Hey all,
I made it back from my first ever deer hunt. While I didn't manage to get a deer for the freezer I did enjoy my time in the stand, and I will be back again as soon as possible.
I did get close to getting one on opening morning but it just didn't happen. The stand my Uncle put me in was a proven one. It sits in a saddle between two hills on the east and west. On the North side was a dried up swamp and on the south side was a lake. It was pretty much the only path deer could take to get past the lake and swamp and my Uncle has taken quite a few deer in this stand in the past.
We got up at 5 am got dressed and made our way out to the stands. I was up and sitting by 6:15 just waiting. It was a little cold, but that is to be expected in November in Minnesota. We had heard there was a chance for flurries of snow and were hoping it would be true. A little of the white stuff really helps visibility. The woods we were in was pretty brushy, lots of little popples all over the place.
Sitting and watching the sun rise and the day shift of nature get up and going was awesome. There were a pair of swans on the lake that started trumpeting with the first rays of the sun. Crows caw-cawing, squirrels scampering. At about 7:30, just about the legal shooting time, I heard something big walking in the woods on the backside of the westerly hill, the bigger of the two hills. It was taking its time just casually making its way around looking for a place to bed or maybe some last minute browse to fill up on before sleep. It came around the hill to the low ground near the lake and then started heading right towards my stand. I had the wind in my favor, blowing towards me from the direction of the animal. The blood started to realy pump as I slowly raised the 7mm and sighted throught he scope towards the sound, my thumb on the safety waiting for a good look at a deer before engaging. The sound kept getting louder and louder, coming right at me. I was really excited! I was going to have a deer in the 1st minutes of the opening morning! Meat for the family and some bragging rights too!
But the deer never came the sound just started to slowy ebb off iback in the opposite direction and it never showed itself to me. Other hunters all around me near and far were firing now, nothing close but still I hoped something would maybe flush my way, but nothing did.
I stayed up in that stand until after 10 a.m. waiting and was back in it by 3 that afternoon and 6 again Sunday morning. Still no luck.
I didn't get my deer this year but I am keeping up a long tradition of deer hunting and will pass it on to my own children if that is what they wish. I am proud and thankful to live in a state like Minnesota with such a rich outdoor sports heritage. I am also proud to carry that tradition and heritage on.
something interesting to think about regarding what has been a slow deer season statewide so far. My uncle was asking around to the locals near his place and some of the oldtimers attribute the slow opener to the fact that there was a full moon during the week prior to opener. The deer were able to run around all night long for th week prior and likely wore themselves out doing what they do in the rut and so, weren't moving as much as you might expect.
ReplyDeleteSeems plausible to me.