As an adventurer, the landscape is always finding new experiences to try--some by choice and some by happenstance. I am just arriving back from the latter, I was invited to do something that I had never done before and probably would not choose to do if given the chance. While in Florida we were staying with my Beloved’s parents when her father, Mr. W. asked if I would like to see what deer hunting is like. It just so happened that two of my brothers-in-law were going up to Georgia (USA) to a regular spot and had stopped by for breakfast on the way. Mr. W. joins them fairly regularly and asked if I wanted to go. Generally I have little interest in such things, but this part of my family are hunters and fishers and real outdoorsy-type folks, so I have heard numerous stories of “the hunt camp” and sitting in the deer stand, etc. Seeing that this would be a rare opportunity to see this in person I took him up on the offer.
It made Mr. W.’s day/week/month to be able to introduce me to the grand sport of deer hunting, so we began to make ready all things necessary to go to the hunting camp. There were numerous firearms, lots of camo clothes, food to be packed, and all sorts of cold-weather gear. During the course of the packing Mr. W. asked me if I wanted to actually hunt, to fire a weapon in the general direction of quarry. I hadn’t thought that I would, I supposed I would be content to be there and see the ordeal, maybe take a few photos, but getting the idea that he was very interested in increasing the probability of coming home with deer meat in the cooler I told him yes, I would actually shoot if the chance presented itself.
Six hours’ drive later we were in Georgia, I am not sure where. Swainsboro. Chatowalla. Tannbull. We purchased a three-day “out of state guest” hunting license, which was way more expensive than I thought it would be, ($120) and settled into the campground about 9:30PM. Hunt camp is not totally without modern conveniences, between the two brothers and Mr. W. there were three travel trailers, with accommodation for as many as 15 people. TV, hot showers, warm beds, beautiful scenery, it is really a pleasant space.
Grab a shower with scent-free soap and get to sleep, we will roll out at 4:40AM, got to be in the stand before first light.
Get up and start pulling on clothes, it is about 34 degrees outside. Two eggs, coffee, toast and grits, then load up to drive down to the hunt site. They are part of a club and have access to over 1400 acres on which to hunt. Johnson Creek, Rick’s Stand, and this morning we are going to The Cedar Stand. I have been given use of a Remington 12 gauge shotgun shooting a solid one-ounce slug of lead. Not quite as much reach as a rifle, but proven lethal at up to 75 yards. Unlock the gate, drive a quarter mile into the forest. Park, and a few instructions before getting out of the truck--be very quiet, and spray a combination of scent-remover (to get rid of the human scent) and oak scent (deer love acorns) and raccoon scent on your boots, throw in a little female-deer scent for the luckless buck on the prowl. It’s a veritable nasal symphony. In the dark we are looking for small reflectors on the trees about eye-level, these lead us to the stand, which is a ladder with a small platform at the top thereof, which we find and ascend as quietly as possible. In the gathering light you look for anything that is deer-shaped, and in the event you see said deer you attempt to shoot it as close to the heart as possible. We looked, but never saw a thing, and Mr. W., shivering after three hours in the near-freezing cold decided we’d had enough. Welcome to hunting.
For walking quietly, sitting still and looking intently I got an A-plus and was upgraded to “hunter,” and declared fit to sit by myself in the evening hunt. I was dropped off at another site by myself and given a radio to speak with Mr. W. to know when I would be picked-up. A beautiful sunset and a couple rabbits but no deer.
Back at camp the primary conversation revolves around speculation as to where the deer will be moving and the best spots to intercept them. It is determined that the deer are working a different time of activity than had been planned for , so tomorrow morning we will get in the stands about 8:30 instead of 6:00. This proves to be a good idea, we at least see deer moving this time.
I need to tell about this fascinating device for a minute--the climber. The climber is a deer stand perch that enables you to get 15 feet or 20 feet or however many feet off the ground that you want to climb. It is an amazing piece of engineering, it works in two pieces that uses leverage to “climb” the tree. (We are hunting in pine trees, so its about like climbing a telephone pole!) You set the lower piece for your feet and lift the upper piece, the seat, as high as it will go. Then you sedge it onto the tree and using your feet bring the lower piece up close and then set it in place. Repeat until you are as high as you want to be in the tree. Then the waiting, I mean hunting begins.
Mr. W. shot at a pair of bucks, and, thinking he had hit one was on the ground looking for evidence (blood). I went down to look with him, shortly after his shot I had seen the silhouette of a deer about 40 yards away in a thicket. While we were conversing about it four other deer ran across the open space about 50 yards from us! Mr. W. was enraged that his talking would scare off more deer! We went down to the thicket and encountered one more deer, that I fired at, missing. We wrapped up at 1:00PM and did not hunt again that day.
We decided we would go to the same space the following morning, which we did, however we saw no deer that final morning. It was colder than any day before and it was decided that the deer think it is too cold to be out and about as well, so we called it a day.
All in all I was deemed fit for hunting and my stock went up a little in the in-laws family now that I are a hunter. It’s not something that I will take up as a hobby but given the opportunity I would do it again.
It made Mr. W.’s day/week/month to be able to introduce me to the grand sport of deer hunting, so we began to make ready all things necessary to go to the hunting camp. There were numerous firearms, lots of camo clothes, food to be packed, and all sorts of cold-weather gear. During the course of the packing Mr. W. asked me if I wanted to actually hunt, to fire a weapon in the general direction of quarry. I hadn’t thought that I would, I supposed I would be content to be there and see the ordeal, maybe take a few photos, but getting the idea that he was very interested in increasing the probability of coming home with deer meat in the cooler I told him yes, I would actually shoot if the chance presented itself.
Grab a shower with scent-free soap and get to sleep, we will roll out at 4:40AM, got to be in the stand before first light.
Get up and start pulling on clothes, it is about 34 degrees outside. Two eggs, coffee, toast and grits, then load up to drive down to the hunt site. They are part of a club and have access to over 1400 acres on which to hunt. Johnson Creek, Rick’s Stand, and this morning we are going to The Cedar Stand. I have been given use of a Remington 12 gauge shotgun shooting a solid one-ounce slug of lead. Not quite as much reach as a rifle, but proven lethal at up to 75 yards. Unlock the gate, drive a quarter mile into the forest. Park, and a few instructions before getting out of the truck--be very quiet, and spray a combination of scent-remover (to get rid of the human scent) and oak scent (deer love acorns) and raccoon scent on your boots, throw in a little female-deer scent for the luckless buck on the prowl. It’s a veritable nasal symphony. In the dark we are looking for small reflectors on the trees about eye-level, these lead us to the stand, which is a ladder with a small platform at the top thereof, which we find and ascend as quietly as possible. In the gathering light you look for anything that is deer-shaped, and in the event you see said deer you attempt to shoot it as close to the heart as possible. We looked, but never saw a thing, and Mr. W., shivering after three hours in the near-freezing cold decided we’d had enough. Welcome to hunting.
Back at camp the primary conversation revolves around speculation as to where the deer will be moving and the best spots to intercept them. It is determined that the deer are working a different time of activity than had been planned for , so tomorrow morning we will get in the stands about 8:30 instead of 6:00. This proves to be a good idea, we at least see deer moving this time.
I need to tell about this fascinating device for a minute--the climber. The climber is a deer stand perch that enables you to get 15 feet or 20 feet or however many feet off the ground that you want to climb. It is an amazing piece of engineering, it works in two pieces that uses leverage to “climb” the tree. (We are hunting in pine trees, so its about like climbing a telephone pole!) You set the lower piece for your feet and lift the upper piece, the seat, as high as it will go. Then you sedge it onto the tree and using your feet bring the lower piece up close and then set it in place. Repeat until you are as high as you want to be in the tree. Then the waiting, I mean hunting begins.
Mr. W. shot at a pair of bucks, and, thinking he had hit one was on the ground looking for evidence (blood). I went down to look with him, shortly after his shot I had seen the silhouette of a deer about 40 yards away in a thicket. While we were conversing about it four other deer ran across the open space about 50 yards from us! Mr. W. was enraged that his talking would scare off more deer! We went down to the thicket and encountered one more deer, that I fired at, missing. We wrapped up at 1:00PM and did not hunt again that day.
All in all I was deemed fit for hunting and my stock went up a little in the in-laws family now that I are a hunter. It’s not something that I will take up as a hobby but given the opportunity I would do it again.
No comments:
Post a Comment