until I do.
3. I have also resolved to spend some extra time (which is very valuable to me, and I have precious little of as it is) "re-educating" myself on deer hunting techniques, tips, and so-forth.
4. I will make additional donation(s) to a wildlife program.
5. I will share this story with my boys before they hunt, so they too can learn from my mistakes.
My hope is that whatever happened to the deer, did not happen in vain. I like to think I learned from this experience, and that the deer either "made it" (which I doubt) or that the deer was used as food by other scavengers in the woods, and at least some form of benefit will come of the tragedy of this weekend.
.
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Duck Hunting 2006
This year (thanks to the generosity of my friend Ed, and his family) I again got to go duck hunting at their cabin in northern Crow Wing County.
The original plan was to leave Friday night (September 29th), and return Monday night (October 2nd), but because of a training seminar that came up at work, my plans needed to change, and I had to leave on Saturday Morning (September 30th) instead. That was ok because we were not planning on going out Saturday morning (Legal hunting hours do not begin until 9am on opening day anyway). We were going to spend the day doing some of the "chores" that we do each year - hauling (and cutting) wood for the woodpile as well as removing the dock and boat lift at both Ed's cabin, and Jim's parents cabin.
PRE-TRIP PLANNING (OR LACK THEREOF...)
I was intending on doing all my packing, and being ready to leave early Saturday morning. The week prior, I had both Monday and Tuesday off. I worked Wednesday, and had training Thursday and Friday. I allotted Tuesday for packing, and even got an early start on Monday evening when I got a few of my hunting things gathered from the laundry room. I took the things I needed out of my "hunting clothes storage bin" and set them aside.
Tuesday, I got my guns out from their hidden location. (I am, after all, a father of five. As such, I have no choice but to make sure my guns are both safe and "invisible".) I took down my ammo boxes from their hiding spot (in a different location), I got out the outboard motor & gas can, my life jacket, decoys, and my new field bag. The problem arose when I realized that I was not leaving for another five days, and did not want to leave all these things (especially the guns) in my car. I created some "staging areas" for my gear. One in the laundry room, one in the basement family room, one in the garage, and one in my car. Tuesday afternoon I got a call from my supervisor. A Night shift had a dispatcher had called in sick, and (since I worked day shift 0700-1500) he asked if I would come in early and work the second half of the sick dispatcher's shift (0300-0700). Now that I had most of my gear out (spread all over the place), and having to get up at 0200 for work, I decided to cut my losses and finish packing the rest of things Friday night. (After all, I did have MOST of my stuff out already.)
Wednesday I worked from 0300-1500. I was exhausted, and went to bed early, as I had to get up early the next day to pick up the "Command Post" and take it to training. So, because of that schedule, Wednesday night was a bust. Thursday I had to leave our house by 0645. After training, I was invited to stop up and see the MSP Airport Police Department's PSAP. By the time I got home that night it was about 2030 hours. Thursday night was a bust. Friday I had to leave our house by 0645 to again bring the "Command Post" to training. By the time training was done, I had the Command Post packed back up and put away, and I was heading home. It was 1815 hours. I had called Ed to check in with him and see how things were going, and if there were any last minute things he forgot or needed, when I drove past the Post Office. It was then that I realized I had not yet got my State or Federal Duck stamps (a license requirement). I told Ed what had happened, and I quickly pulled into the Post Office hoping they would be open. The lobby was open, but the window was not. I was very upset. Without that Federal stamp, I could not legally hunt. I checked at the "package pickup window" that was open for another hour, and the employee behind the window told me not to worry, that the sales window would be open "tomorrow" (Saturday) from 0900-1300. I returned home, finished gathering up the last of my things, and (knowing I could not leave until at least 0830 hours, I went to bed.
The next morning, I started packing the car said goodbye to my family, and headed north. I had a couple of stops I knew I had to make, so I got my state stamp from the local hardware store. I found out that the local post office also had Saturday hours, and was there ten minutes before they opened. I got my federal stamp, got a quick haircut, and dropped off some clothes at my in-laws house for Ben. It was now about 9:30 am. I had planned to get to the cabin at about noon, but it was looking more like 1 pm now. When I had gotten about a third of the way up, I realized I forgot one important item for all duck-hunters, and for anyone taking docks in and out of the water... MY HIP-BOOTS! I was too far to turn around now, so I decided to stop on the way up and find the cheapest pair I could find. I stopped at the Cabella's store in Rogers, MN and found a pair for $30.00. Of course there were none to be found on the sales floor, so I had to "try" and find a salesperson. It was a Saturday morning (duck opener) at Cabella's... I'll leave it to your imagination how easy it was to find someone able to help me. When I finally did find someone, I asked for the boots I wanted in my size. He said he would be right back with my boots, and disappeared into a back storage room. After a LONG time (watching three other employees enter and exit with product) my employee finally came back out carrying a box. He told me they were out of my size, but he brought the next size down out for me to try. I do wear shoes of each size, so I gave them a try. The fit was OK. I took the boots, grabbed more shotgun shells and headed out. The remainder of the trip was uneventful. I had made some recordings of my favorite XM radio show (The Ron & Fez Show) to listen to on the trip up, so I turned that on, and went into "auto-pilot" mode. Including my errands and stopping at Cabella's - I still arrived at the cabin at about 1pm.
This year we had a new member of our hunting party. Bob (Ed's Father-in-law) joined us. He is a pretty quiet guy, but when he does open up, the stories he tells (Navy during the Vietnam War, etc) were very fun to listen to! I truly enjoyed having him there!
AT THE CABIN DAY 1
When I arrived - Ed, Bob, and John (Ed's dad) were already at the cabin. I unpacked, and loaded my outboard onto Ed's second boat, and we took the boat to the water. The outboard started up, and I drove it slightly down the lake from the cabin and back again. Confident it would run in the morning, I beached the boat, and we prepared to get started on the "Seasonal Chores" of getting the dock, boat lift, and John's boat in for the season. After doing this for the past "umpteen" years, we have a pretty good system down, and within a couple of hours the work was done.
With the work at Ed's cabin being done, Ed helped me set up a target to check the accuracy of a Marlin .22 cal rifle I was given by my father-in-law. After putting about 50 rounds thru the rifle, and getting some pretty good accuracy from 50 yards, I was satisfied, and cleaned up.
By this time, Jim (Ed's old neighbor and good friend) and Chris (Ed's brother in law) had arrived. Jim was not going to hunt this year because of a recent surgery to one of his shoulder, and damage to the other one, and an impending surgery for the second shoulder. Chris comes up to share dinner, drink beer, and visit with us in the evenings. He has a pretty good sense of humor, and I enjoy his stopping by.
This year, Ed had offered to purchase groceries, and we would pay him back. This was both a good and a bad idea. Let me explain. Ed is a unbelievably good cook, and Ed loves unbelievably good cuts of meat. Together these facts add up to - well - a diet killer!
I have not talked much about this, but I am down between 10 and 20 lbs. (at last time I looked), and at least 1 (and close to two) pants sizes smaller. I also had to (while at the cabin) put a new hole in my belt, as my pants were falling off! I was hoping that Ed's dinners were not going to work against my weight-loss... Sadly... They did...
Dinner that first night was extra large garlic and herb marinated steaks. You would not believe the size and quality of these cuts. Dinner was unbelievable.
IN THE FIELD DAY 2
The morning started at 4:45 am. We awoke to John getting up to use... well... the john. After he returned to bed, Ed noticed that there were headlights on at the public access. That meant we needed to get going ASAP. We all got dressed, and loaded up the boats. Ed forgot something back up at the cabin, so I offered to motor out to where we wanted to hunt (as it was still open). I pushed off, and tried to start the outboard - (tried is the key phrase here). After a lengthy attempt (with no success) to get my outboard running (even though I had it running the day before), Ed pulled up along side of me in his boat and I hitched a ride. Since the island was already occupied we went into the northern most bay and each set up on one side of a little point of the slew.
After setting up my decoys, and pulling my boat into the slew (quite a job when you are alone), I settled in and waited for dawn. I could frequently hear ducks flying over me, but it was still too dark to see.
As always, within 10 minutes of "legal hunting" (which is 30 minutes before sunrise) I could hear gunfire off in the distance. I had told myself that I was not going to shoot until my watch showed the "legal hunting" time AND Ed has taken his first shot. About five minutes after "legal hunting" I had two ducks fly straight at me. I could have, but did not take a shot, and they few right over my head. So much for waiting for Ed!
Later in the morning, I had an opportunity to do something I had never done before. I had a flock of 3 birds fly quickly across my field of view (from left to right). I shouldered my gun and fired my first round. A bird folded and dropped into the water. I ejected, and chambered another round (pump action shotgun), and fired a second time at another bird. That bird also folded and dropped into the water. I had downed two birds in one flock flying across my field of fire. I instantly spotted the second bird that went down, as it was flopping in the water, and was sure I had seen the first bird lying in the water. When I got out into the water, I searched and searched for the first bird that went down, but never could find it. (Ed later commended me on such great shots. He saw both of them splash in the water from where he was at too!) I took a hen Teal.
As the morning passed, I saw more birds flying that I have ever seen before. The number of birds in the flocks was also much higher. I would not be exaggerating if I said that there were flocks that contained 10-25 birds. I would say that I saw well over 400 birds during the whole weekend! Because the weekend was clear skies, the birds were flying high, preventing me from doing a lot of shooting.
Remember how I talked about the two trumpeter swans that landed in our decoys last year? This year we had one trumpeter fly over us. IT WAS GORGEOUS! Less than an hour later, a flock of four trumpeters few east of our location, but still very close.
Another unique aspect to this morning was the geese. We could hear them coming from what seemed like miles away. It sounded like there may have been a hundred of them. We heard them coming for several minutes (seemed like an hour) before I could actually see them. There were close to two dozen flying over us. They were too high for shooting, but low enough to enjoy!
About 0930 hours we decided to call it a morning and started packing up, and gathering up decoys. I tried, and succeeded in starting my outboard, and got it all the way back to the cabin. When we arrived at the cabin, there was a visitor waiting for us. A man in a camo jacket, and khaki pants came down the hill from the cabin and met up with us at the lake shore. He was the DNR's Conservation officer for the area. We made introductions, and made some small talk for a couple of minutes, but then he decided to get down to business. He started out by asking for licenses. I always carry my license and my ID with me. I provided him all needed documents (minus a signature across my federal stamp). I told him (the truth) that I had just gotten the stamp on the way up the night before, and stuck it in my field bag (so I would not forget it in the morning.) He was understanding, and asked me to sign it in front of him (which I did) while he looked over the rest of my license. He then turned to Ed and Bob, and did the same thing (Ed too had not signed his Federal stamp yet.) When he finished checking all documents, he checked our PFD's and then asked us to uncase our guns, and he proceeded to check them out. Mine was first. He checked that there were no rounds in the chamber. I offered him a couple of shells to check the limiter plug. He said he did not need them and pulled out a fancy little do-hickey that he was able to test the magazine for the limiter. He then moved over to Ed and Bob checking the same. By this time I started cleaning up my boat. He walked by the boat and started to "peek" into my field bag. I offered to open it all the way up for him. He said it would not be necessary. He checked my shells (in a box on the seat) for being non-toxic, checked my decoy bag, and poked in and around the decoys a little. I helped him out by picking up the decoys on the boat floor and setting them on the seat so he could see under and around all of them, and he could easily see the floor of the boat. We checked out just fine - we had no violations (except forgetting to sign our federal stamps). He stuck around a few more minutes just visiting, then wished us luck, head back to his truck and went on his way. All in all, it was a very positive experience, and I (as a responsible hunter) was glad to see him, and happy to have him working on wildlife conservation in the area. It's guys like him that keep unethical hunters at bay. Kudos to this officer!
The remainder of the day was spent doing the other miscellaneous things we do each year. We did go to Jim's parents place about 30 minutes away, and pulled in docks at his parents place. We did this in record time thanks to the help of Jim's brother-in-law.
Ed and I went out squirrel hunting. We decided to take different roads. I took the "lake road" and he went into the woods. I made it about three quarters of the way down the path, sat down in some brush (waiting for squirrels to show up) and fell asleep. I was awoken to hearing shots fired off in the distance. I took my time and leisurely walked back to the cabin (empty handed). I beat Ed back, and sat waiting for him. Not long after, Ed returned with three squirrels (two greys and a black). We took off into the woods and dressed them.
Dinner that first night was an eye (and stomach) bulging gourmet stuffed pork chops. I honestly have NEVER seen anything like them! They turned out perfect!
IN THE FIELD DAY 3
We awoke and prepared to go out to the field. By the time we made it to the lake we could see that there was no other hunters on the lake (just the way I like it!), so we had our choice of spots. After loading all our equipment into the boats, we headed out. Again this morning I had troubles with my outboard, and had to "hitch" a ride with Ed and Bob.
Being the only hunters on the lake, we decided to "spread out" just a bit. Ed and Bob wanted to go back into the bay, so I took the west point of the island. They dropped me off, I set my decoys, and rowed to the far north end of the island. I hauled my boat into the reeds (the water was so low this year, it felt like I was leaving my boat in the water, even though it was completely beached), and made my way around to the west point of the island. When I arrived, the "usual" place to sit seemed so far back from the water, that I could actually walk along the dry part of the lake bed to gain a much better vantage point. I found an almost perfect log to lay against, and I nodded off for a while. When I awoke, I noticed that it was getting close to legal shooting time, so I moved into my hunting location, and waited.
As I sat in the dark of pre-dawn, I noticed some movement out in the water. I was able to tell that some sort of animal was swimming back and forth through the water and the reeds. As it got brighter and brighter out, I was able to notice that there were several of these little animals in the water. There was one point where I could see at least 4 of them at the same time. These little critters swam back and forth, disappeared under the water, and then reappeared a little further down their route. Often, they would climb up on the far end of the log I was sitting on. (A downed tree that I was sitting on. The root and trunk on shore, and the top stuck out into the water.) I was sure that they were "baby" beavers. They had the same shape, and movements, only much, much smaller.
The morning was off to a great start! Less than 5 minutes before "legal shooting", two ducks landed about 20 yards north of my decoys, and I watched them swimming around. They then turned and started coming in closer. When they were about 15 yards off my decoys (and closing) six more circled once, came back around, and landed with the other two, making a flock of 8 birds just past my decoys! I sat as still as a corpse. I waited and watched and they were all actively swimming around the group, slowly making their way towards my decoys. I had a "line in the sand" chosen where I was going to make my move. I honestly thought I could get away with at least 2 if not three birds out of this flock! I'd have my limit minutes after legal shooting!
I made one fatal mistake this morning. Remember me saying I sat as still as a corpse? That was my mistake. I did not try to slowly shoulder my gun or even try to slowly get into a shooting position. I was so intent on watching the ducks, and "willing" them to come my way that I did not even pay attention to the fact that my gun was laying across my lap, no where close to being ready to shoot.
So, as I sat watching the ducks, deciding when and how I would get the best shot(s) off, and not even thinking about the gun. I was frightened by the startling sound of several shotgun blasts to my right (north) of where I was sitting. They were loud (as if pointed towards my direction) and instinctively (like a reflex) I looked that direction. I saw nothing. I knew in my head that Ed and Bob were shooting at ducks near them. As I quickly turned back to my flock. I noticed that they were already off, and flying away from me. I did not down one bird. As I took my first two shots, the ducks had enough distance (their starting point was further away than I would have liked) and time (between looking away for that second and a half and, not having shouldered my gun earlier) on me that I did not down even one bird. I did not even bother taking a third shot.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank "Mr. Itchy trigger finger" (Ed - (grin)) for not waiting another 60 seconds before shooting. If he had waited, I would have filled my limit and had to go back to the cabin by 7am. Instead, I got to stay out in the field and continue hunting. You da man Ed! (snicker)
Not long after I had a pair of wood ducks fly past me (right to left), and I did drop one. (Later determined to be a beautiful drake!).
I also put another bird in the water. This was a frustrating situation. I had two or three ducks fly towards me. I took my first shot, downing a duck. After watching the splash in my peripheral vision, I shot at a second, and missed. The first bird got back up and started swimming around the south side of the island. I got out my binoculars and saw it was a bufflehead. I climbed over some trees and shrubs, and took another shot, wanting to kill the duck. I saw my pellets hit all around the duck. I knew I hit it, but it was just too far away to make an effective kill shot. The duck made several attempts to fly, but as it was wounded, it could not get up off the water. Feeling bad, and not wanting an injured duck in the water, I hiked back to my boat. I rowed out, and around the island, trying to catch up with the duck. By the time I got the boat around to where I last saw it, the duck was no where to be found. I continued rowing in and out, and then around the whole island (hoping it was just ahead of me, and I would catch up to it) checking the water surface and the reeds for a carcass, or the live duck hunkered down somewhere, but I never saw the duck again. I really hated that. But I did feel like I did my best to not loose that duck. I rowed back, grabbed my woodie (wood duck), returned the boat to it's hiding spot, and sat back down to continue hunting.
The rest of the morning was spent watching ducks (although not as many as yesterday, but still a fair number of them) fly over, and around me (All were much higher than I could shoot at), and the "beavers" that turned out to be muskrats (now that I could see them in the light of the day). They had a lodge under the fallen tree I was sitting on, because they would approach the shoreline where the tree met the waterline, and would disappear under the log. Then, several minutes (sometimes as many as 10) a little head would poke out of the water just past the stump, and swim away. This went on for the whole time I was in the field. My guess is that they were gathering food or material for their den (for the winter). Once I took a shot, they would disappear for several minutes, but would then return. Their presence made the passing time between flocks enjoyable!
I noticed Ed and Bob across the lake starting to pack up, so I did the same. After getting the decoys packed up, I started to try and get my outboard started again. After numerous attempts, I finally got it started and headed back. Ed and Bob were 2 minutes behind me motoring across the lake when my outboard died again. I was unable to restart it before Ed reached me, so I grabbed on, and he hauled me back. Just before we reached the shore, I had Ed let go of my boat, so I could work on the motor. I hopped out of the boat, and (while standing stable on the ground) used more torque to pull on the recoil cord. I got the motor running. I left it to idle for several minutes. Things seemed to be going well, so I hopped into the boat, and headed down the lake. I wanted to get the motor up to full operational temperatures. About 100 yards down the lake, the motor died. As I tried to start it again, the recoil cord (original vintage 1955) broke off in my hands. GAME OVER. I had to row back, and completely give up on the motor.
Much of the remainder of the late morning and early afternoon was spent replenishing the wood pile. Ed felled (I think) about 4 trees, cut them up into sections about 10-20 feet long, and I hauled them back to the cabin with the ATV. Then after getting a sufficient pile of timber, we went back and started cutting the 10-20 foot sections down to the 12-18 inch sections that fit in the fire pit. On a positive note; This was the first year I really did not get any significant debris in my eyes. (There are a few people reading this that can attest to my dislike for getting anything in, and my even worse phobia about getting anything that is in my eye, back out...)
It was now approaching the time I had to leave. I still had over an hour left, but I needed to start packing, and any other last minute things. I started by packing up my stuff from inside the cabin. I created a pile of my things outside at the top of steps (on the deck). I started packing up my guns, and Ed asked me to join him one more time down the lake road looking for squirrel or grouse. How could I resist? We grabbed Jake (Ed's dog) and headed out down the road. That was a great walk. We did not say much, but that's how it is sometimes with friends as close as Ed and I. Sometimes just walking the trail with an old friend is better than if we were chatting up a storm. At the end of the trail we sat on a log, visited a bit, and shared some beef jerky. It was not too long before we decided to head back. The trip back was just as pleasant as the trip out. We did not hear or see any squirrel or grouse on this walk, but spending time with my old friend was what made this unsuccessful hunt a great one!
Bob's wife had sent along two home made pies. One apple, one pumpkin. All weekend long we were talking about the pies, deciding when would be the best time to "dig in". The first afternoon, we decided that after dinner the first night would be the best time to partake in the home baked goodness. Well, if you have read this far, you know that by the time we had our garlic marinated steaks of "gigantic proportions", none of us were able to eat another bite (and with full tummies and tired bodies, we all went to bed early). On the second day, we again decided to wait till after dinner. Dinner being the "eye (and stomach) bulging gourmet stuffed pork chops", I do not think it is necessary for me to tell you that we did not learn from our prior mistake. Well, after hunting, wood chopping, and hunting again, it was decided (as I was leaving) that now would be a perfect time to cut into the pies. We all agreed, and we sat around the deck having home-made apple and pumpkin pies. I had the apple, and it was fantastic!
HEADING OUT
I packed up my belongings, said my goodbyes, and headed down the road. For those of you who do not know. I drive a "hail totaled" 1994 Ford Escort. As of the time I am writing this entry it has 180,000 miles on it. Overall, the car is holding together. I do not want to get rid of it because a.) it's paid for and b.) great gas milage. (On this trip I got 40mpg (I usually get about 33 in my everyday driving). Anyway, the front suspension is shot. The struts are dead, and one of the strut supports is broken. I also have one leaf spring in the back that is cracked/broken. This makes for a... well.. a "bumpy" ride. I have to take it very slow over humps, bumps, and potholes. The road to Ed's cabin is "rural", and filled with humps, bumps, and holes. I have to take my time driving on the rural road - at least until I get to the dirt road. Just as I rounded the corner and started driving away from the lake towards the dirt road, a whitetail doe turned, looked up at me for a brief second, her white tail raised up and then she took off, running down the road for about 20 yards, and then disappeared into the brush on the side of the road. What a beautiful site to see as I drove away.
The original plan was to leave Friday night (September 29th), and return Monday night (October 2nd), but because of a training seminar that came up at work, my plans needed to change, and I had to leave on Saturday Morning (September 30th) instead. That was ok because we were not planning on going out Saturday morning (Legal hunting hours do not begin until 9am on opening day anyway). We were going to spend the day doing some of the "chores" that we do each year - hauling (and cutting) wood for the woodpile as well as removing the dock and boat lift at both Ed's cabin, and Jim's parents cabin.
PRE-TRIP PLANNING (OR LACK THEREOF...)
I was intending on doing all my packing, and being ready to leave early Saturday morning. The week prior, I had both Monday and Tuesday off. I worked Wednesday, and had training Thursday and Friday. I allotted Tuesday for packing, and even got an early start on Monday evening when I got a few of my hunting things gathered from the laundry room. I took the things I needed out of my "hunting clothes storage bin" and set them aside.
Tuesday, I got my guns out from their hidden location. (I am, after all, a father of five. As such, I have no choice but to make sure my guns are both safe and "invisible".) I took down my ammo boxes from their hiding spot (in a different location), I got out the outboard motor & gas can, my life jacket, decoys, and my new field bag. The problem arose when I realized that I was not leaving for another five days, and did not want to leave all these things (especially the guns) in my car. I created some "staging areas" for my gear. One in the laundry room, one in the basement family room, one in the garage, and one in my car. Tuesday afternoon I got a call from my supervisor. A Night shift had a dispatcher had called in sick, and (since I worked day shift 0700-1500) he asked if I would come in early and work the second half of the sick dispatcher's shift (0300-0700). Now that I had most of my gear out (spread all over the place), and having to get up at 0200 for work, I decided to cut my losses and finish packing the rest of things Friday night. (After all, I did have MOST of my stuff out already.)
Wednesday I worked from 0300-1500. I was exhausted, and went to bed early, as I had to get up early the next day to pick up the "Command Post" and take it to training. So, because of that schedule, Wednesday night was a bust. Thursday I had to leave our house by 0645. After training, I was invited to stop up and see the MSP Airport Police Department's PSAP. By the time I got home that night it was about 2030 hours. Thursday night was a bust. Friday I had to leave our house by 0645 to again bring the "Command Post" to training. By the time training was done, I had the Command Post packed back up and put away, and I was heading home. It was 1815 hours. I had called Ed to check in with him and see how things were going, and if there were any last minute things he forgot or needed, when I drove past the Post Office. It was then that I realized I had not yet got my State or Federal Duck stamps (a license requirement). I told Ed what had happened, and I quickly pulled into the Post Office hoping they would be open. The lobby was open, but the window was not. I was very upset. Without that Federal stamp, I could not legally hunt. I checked at the "package pickup window" that was open for another hour, and the employee behind the window told me not to worry, that the sales window would be open "tomorrow" (Saturday) from 0900-1300. I returned home, finished gathering up the last of my things, and (knowing I could not leave until at least 0830 hours, I went to bed.
The next morning, I started packing the car said goodbye to my family, and headed north. I had a couple of stops I knew I had to make, so I got my state stamp from the local hardware store. I found out that the local post office also had Saturday hours, and was there ten minutes before they opened. I got my federal stamp, got a quick haircut, and dropped off some clothes at my in-laws house for Ben. It was now about 9:30 am. I had planned to get to the cabin at about noon, but it was looking more like 1 pm now. When I had gotten about a third of the way up, I realized I forgot one important item for all duck-hunters, and for anyone taking docks in and out of the water... MY HIP-BOOTS! I was too far to turn around now, so I decided to stop on the way up and find the cheapest pair I could find. I stopped at the Cabella's store in Rogers, MN and found a pair for $30.00. Of course there were none to be found on the sales floor, so I had to "try" and find a salesperson. It was a Saturday morning (duck opener) at Cabella's... I'll leave it to your imagination how easy it was to find someone able to help me. When I finally did find someone, I asked for the boots I wanted in my size. He said he would be right back with my boots, and disappeared into a back storage room. After a LONG time (watching three other employees enter and exit with product) my employee finally came back out carrying a box. He told me they were out of my size, but he brought the next size down out for me to try. I do wear shoes of each size, so I gave them a try. The fit was OK. I took the boots, grabbed more shotgun shells and headed out. The remainder of the trip was uneventful. I had made some recordings of my favorite XM radio show (The Ron & Fez Show) to listen to on the trip up, so I turned that on, and went into "auto-pilot" mode. Including my errands and stopping at Cabella's - I still arrived at the cabin at about 1pm.
This year we had a new member of our hunting party. Bob (Ed's Father-in-law) joined us. He is a pretty quiet guy, but when he does open up, the stories he tells (Navy during the Vietnam War, etc) were very fun to listen to! I truly enjoyed having him there!
AT THE CABIN DAY 1
When I arrived - Ed, Bob, and John (Ed's dad) were already at the cabin. I unpacked, and loaded my outboard onto Ed's second boat, and we took the boat to the water. The outboard started up, and I drove it slightly down the lake from the cabin and back again. Confident it would run in the morning, I beached the boat, and we prepared to get started on the "Seasonal Chores" of getting the dock, boat lift, and John's boat in for the season. After doing this for the past "umpteen" years, we have a pretty good system down, and within a couple of hours the work was done.
With the work at Ed's cabin being done, Ed helped me set up a target to check the accuracy of a Marlin .22 cal rifle I was given by my father-in-law. After putting about 50 rounds thru the rifle, and getting some pretty good accuracy from 50 yards, I was satisfied, and cleaned up.By this time, Jim (Ed's old neighbor and good friend) and Chris (Ed's brother in law) had arrived. Jim was not going to hunt this year because of a recent surgery to one of his shoulder, and damage to the other one, and an impending surgery for the second shoulder. Chris comes up to share dinner, drink beer, and visit with us in the evenings. He has a pretty good sense of humor, and I enjoy his stopping by.
This year, Ed had offered to purchase groceries, and we would pay him back. This was both a good and a bad idea. Let me explain. Ed is a unbelievably good cook, and Ed loves unbelievably good cuts of meat. Together these facts add up to - well - a diet killer!
I have not talked much about this, but I am down between 10 and 20 lbs. (at last time I looked), and at least 1 (and close to two) pants sizes smaller. I also had to (while at the cabin) put a new hole in my belt, as my pants were falling off! I was hoping that Ed's dinners were not going to work against my weight-loss... Sadly... They did...Dinner that first night was extra large garlic and herb marinated steaks. You would not believe the size and quality of these cuts. Dinner was unbelievable.
IN THE FIELD DAY 2
The morning started at 4:45 am. We awoke to John getting up to use... well... the john. After he returned to bed, Ed noticed that there were headlights on at the public access. That meant we needed to get going ASAP. We all got dressed, and loaded up the boats. Ed forgot something back up at the cabin, so I offered to motor out to where we wanted to hunt (as it was still open). I pushed off, and tried to start the outboard - (tried is the key phrase here). After a lengthy attempt (with no success) to get my outboard running (even though I had it running the day before), Ed pulled up along side of me in his boat and I hitched a ride. Since the island was already occupied we went into the northern most bay and each set up on one side of a little point of the slew.
After setting up my decoys, and pulling my boat into the slew (quite a job when you are alone), I settled in and waited for dawn. I could frequently hear ducks flying over me, but it was still too dark to see.
As always, within 10 minutes of "legal hunting" (which is 30 minutes before sunrise) I could hear gunfire off in the distance. I had told myself that I was not going to shoot until my watch showed the "legal hunting" time AND Ed has taken his first shot. About five minutes after "legal hunting" I had two ducks fly straight at me. I could have, but did not take a shot, and they few right over my head. So much for waiting for Ed!
Later in the morning, I had an opportunity to do something I had never done before. I had a flock of 3 birds fly quickly across my field of view (from left to right). I shouldered my gun and fired my first round. A bird folded and dropped into the water. I ejected, and chambered another round (pump action shotgun), and fired a second time at another bird. That bird also folded and dropped into the water. I had downed two birds in one flock flying across my field of fire. I instantly spotted the second bird that went down, as it was flopping in the water, and was sure I had seen the first bird lying in the water. When I got out into the water, I searched and searched for the first bird that went down, but never could find it. (Ed later commended me on such great shots. He saw both of them splash in the water from where he was at too!) I took a hen Teal.As the morning passed, I saw more birds flying that I have ever seen before. The number of birds in the flocks was also much higher. I would not be exaggerating if I said that there were flocks that contained 10-25 birds. I would say that I saw well over 400 birds during the whole weekend! Because the weekend was clear skies, the birds were flying high, preventing me from doing a lot of shooting.
Remember how I talked about the two trumpeter swans that landed in our decoys last year? This year we had one trumpeter fly over us. IT WAS GORGEOUS! Less than an hour later, a flock of four trumpeters few east of our location, but still very close.
Another unique aspect to this morning was the geese. We could hear them coming from what seemed like miles away. It sounded like there may have been a hundred of them. We heard them coming for several minutes (seemed like an hour) before I could actually see them. There were close to two dozen flying over us. They were too high for shooting, but low enough to enjoy!
About 0930 hours we decided to call it a morning and started packing up, and gathering up decoys. I tried, and succeeded in starting my outboard, and got it all the way back to the cabin. When we arrived at the cabin, there was a visitor waiting for us. A man in a camo jacket, and khaki pants came down the hill from the cabin and met up with us at the lake shore. He was the DNR's Conservation officer for the area. We made introductions, and made some small talk for a couple of minutes, but then he decided to get down to business. He started out by asking for licenses. I always carry my license and my ID with me. I provided him all needed documents (minus a signature across my federal stamp). I told him (the truth) that I had just gotten the stamp on the way up the night before, and stuck it in my field bag (so I would not forget it in the morning.) He was understanding, and asked me to sign it in front of him (which I did) while he looked over the rest of my license. He then turned to Ed and Bob, and did the same thing (Ed too had not signed his Federal stamp yet.) When he finished checking all documents, he checked our PFD's and then asked us to uncase our guns, and he proceeded to check them out. Mine was first. He checked that there were no rounds in the chamber. I offered him a couple of shells to check the limiter plug. He said he did not need them and pulled out a fancy little do-hickey that he was able to test the magazine for the limiter. He then moved over to Ed and Bob checking the same. By this time I started cleaning up my boat. He walked by the boat and started to "peek" into my field bag. I offered to open it all the way up for him. He said it would not be necessary. He checked my shells (in a box on the seat) for being non-toxic, checked my decoy bag, and poked in and around the decoys a little. I helped him out by picking up the decoys on the boat floor and setting them on the seat so he could see under and around all of them, and he could easily see the floor of the boat. We checked out just fine - we had no violations (except forgetting to sign our federal stamps). He stuck around a few more minutes just visiting, then wished us luck, head back to his truck and went on his way. All in all, it was a very positive experience, and I (as a responsible hunter) was glad to see him, and happy to have him working on wildlife conservation in the area. It's guys like him that keep unethical hunters at bay. Kudos to this officer!
The remainder of the day was spent doing the other miscellaneous things we do each year. We did go to Jim's parents place about 30 minutes away, and pulled in docks at his parents place. We did this in record time thanks to the help of Jim's brother-in-law.
Ed and I went out squirrel hunting. We decided to take different roads. I took the "lake road" and he went into the woods. I made it about three quarters of the way down the path, sat down in some brush (waiting for squirrels to show up) and fell asleep. I was awoken to hearing shots fired off in the distance. I took my time and leisurely walked back to the cabin (empty handed). I beat Ed back, and sat waiting for him. Not long after, Ed returned with three squirrels (two greys and a black). We took off into the woods and dressed them.
Dinner that first night was an eye (and stomach) bulging gourmet stuffed pork chops. I honestly have NEVER seen anything like them! They turned out perfect!
IN THE FIELD DAY 3
We awoke and prepared to go out to the field. By the time we made it to the lake we could see that there was no other hunters on the lake (just the way I like it!), so we had our choice of spots. After loading all our equipment into the boats, we headed out. Again this morning I had troubles with my outboard, and had to "hitch" a ride with Ed and Bob.
Being the only hunters on the lake, we decided to "spread out" just a bit. Ed and Bob wanted to go back into the bay, so I took the west point of the island. They dropped me off, I set my decoys, and rowed to the far north end of the island. I hauled my boat into the reeds (the water was so low this year, it felt like I was leaving my boat in the water, even though it was completely beached), and made my way around to the west point of the island. When I arrived, the "usual" place to sit seemed so far back from the water, that I could actually walk along the dry part of the lake bed to gain a much better vantage point. I found an almost perfect log to lay against, and I nodded off for a while. When I awoke, I noticed that it was getting close to legal shooting time, so I moved into my hunting location, and waited.
As I sat in the dark of pre-dawn, I noticed some movement out in the water. I was able to tell that some sort of animal was swimming back and forth through the water and the reeds. As it got brighter and brighter out, I was able to notice that there were several of these little animals in the water. There was one point where I could see at least 4 of them at the same time. These little critters swam back and forth, disappeared under the water, and then reappeared a little further down their route. Often, they would climb up on the far end of the log I was sitting on. (A downed tree that I was sitting on. The root and trunk on shore, and the top stuck out into the water.) I was sure that they were "baby" beavers. They had the same shape, and movements, only much, much smaller.The morning was off to a great start! Less than 5 minutes before "legal shooting", two ducks landed about 20 yards north of my decoys, and I watched them swimming around. They then turned and started coming in closer. When they were about 15 yards off my decoys (and closing) six more circled once, came back around, and landed with the other two, making a flock of 8 birds just past my decoys! I sat as still as a corpse. I waited and watched and they were all actively swimming around the group, slowly making their way towards my decoys. I had a "line in the sand" chosen where I was going to make my move. I honestly thought I could get away with at least 2 if not three birds out of this flock! I'd have my limit minutes after legal shooting!
I made one fatal mistake this morning. Remember me saying I sat as still as a corpse? That was my mistake. I did not try to slowly shoulder my gun or even try to slowly get into a shooting position. I was so intent on watching the ducks, and "willing" them to come my way that I did not even pay attention to the fact that my gun was laying across my lap, no where close to being ready to shoot.
So, as I sat watching the ducks, deciding when and how I would get the best shot(s) off, and not even thinking about the gun. I was frightened by the startling sound of several shotgun blasts to my right (north) of where I was sitting. They were loud (as if pointed towards my direction) and instinctively (like a reflex) I looked that direction. I saw nothing. I knew in my head that Ed and Bob were shooting at ducks near them. As I quickly turned back to my flock. I noticed that they were already off, and flying away from me. I did not down one bird. As I took my first two shots, the ducks had enough distance (their starting point was further away than I would have liked) and time (between looking away for that second and a half and, not having shouldered my gun earlier) on me that I did not down even one bird. I did not even bother taking a third shot.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank "Mr. Itchy trigger finger" (Ed - (grin)) for not waiting another 60 seconds before shooting. If he had waited, I would have filled my limit and had to go back to the cabin by 7am. Instead, I got to stay out in the field and continue hunting. You da man Ed! (snicker)
Not long after I had a pair of wood ducks fly past me (right to left), and I did drop one. (Later determined to be a beautiful drake!).
I also put another bird in the water. This was a frustrating situation. I had two or three ducks fly towards me. I took my first shot, downing a duck. After watching the splash in my peripheral vision, I shot at a second, and missed. The first bird got back up and started swimming around the south side of the island. I got out my binoculars and saw it was a bufflehead. I climbed over some trees and shrubs, and took another shot, wanting to kill the duck. I saw my pellets hit all around the duck. I knew I hit it, but it was just too far away to make an effective kill shot. The duck made several attempts to fly, but as it was wounded, it could not get up off the water. Feeling bad, and not wanting an injured duck in the water, I hiked back to my boat. I rowed out, and around the island, trying to catch up with the duck. By the time I got the boat around to where I last saw it, the duck was no where to be found. I continued rowing in and out, and then around the whole island (hoping it was just ahead of me, and I would catch up to it) checking the water surface and the reeds for a carcass, or the live duck hunkered down somewhere, but I never saw the duck again. I really hated that. But I did feel like I did my best to not loose that duck. I rowed back, grabbed my woodie (wood duck), returned the boat to it's hiding spot, and sat back down to continue hunting.
The rest of the morning was spent watching ducks (although not as many as yesterday, but still a fair number of them) fly over, and around me (All were much higher than I could shoot at), and the "beavers" that turned out to be muskrats (now that I could see them in the light of the day). They had a lodge under the fallen tree I was sitting on, because they would approach the shoreline where the tree met the waterline, and would disappear under the log. Then, several minutes (sometimes as many as 10) a little head would poke out of the water just past the stump, and swim away. This went on for the whole time I was in the field. My guess is that they were gathering food or material for their den (for the winter). Once I took a shot, they would disappear for several minutes, but would then return. Their presence made the passing time between flocks enjoyable!
I noticed Ed and Bob across the lake starting to pack up, so I did the same. After getting the decoys packed up, I started to try and get my outboard started again. After numerous attempts, I finally got it started and headed back. Ed and Bob were 2 minutes behind me motoring across the lake when my outboard died again. I was unable to restart it before Ed reached me, so I grabbed on, and he hauled me back. Just before we reached the shore, I had Ed let go of my boat, so I could work on the motor. I hopped out of the boat, and (while standing stable on the ground) used more torque to pull on the recoil cord. I got the motor running. I left it to idle for several minutes. Things seemed to be going well, so I hopped into the boat, and headed down the lake. I wanted to get the motor up to full operational temperatures. About 100 yards down the lake, the motor died. As I tried to start it again, the recoil cord (original vintage 1955) broke off in my hands. GAME OVER. I had to row back, and completely give up on the motor.
Much of the remainder of the late morning and early afternoon was spent replenishing the wood pile. Ed felled (I think) about 4 trees, cut them up into sections about 10-20 feet long, and I hauled them back to the cabin with the ATV. Then after getting a sufficient pile of timber, we went back and started cutting the 10-20 foot sections down to the 12-18 inch sections that fit in the fire pit. On a positive note; This was the first year I really did not get any significant debris in my eyes. (There are a few people reading this that can attest to my dislike for getting anything in, and my even worse phobia about getting anything that is in my eye, back out...)It was now approaching the time I had to leave. I still had over an hour left, but I needed to start packing, and any other last minute things. I started by packing up my stuff from inside the cabin. I created a pile of my things outside at the top of steps (on the deck). I started packing up my guns, and Ed asked me to join him one more time down the lake road looking for squirrel or grouse. How could I resist? We grabbed Jake (Ed's dog) and headed out down the road. That was a great walk. We did not say much, but that's how it is sometimes with friends as close as Ed and I. Sometimes just walking the trail with an old friend is better than if we were chatting up a storm. At the end of the trail we sat on a log, visited a bit, and shared some beef jerky. It was not too long before we decided to head back. The trip back was just as pleasant as the trip out. We did not hear or see any squirrel or grouse on this walk, but spending time with my old friend was what made this unsuccessful hunt a great one!
Bob's wife had sent along two home made pies. One apple, one pumpkin. All weekend long we were talking about the pies, deciding when would be the best time to "dig in". The first afternoon, we decided that after dinner the first night would be the best time to partake in the home baked goodness. Well, if you have read this far, you know that by the time we had our garlic marinated steaks of "gigantic proportions", none of us were able to eat another bite (and with full tummies and tired bodies, we all went to bed early). On the second day, we again decided to wait till after dinner. Dinner being the "eye (and stomach) bulging gourmet stuffed pork chops", I do not think it is necessary for me to tell you that we did not learn from our prior mistake. Well, after hunting, wood chopping, and hunting again, it was decided (as I was leaving) that now would be a perfect time to cut into the pies. We all agreed, and we sat around the deck having home-made apple and pumpkin pies. I had the apple, and it was fantastic!
HEADING OUT
I packed up my belongings, said my goodbyes, and headed down the road. For those of you who do not know. I drive a "hail totaled" 1994 Ford Escort. As of the time I am writing this entry it has 180,000 miles on it. Overall, the car is holding together. I do not want to get rid of it because a.) it's paid for and b.) great gas milage. (On this trip I got 40mpg (I usually get about 33 in my everyday driving). Anyway, the front suspension is shot. The struts are dead, and one of the strut supports is broken. I also have one leaf spring in the back that is cracked/broken. This makes for a... well.. a "bumpy" ride. I have to take it very slow over humps, bumps, and potholes. The road to Ed's cabin is "rural", and filled with humps, bumps, and holes. I have to take my time driving on the rural road - at least until I get to the dirt road. Just as I rounded the corner and started driving away from the lake towards the dirt road, a whitetail doe turned, looked up at me for a brief second, her white tail raised up and then she took off, running down the road for about 20 yards, and then disappeared into the brush on the side of the road. What a beautiful site to see as I drove away.
It was the perfect ending to a great trip.
Hunting Ethics.
Ed, the person who introduced me to hunting, and my hunting partner sent me this LINK.
Although intended to be "ethics questions" for a gun safety class, I think these questions are great to think about for all hunters - first timers and seasoned vetrans alike.
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Directions: Print out this worksheet. Write an answer to dilemma #1 on a separate sheet of paper. Select two additional dilemmas and write answers that adequately analyzes each of them. Bring your completed assignment to your field/exam session and be ready to discuss your answers with the instructor. Your written answer should include a number of aspects regarding each dilemma.
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1. You are in your comfortable deer stand. It is the second day of your deer hunt. Walking into the stand with your flashlight, you saw a number of sets of deer tracks in the fresh snow. You are almost daydreaming, enjoying the outdoor experience, when a nice buck approaches the area you have determined to be in your safe zone of fire. You raise your rifle and are ready. He steps into the open, you determine that it is safe to fire, slip the safety off and you shoot. The buck takes a couple of jumps and goes down. Your heart is really racing. You take a few deep breaths and calm down some. You unload your rifle, case it and carefully lower it to the ground. You get down and carefully approach the buck from behind. You notice the eye is glazed. You carefully poke the deer with a stick and determine that it is dead. You get out your license tag and are about to punch out or validate your tag when up comes another hunter who says, "That's my deer. I shot at it first." You think back. You had heard a shot early in the morning. Whose deer is it? What would you do?
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2. You and your friends obtained permission to hunt squirrels on a large farm. Your friend is driving his pickup truck. Even though the farmer told you to drive only on established roads, your friend insists it is okay to drive across a field to get close to a hunting area. He doesn't listen to your objections and starts to turn off the road into the field. You should:
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3. You are hunting deer in steep, hilly country. You spot a four-point buck. You are tired from all the hiking you have done, however, you push yourself to get close enough for an uphill, across-valley shot at the buck. It is still feeding in an open meadow but about ready to disappear into the thick trees. You find a spot that allows you to shoot prone, using your knapsack as a rest. The distance is about 200 yards. You shoot. The buck shows no sign of being hit. It takes off running down into the trees and out of sight. You should:
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4. When you were loading the deer you shot this afternoon into the pickup truck, you got a large smear of blood all the way up one side of your jeans. It has been a long day and now it is late afternoon and you have a long drive home. Your partner says you should stop at a restaurant to eat supper, which sounds great to you because you are so hungry. However, you look at your bloody jeans. What do you do?
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5. Hunting in an area where only antlered buck deer are legal to shoot, you see a six-point buck within easy shooting range, but it disappears into the brush before you can take aim. Suddenly you see a deer moving in the brush where the buck disappeared. You can't see its head, only its body. You should:
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6. After obtaining permission from the landowner for you and your brother to hunt grouse on private land on opening day, your best friend calls you and says he/she would like to go hunting with you. You should:
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7. Your cousin calls to tell you that she was out hunting and was successful in bagging a "huge" buck. When you get over to her house, you see her "huge" deer is really a small buck. You should:
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8. Your good friend loves the out-of-doors but has never hunted or even been around hunting situations. Since he/she recently has expressed an interest in your hunting pheasants, you think you have a chance to introduce your friend to hunting and make a favorable impression. You should:
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9. After tracking a big buck over two ridges and finally getting a good shot and killing it, you realize just how far away you are from the road. After tagging and properly dressing the animal you are feeling very tired, and it is getting late in the day. You should:
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10. As you and your friend arrive at the spot where you like to hunt pheasants, you see two other hunters walking along the fencerow that you normally hunt. From previous experience, you know the only good hunting is at the end of that fencerow about a half-mile beyond the two hunters. There is a way to get around in front of them. You should:
Here is what I shoot.
"The Cannon"
Mossberg 835 Multi-Mag - Chambered 12 gauge for up to 3 1/2" shells.
With 3 1/2 Magnum shells, this thing will wallop you.
And from the other side of the lake (or so I'm told) it has a very distinctive sound to it.
My other gun is a Coast to Coast "Master-Mag" 880.
It is a 20 gauge pump action Mossberg - it is (for all practial purposes) a Mossberg 500.
I'll post a picture of it here soon.
Duck Hunting 2005 (incomplete)
Duck Hunting
Sept 30-Oct 3 2005
This was by far, my most successful hunting trip to date. We again made the trip to the Hudak Cabin. This year (because of some changes made by the DNR) the season has changed and this weekend was the season opener.
Very out of the ordinary, I arrived much earlier than Ed did. I was at the cabin by 2pm and spent some time visiting with John and Jan. After some visiting, Jan left, and John and I went to do some grocery shopping. By the time we finished, and got the groceries put away, I decided to go do some grouse / squirrel hunting.
I walked along the trail at the top of the ridge along the lake. It was a nice walk * quiet and peaceful. At the turn around (at the end of the trail) I decided to sit down against some trees and hopefully hear some squirrels. I nodded off for several minutes, and was awoken by a shrill sound of some sort of animal. I sat still for another (about) 15 minutes waiting to see what was making the noise. It was moving from one area to another. I then noticed a very large dark colored bird flying around. I noticed a very bright red crest on its head and black and white banding on its face. It was a larger bird. I later found out (with the help of John) that what I was seeing was a pileated woodpecker.
After enjoying the woodpecker for a while, it finally got tired of entertaining me, and flew away. I then started walking back towards the cabin. When I got about three-quarters of the way back, I started hearing some squirrels off to the south of me. I started up the main road through the woods and broke off onto the trail to (what I believe is) Deer Stand #1. The squirrel kept chattering away at me from a little farther away. I'd move a few feet closer and the squirrel would chatter at me again, but from what sounded like a little further away. I was now just about at the stand when the squirrel made it's way to the front side of the tree. I took my shot, and bagged the squirrel. This was (to me) a sign of things to come, and felt good about how the rest of the weekend was going to go. I retrieved my squirrel and headed back to the cabin.
Ed was about 30 minutes away by the time I arrived, and when he arrived we unpacked him, had dinner, and caught up.
Didn't hunt first morning * too busy * chopped wood and worked all day. Jim arrived * Drove the Thompson Trail in the afternoon * saw nothing.
Sunday morning woke at 0500 * heard boats in the water, and saw people already in field. Saw lots of ducks, I downed a ringneck with one shot - we shot six, crippled one * landed in bay * rowed out to it * shot * landed in other bay * rowed to it, and lost it. Hoped for 7 but came in with 6. For sure 1 of 6 was mine, but I suspect at least one more (grin).
Jim heckled other hunters by accident.
Pulled in dock and lift. Went grouse hunting on ridge. Jake flushed out a grouse. Had bead on it in the tree * looked odd to me * more tall and thin * looked partridge like * I suspected sharptail grouse * Later found out prob ruffled grouse per John.
Monday morning * no one out * we had the lake to ourselves. Ed got a couple more ringnecks, and right infront of me (from out of nowhere) popped a Drake Wooduck. I put a bead on it just as it jumped up and started flying away. 1 shot dropped the duck. It was a beautiful bird, and Ed Recommended mounting it.
Bird total for Ed and I for the two mornings * 9
After eating we went and walked the ridge one more time. (Looking for that grouse)
Rest of day spent getting Jim's docks in. Went to Reed's sporting goods (bought pen I am writing this down with), and picked up some nice steaks for dinner.
Deer Hunting 2004
Please forgive me for the hiatus of several years that appears in this book. It is inexcusable, and my lesson has been learned. As you have read in the introduction of this book, something happened to me during my deer-hunting trip in the fall of 2004. I was always planning on documenting it, but due to time restraints (and a lost book), I never got around to writing. It is now just under a year later (September of 2005), and hunting season is fast approaching. I have spent some time looking for a suitable journal to keep my records in. I hope you enjoy what I found!~
We have been hunting on my Uncle Greg's cabin ever since our first trip there. I will try to tell my story, but having been about a year, some of the small details have been forgotten, or become fuzzy. Please forgive me. This story represents my best recollection of the events of that weekend.
My father-in-law Joe, and I were hunting at Uncle Greg's cabin again this year. This year was not (as I recall) uncomfortably cold. It was a crowded year for hunting. There were at least two other hunters East of Uncle Greg's and we had to be more careful than usual when out in the field.
The morning in question was quiet. I was sitting on the ground near "Oakwood", the tree fort that Bob and I built when we were kids. I spent most of that morning on the top of the south side of the ravine, hunting north. I thought Joe was north east of me on the opposite side of the ravine (which I later discovered was not true). I had been hearing "rustling" off to my right (east) near the slew, but could not tell if it was wildlife, Joe, or another hunter.
As the morning drew on, I was able to determine that it was, in fact, another hunter. It was not long after, that I began hearing some additional rustling coming from the northwest. Convinced it was squirrels, I sat back, closed my eyes, and tried to use my hearing to hone in on the source of the sound. Several minutes went by and I began to notice a white animal, about the size of a dog, thru the trees. I watched as the dog zigzagged its way thru the woods moving in my general direction. This dog appeared to come from the road, and was (after several minutes) still meandering towards me. After several minutes the dog started getting bigger. I was convinced it was a husky that may belong to one of the other hunters in the woods.
I was not sure how this dog would react to me if or when it reached me. I had to weigh my options. Hopefully the dog would be friendly, but if it was going to attack me, I decided I would be willing to defend myself. I was, after all, armed. As the white dog continued to come closer, I noticed it was not alone. There was another brown dog with the white one, and they were both still heading towards me. The closer they got, the less I could believe my eyes. When they arrived at the bottom of the ravine I was finally convinced that what I was seeing was actually what I was seeing. In front of me was two does. One of the does was a full albino! It was completely white. Later it was close enough that I could even see that it's eyes and nose were pinkish.
I was not sure what to do in this situation. My heart beat faster and harder than usual. By now the deer was within 15 yards of me, and at the bottom of the ravine. I put the bead of my site on the brown deer (not knowing about the legality of shooting an albino), but I was so intrigued by the site of this albino that I became almost hypnotized to its presence. Joe was down the ravine from me, and the deer were beginning to climb the north side of the ravine and head towards where Joe was hunting. The albino deer, and my hoping that Joe would get a deer (he has not taken one yet * since we started deer hunting together so many years back) kept me from shooting the brown doe. I then lowered my gun and watched the deer as they crossed my line of site and went off towards where Joe was sitting. I could have kicked myself for not having a camcorder, or a camera with me in the field. (Lesson learned)
I sat and listened to the deer as they left my field of vision. I was hoping that I would here Joe take the brown doe. After several minutes, I could no longer hear the deer, and it was not long after, that I heard the report of a gun. I stayed where I was for several more minutes hoping to hear Joe call out for me to help him. When he never called I started heading towards his direction. It was then that I discovered he had been on my side of the ravine the whole time and that it he was not the hunter who had taken the deer. I stopped and talked to Joe for a few minutes and then went back to where I was sitting. Quite some time later where the ravine drops down (where the two deer originally came from) I saw two hunters pulling the brown doe out through the woods.
Once again, this hunting trip, I found myself intrigued by the awesome beauty of what God had put before me. The captivating beauty of it overpowered any need in me to take these deer. I sometimes wonder if what I am doing in the woods is really "hunting". I am not interested in giving up "hunting" if it means giving up the time I spend in the woods, sitting, relaxing, and enjoying the beauty of all that is around me. I know that if the right circumstance comes up, I would take a deer. I have, after all, taken one in the past. Ultimately, I believe there is a time and place for hunting, and for "hunting". I feel lucky enough to have discovered the difference between the two. My wish for you (reader) and for all hunters is that you are fortunate enough to experience and enjoy both versions of hunting as I have.
We have been hunting on my Uncle Greg's cabin ever since our first trip there. I will try to tell my story, but having been about a year, some of the small details have been forgotten, or become fuzzy. Please forgive me. This story represents my best recollection of the events of that weekend.
November 2004
My father-in-law Joe, and I were hunting at Uncle Greg's cabin again this year. This year was not (as I recall) uncomfortably cold. It was a crowded year for hunting. There were at least two other hunters East of Uncle Greg's and we had to be more careful than usual when out in the field.
The morning in question was quiet. I was sitting on the ground near "Oakwood", the tree fort that Bob and I built when we were kids. I spent most of that morning on the top of the south side of the ravine, hunting north. I thought Joe was north east of me on the opposite side of the ravine (which I later discovered was not true). I had been hearing "rustling" off to my right (east) near the slew, but could not tell if it was wildlife, Joe, or another hunter.
As the morning drew on, I was able to determine that it was, in fact, another hunter. It was not long after, that I began hearing some additional rustling coming from the northwest. Convinced it was squirrels, I sat back, closed my eyes, and tried to use my hearing to hone in on the source of the sound. Several minutes went by and I began to notice a white animal, about the size of a dog, thru the trees. I watched as the dog zigzagged its way thru the woods moving in my general direction. This dog appeared to come from the road, and was (after several minutes) still meandering towards me. After several minutes the dog started getting bigger. I was convinced it was a husky that may belong to one of the other hunters in the woods.
I was not sure how this dog would react to me if or when it reached me. I had to weigh my options. Hopefully the dog would be friendly, but if it was going to attack me, I decided I would be willing to defend myself. I was, after all, armed. As the white dog continued to come closer, I noticed it was not alone. There was another brown dog with the white one, and they were both still heading towards me. The closer they got, the less I could believe my eyes. When they arrived at the bottom of the ravine I was finally convinced that what I was seeing was actually what I was seeing. In front of me was two does. One of the does was a full albino! It was completely white. Later it was close enough that I could even see that it's eyes and nose were pinkish.
I was not sure what to do in this situation. My heart beat faster and harder than usual. By now the deer was within 15 yards of me, and at the bottom of the ravine. I put the bead of my site on the brown deer (not knowing about the legality of shooting an albino), but I was so intrigued by the site of this albino that I became almost hypnotized to its presence. Joe was down the ravine from me, and the deer were beginning to climb the north side of the ravine and head towards where Joe was hunting. The albino deer, and my hoping that Joe would get a deer (he has not taken one yet * since we started deer hunting together so many years back) kept me from shooting the brown doe. I then lowered my gun and watched the deer as they crossed my line of site and went off towards where Joe was sitting. I could have kicked myself for not having a camcorder, or a camera with me in the field. (Lesson learned)
I sat and listened to the deer as they left my field of vision. I was hoping that I would here Joe take the brown doe. After several minutes, I could no longer hear the deer, and it was not long after, that I heard the report of a gun. I stayed where I was for several more minutes hoping to hear Joe call out for me to help him. When he never called I started heading towards his direction. It was then that I discovered he had been on my side of the ravine the whole time and that it he was not the hunter who had taken the deer. I stopped and talked to Joe for a few minutes and then went back to where I was sitting. Quite some time later where the ravine drops down (where the two deer originally came from) I saw two hunters pulling the brown doe out through the woods.
Once again, this hunting trip, I found myself intrigued by the awesome beauty of what God had put before me. The captivating beauty of it overpowered any need in me to take these deer. I sometimes wonder if what I am doing in the woods is really "hunting". I am not interested in giving up "hunting" if it means giving up the time I spend in the woods, sitting, relaxing, and enjoying the beauty of all that is around me. I know that if the right circumstance comes up, I would take a deer. I have, after all, taken one in the past. Ultimately, I believe there is a time and place for hunting, and for "hunting". I feel lucky enough to have discovered the difference between the two. My wish for you (reader) and for all hunters is that you are fortunate enough to experience and enjoy both versions of hunting as I have.
Deer Hunting 2001
Friday November 4th, 2001
Joe and I hunted on my Uncle Greg and Aunt Marilyn's property, south of Pine Center Minnesota in the Roosevelt Township of Crow Wing County. This was the first time I have hunted on Greg & Marilyn's land, and I was very excited to hunt there. While Growing up, Uncle Greg & aunt Marilyn's cabin was a big part of my life. They would often invite me to join them, and I spent many weekends with my cousins Bob and Mark at the cabin fishing, boating, and playing around in the back woods. Several years ago (while still very young) Bob, Mark, and I built a little "Shack" in the woods that we called "Oakwood" * To be honest, I do not even remember how old Oakwood is. (A minimum of 12 years to the best of my knowledge.) And it was fun to see Oakwood still standing.
Uncle Greg met us at the cabin, so that he could show us a few things that needed to be turned on, and then what to do when we left. We arrived at the cabin at about 7pm, and Greg was already there, and had a fire in the fireplace * giving us a "head start" on heating the cabin. Greg helped us unload the car, and spent some time showing me around * where to find firewood, electricity, and how to close up the cabin when we leave. While this was going on, I was visiting with uncle Greg, and realized that it has been nearly 10 years since the last time I spent any length of time at the cabin. (I have stopped by, peeked in windows, fished on the dock, and left notes for Greg & Marilyn since, but the last time I was at the cabin for an "overnight" was in 1992 when our cousin Cindy and her husband (from Maine) were in Minnesota and had come to the cabin for a visit. There have been many changes at the cabin, and it felt very "cozy". Many old memories came flooding back to me while visiting the cabin this weekend. It was very nostalgic, and very very delightful! I cannot thank Uncle Greg and Aunt Marilyn enough for allowing us to use the cabin this fall!
First morning out we arrived at our seats at 0625 hours (shooting time). It was not a very cold morning (about 35 degrees). Within minutes of sitting down, I could hear shots off in the distance from all directions. Abundant in the woods all around me was many squirrels. (Grey, with an occasional red showing up) * it was delightful listening to them scampering about, digging in the leaves. Within 30 minutes of sitting down, a small doe (yearling) came from my right side down in the valley, and slowly started walking up the opposite side of the valley from me, about 75 yards east of my location. I tried to put a bead on her, but because she was in constant motion it was difficult to keep a good site picture on her.
(It did not help that this was the first year I had my 12-gauge slug barrel (with attached scope) sited in and usable. Since I have never hunted with a scoped gun before, I found it very different from what I was used to * I can see that hunting with my scoped slug barrel will take some getting used to before I am proficient with it.)
As she climbed the opposite side of the valley, she got deeper and deeper into some brush/cover, and made it almost impossible for me to get a shot off (the trees and brush would knock the slug around * minimizing my accuracy), so I made the decision to sit back and watch her finish climbing the hill. It was gorgeous seeing her in her natural habitat. Her tail flinching up (sensing danger) * looking around, and dropping the tail, resuming her journey up the hillside. I am so accustomed to seeing deer in an urban setting that it was worth not shooting the doe to just observe her in her natural habitat. Not long after setting my gun in my lap, she faded off in the distance (finding out later * about 20 yards behind Joe * who was facing the other direction). Not even 2 minutes after seeing the first doe, a second one came into my field of view from the exact same place as the first one. I (again) tried to put a bead on her, and when I could not find her in the scope, I lowered the gun, and saw a third doe. This doe was very large, and I had decided that this was the deer I was going to try to bag. Again I tried to put the doe in my site picture, but was not having any luck. I tired at least 3 times to put her in the scope * without successes. The smaller doe was leading with the larger doe following behind about 5 feet. I found the smaller doe in my scope a couple of times, but I continued to look for the larger doe. As they reached the top of the ridge (following the first small doe) they also moved through some thicker brush, making a shot harder to find and less accurate. I (again) made the decision that these two were out of range, and I started to enjoy watching them move through the woods! At the top of the ridge, the two does took a hard left * and started walking the top of the ridge, heading west. They moved past the heaviest brush, and started heading closer to me. I (yet again) tried to put a bead on the large doe, but was only able to find the younger one in my scope. I was not able to keep the crosshairs on her long enough to take a responsible shot, and as they turned northbound (heading away from me) I put my gun in my lap and watched them as they strolled out of my site. I can tell you that my pulse and blood pressure were off the charts! I was very excited, and was feeling the effects of adrenaline.
After thinking about the scenario, I am glad that I did not take any of those 3 does. I am fairly certain that what I saw was a doe with her two yearlings (who were still dependent upon their mother). Looking back, I can say with complete confidence that not taking any of the does was best decision I could have made. Firstly it is not every day that I get to observe wild deer, in their own surroundings, not aware that I am there. Secondly I did my part in some "conservation", by keeping 2 younger does with their mother for (at least) a little longer.
As far as deer goes, that was the extent of what I saw for the day. Throughout the remainder of the day, I was able to listen to the squirrels as they started chattering warning each other of the owl I spotted flying into one of the pine trees nearby. I got to watch the owl for a while, and then watch it fly away (no doubt looking for a different * unsuspecting squirrel for its next meal). Of course there were also the typical "dozing off" naps throughout the morning and into the afternoon.
As evening approached, time became a factor because we had decided to attend church that evening so that we could hunt straight through Sunday morning. As I contemplated getting up and heading out to meet Joe, I heard a shot that seemed very close. I could not tell it was Joe, until I heard him using the action on his gun, then I knew it was his shot that I heard. Not knowing where he was shooting, I dropped to a knee (for safety reasons) and waited a moment. Joe then took a second shot. I could see now see him from where I was, and noticed him getting down from his seat. I approached him, and found out that a buck had come out of the swamp, and Joe took a shot. The buck stumbled, got up and ran a few yards where it stopped. This is where Joe took his second shot. The buck then ran west through the valley and disappeared from site. Joe and I went down to where the buck was when he first shot, and we could see where the buck stumbled through the leaves, but did not find any sign that Joe hit the buck (blood). Because the leaves were freshly fallen, we were able to follow the steps the buck took as it ran. We followed it through the valley, and about three-fourths of the way back to the cabin, there was a very loud shot heard just NorthWest of where we were.
My estimation of what happened was that after Joe missed the deer, it ran (noisily) through the woods Westbound * as we followed it, it continued to run where the last two cabins on the lake are at, and a hunter in the area of the other two cabins heard it coming, and took the buck (or also missed it as it ran away*)
We ended up missing church, because I located an older Church Bulletin in the cabin (from 1998) which said Saturday mass was at 5:30pm. We got there and found out that mass was actually at 4:00pm.
The rest of the evening was uneventful and most relaxing. We enjoyed dinner, and some television before heading to bed.
Sunday morning was as uneventful as Saturday afternoon was. Not a deer was seen or heard. I was quite surprised to hear (what I am certain was) a wild turkey * gobbling as it walked (what sounded like) up and down the road in front of Greg and Marilyn's garage. I was also able to hear the playful sounds of the squirrels in the woods again. As church time grew closer, we called it a morning, and went in to get ready for church.
It was a lot of fun to visit Holy Family Church again. It had been many-many years since I was last at the church, and a few improvements had been made, but overall it was much like I remembered it. Church at the cabin also brought back many fond memories. Bob, Mark and I used to have a hard time not laughing out loud when the older Priest clanked his glasses against the chalice when it came time for communion. We also had nicknames for all the alter-boys.
After church, we returned to the cabin, had some lunch. We relaxed in front of the television for a bit, then packed up our things, packed up the car, and packed up the cabin, so that when we were done hunting that afternoon, we could just pack up what we had with us and jump in the car to leave. It was about 3:00pm when we finally made it back out to the woods. Joe took up the same position he was hunting on Saturday, and Sunday morning. I moved further East down the ridge, closer to the opening near the swamp, and set up on the ground at the base of a tree. It was a beautiful day, it was gorgeous, and just sitting there in the woods could only be described as heavenly.
As sunset was approaching I still had not seen or heard a deer. I was starting to think about packing it in, when out of the corner of my eye (to my right) I saw a doe coming along the shoreline of the swamp. I raised my gun and put the deer in the crosshairs. This time I was able to put a bead on the animal, and just as I was flicking the safety to "off" on the gun, Joe shot at the deer. Through the scope I saw the deer stumble, get up and start working it's way to my right (back towards the swamp). As I was about to take a second shot at the deer, it moved behind the hill and out of site from where I was sitting. We both converged in the area, and walked towards the swamp, where we last saw the deer, and I was able to spot the blood trail. We discussed trailing the deer, when I spotted the doe at the top of the ridge on the opposite side of the swamp. I made the decision to head up to that spot. Just prior to arriving at the location where I last saw the deer, I was able to pick up the blood trail again, and so I knew I was on the right trail. Additionally I heard something in the woods about thirty yards ahead of me. I was not able to verify that it was the deer, but I was able to hear it until I got to (about) the half way mark around the swamp. The shot was (in my opinion) a non-critical hit, and I feel it was hit in the leg. The way the deer was limping around the swamp, and the way the leaves were disturbed on the ground, it appeared that it was dragging a leg as it walked, and I think that may have been what I was hearing.
I continued half way around this swamp and lost the blood trail completely. I did follow what I believed to be the trail through the leaves, until the trail went cold. By this time I had made it three-fourths the way around the swamp. I backtracked to the last place I saw blood, and started to trail again.
(Lesson learned * when backtracking work your way back several feet AWAY from the original trail, so as not to disturb any blood that you may yet find on the trail.)
I did return to the last spot I saw any blood, and started the trail again. I was lucky enough to locate some blood that I had walked over while backtracking. I followed the trail, and was able to locate two additional blood spots on the ground (in addition to the one I had disturbed while backtracking). The last blood I was able to locate took me about the two-thirds way around the swamp. It was getting dark by now, and was definitely past shooting hours (one half hour past sunset) making tracking the deer very difficult. The last sign I saw of the deer was a patch of fur the deer left (possibly from the wounded area) located about three-fourths the way around the swamp. I could hardly see the ground by now, and definitely could not see anymore of the trail. I was so disappointed that I was not able to locate the doe. It weighed heavily in my heart. The last thing I wanted was to have an injured deer running around the woods, but I did everything I could to locate the deer. This is where I made the decision to stop trailing the deer. It was a difficult decision to make, but it was getting dark enough that my blaze orange was not showing up as bright as it should, and for my own safety's sake, knew that it was time to head back. The last quarter way around the swamp was very difficult. It was getting pretty dark, and the brush was so think, I could hardly make it through. After making it through the brush, I still had 2 very large ridges to climb before making it back to the original spot where the deer was shot. After having to follow Joe's voice to where he was at, I met back up with him, and I apologized for not being able to locate the deer. It was with a heavy heart that we then started our trek back to the car, to pack up and leave. I made one last stop at "Oakwood" to say "goodbye" and made it back to Joe's car.
It was well after sundown, and very dark, and I was completely exhausted, and thoroughly disappointed to have to leave an injured deer behind as we did our final checks on the cabin, and left to return home * finishing our deer hunting trip for 2001.
I had a fantastic time, and it was a beautiful weekend. One of the best parts of the hunting trip this year was being able to make new memories to go along with my childhood memories surrounding uncle Greg and aunt Marilyn's cabin. I could not be more grateful for the generosity and trust of my Uncle Greg and Aunt Marilyn, and would love the opportunity to do this again in the future.
David
Joe and I hunted on my Uncle Greg and Aunt Marilyn's property, south of Pine Center Minnesota in the Roosevelt Township of Crow Wing County. This was the first time I have hunted on Greg & Marilyn's land, and I was very excited to hunt there. While Growing up, Uncle Greg & aunt Marilyn's cabin was a big part of my life. They would often invite me to join them, and I spent many weekends with my cousins Bob and Mark at the cabin fishing, boating, and playing around in the back woods. Several years ago (while still very young) Bob, Mark, and I built a little "Shack" in the woods that we called "Oakwood" * To be honest, I do not even remember how old Oakwood is. (A minimum of 12 years to the best of my knowledge.) And it was fun to see Oakwood still standing.
Uncle Greg met us at the cabin, so that he could show us a few things that needed to be turned on, and then what to do when we left. We arrived at the cabin at about 7pm, and Greg was already there, and had a fire in the fireplace * giving us a "head start" on heating the cabin. Greg helped us unload the car, and spent some time showing me around * where to find firewood, electricity, and how to close up the cabin when we leave. While this was going on, I was visiting with uncle Greg, and realized that it has been nearly 10 years since the last time I spent any length of time at the cabin. (I have stopped by, peeked in windows, fished on the dock, and left notes for Greg & Marilyn since, but the last time I was at the cabin for an "overnight" was in 1992 when our cousin Cindy and her husband (from Maine) were in Minnesota and had come to the cabin for a visit. There have been many changes at the cabin, and it felt very "cozy". Many old memories came flooding back to me while visiting the cabin this weekend. It was very nostalgic, and very very delightful! I cannot thank Uncle Greg and Aunt Marilyn enough for allowing us to use the cabin this fall!
First morning out we arrived at our seats at 0625 hours (shooting time). It was not a very cold morning (about 35 degrees). Within minutes of sitting down, I could hear shots off in the distance from all directions. Abundant in the woods all around me was many squirrels. (Grey, with an occasional red showing up) * it was delightful listening to them scampering about, digging in the leaves. Within 30 minutes of sitting down, a small doe (yearling) came from my right side down in the valley, and slowly started walking up the opposite side of the valley from me, about 75 yards east of my location. I tried to put a bead on her, but because she was in constant motion it was difficult to keep a good site picture on her.
(It did not help that this was the first year I had my 12-gauge slug barrel (with attached scope) sited in and usable. Since I have never hunted with a scoped gun before, I found it very different from what I was used to * I can see that hunting with my scoped slug barrel will take some getting used to before I am proficient with it.)
As she climbed the opposite side of the valley, she got deeper and deeper into some brush/cover, and made it almost impossible for me to get a shot off (the trees and brush would knock the slug around * minimizing my accuracy), so I made the decision to sit back and watch her finish climbing the hill. It was gorgeous seeing her in her natural habitat. Her tail flinching up (sensing danger) * looking around, and dropping the tail, resuming her journey up the hillside. I am so accustomed to seeing deer in an urban setting that it was worth not shooting the doe to just observe her in her natural habitat. Not long after setting my gun in my lap, she faded off in the distance (finding out later * about 20 yards behind Joe * who was facing the other direction). Not even 2 minutes after seeing the first doe, a second one came into my field of view from the exact same place as the first one. I (again) tried to put a bead on her, and when I could not find her in the scope, I lowered the gun, and saw a third doe. This doe was very large, and I had decided that this was the deer I was going to try to bag. Again I tried to put the doe in my site picture, but was not having any luck. I tired at least 3 times to put her in the scope * without successes. The smaller doe was leading with the larger doe following behind about 5 feet. I found the smaller doe in my scope a couple of times, but I continued to look for the larger doe. As they reached the top of the ridge (following the first small doe) they also moved through some thicker brush, making a shot harder to find and less accurate. I (again) made the decision that these two were out of range, and I started to enjoy watching them move through the woods! At the top of the ridge, the two does took a hard left * and started walking the top of the ridge, heading west. They moved past the heaviest brush, and started heading closer to me. I (yet again) tried to put a bead on the large doe, but was only able to find the younger one in my scope. I was not able to keep the crosshairs on her long enough to take a responsible shot, and as they turned northbound (heading away from me) I put my gun in my lap and watched them as they strolled out of my site. I can tell you that my pulse and blood pressure were off the charts! I was very excited, and was feeling the effects of adrenaline.
After thinking about the scenario, I am glad that I did not take any of those 3 does. I am fairly certain that what I saw was a doe with her two yearlings (who were still dependent upon their mother). Looking back, I can say with complete confidence that not taking any of the does was best decision I could have made. Firstly it is not every day that I get to observe wild deer, in their own surroundings, not aware that I am there. Secondly I did my part in some "conservation", by keeping 2 younger does with their mother for (at least) a little longer.
As far as deer goes, that was the extent of what I saw for the day. Throughout the remainder of the day, I was able to listen to the squirrels as they started chattering warning each other of the owl I spotted flying into one of the pine trees nearby. I got to watch the owl for a while, and then watch it fly away (no doubt looking for a different * unsuspecting squirrel for its next meal). Of course there were also the typical "dozing off" naps throughout the morning and into the afternoon.
As evening approached, time became a factor because we had decided to attend church that evening so that we could hunt straight through Sunday morning. As I contemplated getting up and heading out to meet Joe, I heard a shot that seemed very close. I could not tell it was Joe, until I heard him using the action on his gun, then I knew it was his shot that I heard. Not knowing where he was shooting, I dropped to a knee (for safety reasons) and waited a moment. Joe then took a second shot. I could see now see him from where I was, and noticed him getting down from his seat. I approached him, and found out that a buck had come out of the swamp, and Joe took a shot. The buck stumbled, got up and ran a few yards where it stopped. This is where Joe took his second shot. The buck then ran west through the valley and disappeared from site. Joe and I went down to where the buck was when he first shot, and we could see where the buck stumbled through the leaves, but did not find any sign that Joe hit the buck (blood). Because the leaves were freshly fallen, we were able to follow the steps the buck took as it ran. We followed it through the valley, and about three-fourths of the way back to the cabin, there was a very loud shot heard just NorthWest of where we were.
My estimation of what happened was that after Joe missed the deer, it ran (noisily) through the woods Westbound * as we followed it, it continued to run where the last two cabins on the lake are at, and a hunter in the area of the other two cabins heard it coming, and took the buck (or also missed it as it ran away*)
We ended up missing church, because I located an older Church Bulletin in the cabin (from 1998) which said Saturday mass was at 5:30pm. We got there and found out that mass was actually at 4:00pm.
The rest of the evening was uneventful and most relaxing. We enjoyed dinner, and some television before heading to bed.
Sunday morning was as uneventful as Saturday afternoon was. Not a deer was seen or heard. I was quite surprised to hear (what I am certain was) a wild turkey * gobbling as it walked (what sounded like) up and down the road in front of Greg and Marilyn's garage. I was also able to hear the playful sounds of the squirrels in the woods again. As church time grew closer, we called it a morning, and went in to get ready for church.
It was a lot of fun to visit Holy Family Church again. It had been many-many years since I was last at the church, and a few improvements had been made, but overall it was much like I remembered it. Church at the cabin also brought back many fond memories. Bob, Mark and I used to have a hard time not laughing out loud when the older Priest clanked his glasses against the chalice when it came time for communion. We also had nicknames for all the alter-boys.
After church, we returned to the cabin, had some lunch. We relaxed in front of the television for a bit, then packed up our things, packed up the car, and packed up the cabin, so that when we were done hunting that afternoon, we could just pack up what we had with us and jump in the car to leave. It was about 3:00pm when we finally made it back out to the woods. Joe took up the same position he was hunting on Saturday, and Sunday morning. I moved further East down the ridge, closer to the opening near the swamp, and set up on the ground at the base of a tree. It was a beautiful day, it was gorgeous, and just sitting there in the woods could only be described as heavenly.
As sunset was approaching I still had not seen or heard a deer. I was starting to think about packing it in, when out of the corner of my eye (to my right) I saw a doe coming along the shoreline of the swamp. I raised my gun and put the deer in the crosshairs. This time I was able to put a bead on the animal, and just as I was flicking the safety to "off" on the gun, Joe shot at the deer. Through the scope I saw the deer stumble, get up and start working it's way to my right (back towards the swamp). As I was about to take a second shot at the deer, it moved behind the hill and out of site from where I was sitting. We both converged in the area, and walked towards the swamp, where we last saw the deer, and I was able to spot the blood trail. We discussed trailing the deer, when I spotted the doe at the top of the ridge on the opposite side of the swamp. I made the decision to head up to that spot. Just prior to arriving at the location where I last saw the deer, I was able to pick up the blood trail again, and so I knew I was on the right trail. Additionally I heard something in the woods about thirty yards ahead of me. I was not able to verify that it was the deer, but I was able to hear it until I got to (about) the half way mark around the swamp. The shot was (in my opinion) a non-critical hit, and I feel it was hit in the leg. The way the deer was limping around the swamp, and the way the leaves were disturbed on the ground, it appeared that it was dragging a leg as it walked, and I think that may have been what I was hearing.
I continued half way around this swamp and lost the blood trail completely. I did follow what I believed to be the trail through the leaves, until the trail went cold. By this time I had made it three-fourths the way around the swamp. I backtracked to the last place I saw blood, and started to trail again.
(Lesson learned * when backtracking work your way back several feet AWAY from the original trail, so as not to disturb any blood that you may yet find on the trail.)
I did return to the last spot I saw any blood, and started the trail again. I was lucky enough to locate some blood that I had walked over while backtracking. I followed the trail, and was able to locate two additional blood spots on the ground (in addition to the one I had disturbed while backtracking). The last blood I was able to locate took me about the two-thirds way around the swamp. It was getting dark by now, and was definitely past shooting hours (one half hour past sunset) making tracking the deer very difficult. The last sign I saw of the deer was a patch of fur the deer left (possibly from the wounded area) located about three-fourths the way around the swamp. I could hardly see the ground by now, and definitely could not see anymore of the trail. I was so disappointed that I was not able to locate the doe. It weighed heavily in my heart. The last thing I wanted was to have an injured deer running around the woods, but I did everything I could to locate the deer. This is where I made the decision to stop trailing the deer. It was a difficult decision to make, but it was getting dark enough that my blaze orange was not showing up as bright as it should, and for my own safety's sake, knew that it was time to head back. The last quarter way around the swamp was very difficult. It was getting pretty dark, and the brush was so think, I could hardly make it through. After making it through the brush, I still had 2 very large ridges to climb before making it back to the original spot where the deer was shot. After having to follow Joe's voice to where he was at, I met back up with him, and I apologized for not being able to locate the deer. It was with a heavy heart that we then started our trek back to the car, to pack up and leave. I made one last stop at "Oakwood" to say "goodbye" and made it back to Joe's car.
It was well after sundown, and very dark, and I was completely exhausted, and thoroughly disappointed to have to leave an injured deer behind as we did our final checks on the cabin, and left to return home * finishing our deer hunting trip for 2001.
I had a fantastic time, and it was a beautiful weekend. One of the best parts of the hunting trip this year was being able to make new memories to go along with my childhood memories surrounding uncle Greg and aunt Marilyn's cabin. I could not be more grateful for the generosity and trust of my Uncle Greg and Aunt Marilyn, and would love the opportunity to do this again in the future.
David
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