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Huntsman Harmony
Author:
Butch Thurmond
Location:
No specified region.
March 2, 20091969-12-31 18:33:29
We were up early. Moving a little slower than usual, possibly from the long card game and the many beverages required to stay in the game, but we were determined not to show the effects.
It was opening day of deer season! The four of us were once again reunited. We were moving on in years, but the traditional deer hunt brought us together. Many years ago we may have bounced out of bed, but this morning, we - well, we kinda dragged out!
Men get together for a deer hunt for more than the harvesting of a deer. Men cook! Everyone has their specialty, and we enjoy a week of good eating, drinking, comradery, and hunting. Last night’s menu consisted of Ken’s ‘squirrel and dumplings.’ It got so crazy that we had a menu for the whole week!
Our stands had been put out a couple of days earlier. After scouting the area, we put up our blinds, brushed them with dead limbs, and put out our favorite deer scents. We long ago determined that we would not hunt from “apartments in the sky.” No, we would determine where the deer were moving through the woods, clear a spot for our blind and hunt there. If the deer changed their movement pattern, we would move our blinds. My blind has been erected every year in almost the same spot for six years now!
As I got into my tent, my head was finally clearing. About time! Zipping the entrance way closed, I turned on my small light. It was cold this morning, a Missouri cold. The walk to the blind had me warmed up, but I knew that soon the chill would set in.
Thank God for thermos bottles. My coffee was hot and it was comforting to sip. Just a few months ago, this same thermos had kept my milk cold. Never have figured out how that bottle knows what to do - keep things hot or cold!
It was ten minutes until legal shooting time when the first shot rang out from the adjoining property. "A little early,” I thought. Now, I was really awake! I was located in the bottom of a little valley and there was not enough light to see very far. How did that guy see anything to shoot at? I forced my eyes to see a deer. No luck.
Slowly, but surely, the dawn broke. I never have heard dawn break, but I always know that it does! Squirrels were moving through the fallen leaves, making more noise than an animal that small could possibly make. Then another squirrel and yet another came into view. I watched as they buried acorns for the harsh winter to come.
Another shot rang out in the distance. Then, two more shots came in rapid order. "He missed that one," I figured.
Another cup of coffee helped to warm my innards. The breeze moving down the valley was making things cold, way too cold for this old southern boy; so, I turned on my little propane stove and the tent rapidly warmed up. Nothing like a nice warm tent/blind! After a while, my head bounced off my shoulder once, and then, well, a little nap never hurt anyone.
A sudden snap of a limb had me wide awake. Expecting to see a huge buck, I looked around and saw three turkeys moving down the old logging road. My camera was ready, and I was able to get some shots of them as they crouched to walk under the fence to my right. As they scratched through the leaves looking for acorns, a squirrel was barking his displeasure. This was Nature at her best! These were all tom turkeys. The old boys were buddies now, but in a few more months, they would stake out their claim to part of the territory and all of the hens they could seduce. I envied that part!
I remained motionless and watched them. Deciding to take another photo, the turkeys were off and running. I had been still as a mouse, but somehow, they had spotted me.
I scanned my little patch of woods. Something was out of place. Looking through my binoculars, I could see the rear end of a deer! Funny how wide awake, no longer cold and tense, you become when that happens. I had decided before the hunt that I would only harvest a buck without a rack bigger than already graced my wall, and that would take a 12-pointer! Actually, I wanted a big doe for the freezer, as I love venison.
Finally the deer moved into full view, and it was a nice 7-point buck. He was checking out the “doe in heat” scent I had put out. He walked near a scrape that I made the day before. I could see he wasn’t happy that another buck had been n the area. I watched through the scope and thought, “What an easy shot!” Finally, I thought about my camera, but as I reached for it, he jumped over the old barbed wire fence and disappeared over the small ridge.
Another squirrel caught my eye, as he was coming down a tree very close to my blind. “How can he walk down that tree head first without falling on his face,” I wondered? I eased my binoculars up and studied him. "I’ll be dammed," I thought. His rear feet were turned around 180 degrees! Nature provides!
It was getting darker, and less light was coming through the woods. It was that magic time when deer start coming out for an evening meal. With only a few minutes of legal shooting time left, a shot rang out. "Sounded like Charlie got a shot at one," I thought.
I unloaded my rifle and started back to the truck. At the top of the ridge where I left my truck, there was a little more light, so I watched for a while. Four deer moved into faint view across the field and I observed them momentarily.
Back at camp, two bucks were hanging from a tree and Dean just finished dressing them out. We would skin them later.
"Didn’t hear you shoot! You have a bad day?" asked Dean.
Thinking to myself about what a wonderful day in the woods I had enjoyed, I said, "Maybe tomorrow, maybe tomorrow!"
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