Categories
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

Advertisement
Categories
Uncategorized

THRIFTY RANDOM HUNTING FRIDAY: Can I do that?

I skipped blogging last night in favor of going to bed early after an all-day last minute wedding shopping day, so I will do my best to combine the two today!  If you don’t mind. . .or if you do. . .

A couple of days ago hubby and I grabbed our hunting rifles and headed to the shooting range to sight them in.  I am READY.  My first and only two shots with my little Walmart Remington 243 were smack dab in the middle of the bull’s eye.  Now if I can just hold steady if I get the chance to get a deer or hog in my sights!

Hubby, on the other hand, had to sight in both his Remington 12 gauge slug gun and Remington 760 Game Master 30-06.  That took a little while, but we are both ready now.  Rifle season starts THIS Saturday!

Today on the last day to hunt does during archery season I actually saw a large buck but it ambled off before I had a chance to make sure its antlers were legal.  I learned that I should have done a “grunt” to make him stop.  Maybe he will amble back so I can introduce him to my 243.  He was about 50 yards away anyway, a tough shot for an inexperienced bow hunter like myself!

Here is a shot from my stand in our hunting area, a mere few acres belonging to my brother and sister-in-law but RICH with wildlife. It was so beautiful this morning with the still almost full moon shining like a headlight and then the leaves falling after daylight when a breeze stirred the trees.

 


Hubby and I stayed in our stands for a good 4 1/2 hours, which is my bladder’s limit, before grabbing some lunch, changing clothes and heading out to Canton for First Monday Trade Days.  I just HAD to visit my fave shop, Girls Gone Junkin’!  I got a cute little heart-shaped steampunk pendant to wear with my wedding outfit next weekend and a darling little wedding cake topper with bride and groom dolls whose eyes move!  For some reason I have started collecting vintage cake toppers.  They are just too adorable!  Why am I collecting again while trying to declutter?  I’m hopeless, I suppose. . .

So steampunky!  LOVE!
Cutest wedding cake topper EVER!

And then there was this sight:  Have you ever seen so many cow skulls?  Kind of creepy. . .



It was a long, hot day (yes, in NOVEMBER!) but it was a fun day.  Maybe November will soon realize it isn’t September and turn cooler!  How about a little cooler next Saturday?  But no rain, please!  I’m not picky, huh?  Happy junkin’ and huntin’, everybody!


XOXO




Categories
Uncategorized

THRIFTY HUNTER THURSDAY: Countdown to Indiana!

Lord willing, we are leaving for Indiana in two days!  Not only do I get to do a 14-hour road trip, I get to see my baby sister AND hunt AND enjoy cooler temperatures!  Does it get any better than that?  Let’s see if I have everything I need:

  • Black’s Creek bow case with the pink deer plushie my daughter made for me:  check!

  • Pink camo practice quiver my husband made for me with practice arrows: check!





  • Pink camo backpack with all my necessities, including OFF Clip-On, binoculars, deer grunt, wet wipes, knife, gloves, cap, scarf, face paint, harness, and other things I cannot do without while on the hunt:  check!
Hubby and I were outside practicing earlier today.  He was grouping his arrows on the target like a pro!
I climbed up in the 17-foot stand for the first time–yes, in my harness–and didn’t do as well as I do on the ground.  I finally figured it out, though.  Form is everything.

And it’s a lot different in the stand than it is on the ground.  I’m not very consistent, but I did get pretty tired after a few draws. We’ll see what happens!

By the way, here are more photos of the plushie and the quiver.  If you are interested in purchasing one, message me!

Natalie did such a great job on this!  So cute!
Stay tuned. . .
xoxo







Categories
Uncategorized

Thrifty Hunter Thursday: Practice Time!

I was thrilled last summer when my husband bought me a new Mathews Mission Craze pink camouflage bow.  I had been practicing with an ancient PSE.  The Craze was a whole new experience.  This fall will be my second archery season with my beautiful bow, and I intend to be much stronger and more accurate than I was last  year.  If a deer had walked right out in front of me last fall, I’m not sure I would have been able to hit it with an arrow.

However, I have more practice under my belt, and once this Texas weather cools off to the lower 90’s again, I will be outside practicing as much as I can.  

We are very fortunate to have some acreage outside city limits where we can set up targets and shoot freely without fear of an arrow going where it shouldn’t.  My husband Jimmy and I enjoy going out to the backyard in the cool of the late afternoon and shooting a few arrows.  It’s a friendly competition to see who can be more accurate.  So far, he has beat me, but he has been using a bow a lot longer than I have.  

He actually shot his first buck with a bow last year.  He was so proud.  With the doe I shot on opening day, we are still enjoying venison and it is almost summer’s end!  Jimmy also bought a European skull mount kit and cleaned the deer skull himself.  That is another story.  For now, I will share some photos of me in our backyard with my Mission Craze bow.

Me and the Craze!  (complete with goofy grin!)
Working on proper form. . .

                                                                                    Watch out, deer!
April  xoxo