Whatever Takes Us Away

This is what happens when you sit in a tree stand beginning 6:30 am.  Sadly I must report that my friend took a shot at this bruiser and missed, but God felt that one of the two of us put this buck on the ground.  I am thankful I had the opportunity to take a shot, and even more thankful that my arrow hit the mark!

This is the second deer of the season (the other a decent doe back in October) and I still have four more possible tags to fill (all does).  Looking forward to taking Jake out next weekend during the youth gun season, maybe there'll be another monster lurking in the woods for him to shoot. 

As one who served five years in the Marine Corps I am truly thankful I could take this deer on Veterans' Day; a day off work doing something fun with a friend and being well rewarded for a good shot.

To all you who read and are either past, present or soon to be US service members, thanks.  I have my moments where I miss it, but this morning was not one of those times.  Glad to be at home with a bow in my hand.

Well, it's Friday, September 25th, but those who read this probably already know that.  This Friday is special for a couple of reasons, it isn't the date that's important, but what this day indicates is the focus here.  You see, tomorrow marks the opening of the deer bow season for 2009-2010 and today is a day off from work for me.  I don't mind waking up early to hit the woods, but it really sucks when you get off work at 11:00 pm and don't get to sleep until after midnight - that 5:45 am alarm doesn't sit well with me on those nights.  So, today is a day off and I hope (if all goes well) to be in bed well before midnight tonight (sometime between 10:00 and 10:30 seems best). 

Now, with that said there is another problem that has been posed over the past few days - the weather.  Looking ahead to tomorrow looks like I'll be wet while in the tree, but alas, I hope the tree umbrella will help me out there!  If all else fails I have the tent blind set up and ready for action too, another way to keep dry on opening morning.

Lastly, since it is the opening weekend of the bow season my chances of going to church Sunday is highly unlikely.  Don't get me wrong, I find it incredibly important to go each week, but this Sunday I make an exception (and have for the last two years).  Call it "Our Lady of the Tree Stand" or what have you, but that is indeed where I will be; amongst God's beautiful creation and being a mindful steward of the creatures He has given us for sources of food (yes, deer is allowable, even under the Old Testament laws given to Moses).  And, as that steward, I will do my best to not get greedy or overzealous when it comes to the animals I will be seeking this hunting season (though a mix of animals would be nice).  I pray now, as I will in my stand tomorrow morning, that God will be with me and that He will bless the time I spend with Him and His creation this season (and especially tomorrow morning)!

Now may you, my deer reader, keep me in mind as you go to church this Sunday morning, and know that all of God's creation is beautiful, even when it looks like a steak.

Another month has come and gone, and surprisingly, the first month of the New Year went pretty darn fast. I am glad however, that we near spring and warmer weather once again. Just the thought of more snow makes my head turn in a Poltergeist kind of way. Don't get me wrong, I like snow and have enjoyed playing in the snow with my kids, but I really do enjoy the warmer months of the year.

I think I used to get cabin fever, that unrelenting feeling that you'll never see the outside world again, sometime between late November on through about the beginning of March. However, the past couple of years have seen a decline in that feeling. I suppose my taking up hunting as a new hobby has helped in this department, getting me out of doors at least a few times a month from October through the end of January. This, possibly, will keep cabin fever at bay - at least until April when I will actually be able to get out, work in the yard and see my perinnial flowers in bloom once again.

I will be outside doing other things of course. I have been asked by two unnamed suspects to do the Flying Pig half marathon this spring. This means I will have to get my running shoes out and get back into training mode yet again.

So, for all of you couch potatoes that feel the dread of winter creeping up on you, get out and do something. What our country needs is not another wonder pill to keep us thin, but just a little bit of movement to get the blood pumping a couple times a week. I am not suggesting that everyone get out and do a half or full marathon, just get out and walk for Pete's sake! There are pills for just about everything these days and little is done for one's health by one's self (I am not saying that all pills are evil, but just watch TV for a while and see how many commercials are now for some drug that will "improve" some bodily function that could be helped with proper dieting and exercise). Winter is drawing towards its close here in southern Ohio, start making plans to do some exploration, walk the local park, or go for a short run, some of you may even have a dog that could use the exercise, take your dog for a walk each day - you both might find you feel better in a matter of weeks.

As I get back into a running routine I will try to keep a log here as to how things are progressing. Those that read this, let me know how you are doing in the same respect. I'll be glad to cheer you on.

For a biblical perspective, take some time to read what the Apostle Paul says about exercise. Yes, even the Bible tells us to keep our bodies in shape - and I don't mean round. I Corinthians 9:23-25 While this isn't specifically speaking towards our physical attributes, it is helpful to know there are references to our physical well-being. Likewise, Hebrews 12:1-3 helps illustrate this point. As Christians, when we take serious our spiritual well-being, our physical well-being is also kept in check. Strengthen your mind and fix it on the work done on the cross and through the resurrection, and strengthen your body as well. For, you cannot have one without the other, if the body dies, so dies the mind contained within.

Since my youth I have loved and enjoyed being in the outdoors; fishing, hiking, exploring or just playing around in the woods. In recent years I have picked up the hobby of hunting, mostly for deer, and this by means of bow and arrow. My first year found no success, but good excitement and plenty of deer sightings. Last year I was successful and managed to take two deer, one buck and one doe. This deer season has been challenging, with plenty of deer sightings, however, I have been largely unsuccessful. I did manage to take a great deer in November, but have missed enough to make this season a frustrating one.

This year the state of Ohio increased the number of deer a hunter could harvest, double in all areas of the state from previous years. That said, where we live in the southern part of the state I could, in theory, harvest six deer from October through January. My problem this season has not been the inability to locate them, though their patterns have been much different this year, but my inability to judge distances in order to accurately place my shots. If my count is correct I have missed six shots due to distance. This is my frustration. These shots have all been short of the intended target, some as close as fifteen yards, most from 30 to 45 yards. I know there are products out there, laser range finders for example, that will help reduce greatly my inability to judge these distances, and in the off season I do plan to acquire one - I hope this will increase my chances of taking more and better deer.

My frustration was increased even more over the weekend as I cleaned out our refrigerator and freezer. Last year, with two deer in the freezer, that meat accounted for about 85% of my family's red meat intake. As I cleaned out the freezer I realized that I only have five packages of ground venison, not nearly enough to get through nine months of eating, especially when we have FOUR kids and our pseudo-adopted fifth - all who really do enjoy the venison over beef.

Thankfully, Ohio has a long bow season. I still have three weeks to try to get at least one more deer from the woods into my freezer. The good thing now, is that the deer where I am hunting are finally starting to get into a regular pattern and I should be able to take at least that one additional deer. The season is long, hunting can be frustrating, but it is worth the time spent when, at the end of the season, I can say that I provided for my family, myself and others - and with God's help I will do just that.

I really enjoy hunting, it is something I picked up only a few years ago, but I have found I am quite fond of it. However, I have a problem: I work second shift (until 11:00 pm) and like getting out in the woods before sunrise. That alarm clock sounds more and more like that annoying co-worker in the next cubicle that has no volume or tone control with their voice. Each time, after about the first month, I hear the alarms go off it gets harder and harder to get out of bed; and yet here I am at 12:53 in the am and I am typing this post. Am I just crazy?

6:00 am rolls around much quicker when you're sleeping!

Maybe tonight I will dream of that giant herd of deer that have no sense of smell, no sense of hearing and are all blind in one eye - I think my chances would be greatly increased if only I could find that herd. I'm not a trophy hunter, I enjoy a decent "mountable" animal, but I am more in it for the sport and the meat - yeah, I'm sure P.E.T.A. isn't going to like me any - I eat what I go after.

At any rate, the alarm is set, my gear is ready for the morning and the coffee pot timer is waiting for 5:50 am, at which point, when I fall off my side of the bed into my clothes I will at least have one small thing accomplished: Fresh Coffee!

Only five hours five minutes til' the alarms sound.

The 2008-2009 deer hunting season has begun! Day one was rather uneventful, I saw nothing that resembled a Whitetail Deer in the six to seven hours I was in the woods. I did manage to scare something off while attempting to get to my tree stand at about 6:15 am on day one. Day two was a bit different and that is what this post will be about.

Things started a bit slow, I was up and settled into my tree stand by 6:35 am; I waited patiently for any movement. There is a small field next to my parents’ property and I was just inside the wood line on a well traveled deer path. The sun rose at 7:29 and at 7:30 I noticed something small with a longer tail and thought it must be a fox. However, I noticed just after that another tail and the body of a coyote. Two coyotes entered the woods at about 45 yards; one headed slightly away from me and the other slightly towards my position. I drew back, and tried to guess the yardage as I got the animal sighted in. Just as I was about to loose an arrow it noticed me and ran away. Having seen these coyotes I figured I would see no deer in this position, but the morning was still very young and there was still hope.

Many squirrels, various birds and a raccoon gave me something to look at to pass the time. An hour after I’d seen the coyotes I noticed on the far side of the field two deer, slowly grazing towards me! I was surprised to see them coming from the same area the coyotes had approached from, but happy to see deer. After a few minutes they wandered off to my right into the woods, and I had begun to lose hope once again. I started to think about changing locations, but decided to stay put and stick it out. To my glee they returned only minutes later and there were now three of them! A mother and two fawns.

They made their way towards me once again and they got right up next to the wood line. After a few minutes one of the fawns entered the woods, jumping over a low spot in the fence. I had placed a small corn feeder along the deer path and the fawn headed straight for it. The other fawn entered as well and went right to the feeder as well. The mother was a little hesitant about jumping the fence, but after a few minutes she too entered the woods. I was standing at this point and waited for the mother to give me a good broadside shot, but her leeriness lead her to exit the woods. The fawns did not follow her, but continued to feed on the corn. About five minutes later the mother entered back into the woods but was fixing her eyes in my direction. She turned her head and I quickly drew back, she spotted me and lept back over the fence out into the field where I could not shoot.

The mother walked away and headed to the north, which was fine because a friend was sitting in a different place about 500 yards from me. He had a chance. So, I sat back down and decided to just watch the two fawns, still chomping at the corn. The mother had left the area about 8:50 and I had been watching all of this for just over 20 minutes at this point.
The two fawns ate and ate and ate some more. They had each spent about 30 – 40 minutes eating the corn. One had more of a black tail, the other more brown. The one with the black tail walked away, but I lost sight of it and focused more on the lighter colored fawn which was still eating. After a few more minutes it too walked away, but laid down only a few yards away from the feeder. Once it had laid down I noticed the other fawn which had also been laying about 25 yards from me. It stood up, raised it’s tail and did something I thought I would never see, hear or experience. The fawn with the black tail raised it’s tail and blew one of the loudest flatulations I had ever heard. The deer had farted! It laid itself right back down where it was.

All told I watch these deer for just over two hours, watching them lick themselves, get up only to move a few feet or yards, come back to the feeder, but they never noticed me or got scared by my presence. It took me more than five minutes to get them to leave before I got out of the stand to return to the house. I talked to them, clapped my hands, and even got to finish most of my coffee with a smoke before finally chasing them off. I recounted the events with my friend and my family that was there. We chuckled a bit and I showed a picture I had taken with my phone, the kids enjoyed the picture and the story of the deer that farted in the woods.
No, I didn’t shoot anything opening weekend, but it was interesting nonetheless.