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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As evening approached...
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