Hunting is gear-centered and it’s easy to forget some of the most essential items on “one of those days.” I remember the first time my daughter went deer hunting with me. As a teenager girl, she was very athletic and totally focussed on her friends. They didn’t hunt and despite my invitations, she showed no interest. Visiting for the Thanksgiving holiday at age 26 must brought back memories of my hunting adventures and I was elated when she asked to go deer hunting on opening day.
Make it Perfect
I belong to a private hunting club and had an established stand where I often passed up smaller bucks to take a 6-point or possibly a small 8-point. This isn’t a trophy area, yet I often passed 1.5-year-old bucks as a matter of principle. Alex didn’t like tree stands, so I built a small ground blind, the weather seemed clear and cold, and I was way more excited than my “little girl.”
Easy Access
We were able to drive within 200 yards of my hunting spot, but being in place at first light was critical. Deer often moved from heavily hunted ground onto our lease and we needed to be there to intercept. To assure everything was perfect, I loaded up my SUV the night before the hunt so that all we had to do was grab coffee, climb in, and head for the woods. The day would be cold and I found suitable camo, blaze orange outerwear, and a soft cushion to be still and comfortable.
Let’s Hunt
I could hardly believe that we were going to hunt together as father and daughter. I was so excited, I wouldn’t carry a gun to concentrate on getting Alex her first deer. We drove to our concealed parking spot and began getting our gear by headlamp. “Where’s the rifle???” I thought as I searched frantically through the car. Unbelievably, I had forgotten to put it with the other gear. Feeling like the biggest idiot on earth, I drove back down the mountain, raced 20 minutes to my home fortunate not to get a speeding ticket, and returned. A full hour after sunrise, we arrived back at the stand and, for the first time ever, did not see a buck.
Larry Weishuhn had one of “those days” in the post from the Scout website. You will enjoy his adventure…
The day had been a long one planting okra and Tecomate blends for wildlife, picking several gallons of delicious dewberries, even a bit of fishing in the pothole of the seasonal creek. To say the least my back was aching. Simply another day on “the place”, my bit of Texas. I was ready for a break, one to simply relax for a few minutes. I headed back to my vehicle parked under a giant live oak, one which had been big even back when I was simply a youngster barely “out of short britches”. I pulled back the front seat of my Dodge Journey to grab the .357 Mag Ruger Blackhawk revolver I kept there. It was not there!
http://www.scout.com/outdoors/hunting/story/1775567-one-those-days
