Category: hunting

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hunting

(Mis)Adventures in Deer Hunting (Part 2)

So sorry to keep you waiting!
After hearing about that near death experience with wasps, I’m sure you’ve been on pins and needles waiting to hear the rest.
Okay, you win.
Here goes. . .
I wish I could say I saw the biggest buck
I’d ever seen and proceeded to prepare him 
for dinner but it wasn’t to be so.
After Hubby and I had settled down from the mass murder of the wasps, we waited for the sun to come up.

It’s my favorite part of the hunt, actually.
You really can’t see anything, but the woods are anything but quiet as the world begins to wake up and get ready for the new day.
Hubby’s ears were tuned for the tell-tale sounds of wildlife while I just tried to sip my coffee in the dark without spilling it.  #lovemystanleythermos

“Did you hear that?  Look through your scope,” he whispered.  “Over to the left.  There’s something under the feeder.”
 
“What is it?  How am I going to see anything?”  I whispered back.
 
“I put that light on your scope.  Just press the end of the cord with your thumb.”
 
Easy for him to say.  I finally figured out how to hold my rifle while pressing on the little pad that turned on the infrared light.
To my amazement I found the source of the noise Hubby had heard.

A wild pig was enjoying his breakfast, gobbling up the corn dropped by the deer feeder about 30 yards from us.  His eyes glowed eerily in the red light.
 
If you know anything about wild hogs, you know that they are multiplying like crazy and decimating crops and ruining landscapes.
They compete with other animals for food and threaten their habitats.
Like rodents, they need to be eradicated.


But in spite of all that, the little guy was kind of cute gobbling up that corn.
Responsible me took aim behind its eyes, and after several seconds, fired.

And missed.

Seriously?
I can’t believe I missed.  Later in the light Hubby looked all around for evidence of a kill, but there was nothing.
And we saw nary a deer that day.

Oh well. . .maybe next time.
Dumb little pig.
Or dumb hunter, smart pig.
And super smart deer.


Stay tuned.

XOXO

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hunting

(Mis)Adventures in Deer Hunting (Part I)

It’s deer season and I hadn’t been hunting yet.  Opening day had come and gone, and I hadn’t been to the deer blind once.  Not even during archery season.
 
My elbow has been bothering me for over a year now, and my doctor just chalks it up to getting older.  #timetofindanewdoc?
 
It has been tough to pull my bowstring back, not to mention climbing up into the stand.
Plus, it hasn’t been cool enough to keep the mosquitos away, so I haven’t been interested.
 
 
But November 4 heralded the beginning of rifle season in my neck of the woods.  I had to work that day, so I didn’t get to go.
But soon the temperatures finally dropped and I got some time off.  The stars all lined up the other morning, so I donned my duds, gathered my gear, and traipsed into the woods after my hubby an hour before dawn.
 
The Hubster locking up the blind after a hunt one day.
 
We were getting settled into our huntin’ chairs and trying to be quiet when suddenly Hubby said, “Oh, s***.”  I followed his gaze to the place illuminated by his cap light, behind and over our heads where a cluster of red wasps sat humming, their black wings folded flat against their fire red bodies, unable to move because of the cold.
To quote Roseanne Rosannadanna: “I thought I was gonna die.” 
 
They were indeed humming, quivering as if intent on attacking but frozen and unable to carry through.  I was out of that little wooden modified shed blind faster than we could say, “You fumigated this place, didn’t you?”  and answer, “Yes, with three bug bombs!”  WTH?
 
Then I remembered my backpack was on the floor wide open!  I imagined angry wasps dropping into it and getting acquainted quite painfully the next time I reached inside for my binoculars or a snack.  

“Get my backpack!” I hissed/whispered/shouted at Hubby.  I cared not if the biggest buck in ten counties was in earshot.  “And my gun!  And my coffee!”
Don’t forget the coffee.  I was barely awake.  Well, I had been barely awake until I saw wasps.
Now I was wide awake.
 
 
My husband, hero that he is, just happened to have a can of wasp spray in the blind, which he put to good use, dropping those suckers like flies, which he then proceeded to stomp and sweep out the door.  It was safe to re-enter in just a few minutes, which I did, ruffled feathers, spine chills, and all.
 
He saved the day before the sun came up.
We were back in our places in no time, confident that Big Billy Buck would wander into view soon after daylight.
 
Well. . .

In the blind chillin’ (literally) with my coffee a couple of seasons ago.
 
Stay tuned for the rest.
 
XOXO 
Categories
fall hunting

Sitting Saturday: A Cacophony of Cows (or How to Sit Quietly for Four Hours)

Okay, let me just say that I have a hard time sitting still.  Just ask my family.  They say I fidget constantly in church–messing with my jewelry, flipping through the hymnbook, flicking off my chipped nail polish, reading ahead in the Scriptures–you get the picture.  Now imagine me sitting in a deer blind, trying to keep still AND quiet for FOUR straight hours!
Not an easy task.  Add cold, damp, and dark.  But I did it today, sitting next to Hubby, waiting for a deer to stroll within range of our sight and rifles.  Hubby assured me that he had seen three deer in the last two days.  Today was my first opportunity to go with him this season so I bundled up, packed up, and loaded up and went with him.  Fortunately our hunting spot is on my brother’s property only a few minutes away.  We have killed three deer and a pig on his small acreage!

Unfortunately, all was too quiet this morning.  We did spot a couple of cows, though.  Too bad they are not in season…
And a couple of squirrels.  Plus we heard an owl hoot very nearby.  Twice.
After the sun came up, the cows began to call to each other very noisily.  Herds of cows mooing like crazy.
But no deer.  Not this morning.

So. . .it was back home to rest our weary sitters and catch up on the sleep we lost getting up at 5:00 a.m.  Maggie my Boston terrier woke me up at 3:00 p.m. to let me know that my daughter and son-in-law had come in.  

Who, me?

They moved more of her stuff to their new home, and after they left, Hubby says to me:  “Let’s go back.  Not as long this time.  Only an hour or two.  We already have everything ready to go.”

Okay.  I have to do this for him.  After all, he has hauled boxes and boxes of junk for me recently, not to mention the Scampventure.
More sitting.

This time not so cold.  And lo, and behold, four small deer run across our line of sight in the woods, going too fast to even give us a chance to raise our rifles.  But at least we saw something!  Adrenaline flowed, hope renewed.  We’ll be back.

Oh, yes, not just for the deer, but to make sure we put out more corn and Swamp Donkey attractant.  The cows love it.  The deer?  They just ignore it and keep on moving.
Oh well, at least somebody’s happy.

Inside the blind:  scary, blurry, and I don’t look nearly as good as he does!
The pretty view outside the front of the blind.  Most of the leaves are still on the trees.
The front window cover has hinges that allow it to fold down.
Breakfast of champions:  a Clif bar in White Chocolate Macadamia.  Then there’s a doe bleat and a chair cushion to rest hubby’s rifle on.
My early morning snack:  peanut butter filled pretzel bites!  Yum!
A view of the deer stand I use during archery season.  A sore elbow ruined it for me this year.
Locking up our homemade blind until the next time.  No critters or explorers allowed!
Great white hunter with his shotgun.
Are you a deer hunter?  Please share!

XOXO

Categories
hunting miranda lambert

Free and Easy Friday: Road Trip!
 
I had an opportunity to make the one hour trek to the nearest Snuffer’s restaurant and Bass Pro Shop today with the hubster and that is exactly what I did.  Even with the afternoon temperature reaching 104, we had a cool time together.
 
That’s about all you can do in Texas in August when the temperatures hit the century mark.  Hit the roads with the a/c cranked and the music blaring.  It doesn’t matter much where you wind up as long as you wind up together.  A full stomach and making plans for the upcoming hunting season don’t hurt either.  Bass Pro has all the goodies to get one in a hunting mood, plus they have those wonderful cinnamon-roasted pecans, although after a Snuffer’s burger and cheese fries, I have to save the pecans for another day!
 
Before we started home, we had to follow our son’s suggestion and make a pit stop at Steak ‘n Shake for a milkshake.  His wife, after all, is a Steak ‘n’ Shake executive.  Gotta support the babies and ignore the calories!  And it was worth it!  Yummy!
 
Happy Labor Day weekend, everybody!  Be safe!
 
XOXO