I have been meaning to write a post about my first hunting trip. My grandfather owns some land near Hytop that we call the "North Forty". Common tradition among the men on my mother's side of the family mandated an annual deer-hunting trip around Christmas time. I never chose to participate in prior years because I have never desired to kill nor enjoyed killing animals. I do not even like to kill bugs or snakes, I am a big softy. I always imagine myself having to survive in the wild and so I needed to know that if I had to kill a deer I could. I also love venis
on.
So I borrowed a gun, found a responsible adult to accompany me (at my wife's bidding :-), and set off into the wild. Back in the day, forging the river onto the property required a 4-wheel drive truck. A few years ago a hunting club that shares the same entrance had a concrete pipe bridge poured. It brought back memories of forging the river after a rainstorm to rescue the boy scouts who where trapped on the other side. I was in the bed of my Grandfather's huge Dodge Ram truck and the water was lapping into the bed when we stalled in the middle of the river. Water was all through the cab also and the currents were racing around the truck. My grandfather climbed out onto the hood of his truck and pulled his wench cable out then managed to throw it to the other side of the river after a couple o
f tries. The Boy Scout leaders on the other side wrapped it around a tree and the truck was wenched out. I do not remember how we got back across.
Driving safely across a sturdy bridge really paled in comparison to the excitement of that adventure. After crossing the river you drive about a mile through fields and woods to arrive at a pleasant little cabin that seems out of place amidst its wilderness home. This cabin is new and comes fully equipped with gas heat, bunks, picnic table, and wood burning stove. To reminisce a little more, there used to be an actual log cabin but it accidentally burned down. It is kind of family thing that no one talks about and so I have never really obtained the details.
Well we arrived about noon and was it ever cold! It was colder inside the cabin than outside. We made the mistake of not turning on the gas heater to keep the place warm before we left to hunt. I located a tree stand at the
far end of the property and there I sat, and sat, and sat....... I was dosing in and out of consciousness as I sat, and sat, and sat....... Did not see a deer or even a squirrel. I do not believe I even heard a squirrel. There were a couple of birds but that was it. Now to some this might seem kind of boring but it was actually very nice. It was the first break like that I had taken in years. It was perfectly sublime peace, without a single unnatural perturbation to interfere with thought. It was nice to hear the light rustle of the leaves as the wind rolled through the valley, and to watch the mountain shadow ascend as the sun was eclipsed behind its peak. The only drawback: I lost feeling in my toes because of the cold. When it became dark, I very carefully crawled down my tree stand ladder because my feet were almost as cold as my toes. Arrived back at the cabin and it was even colder inside the cabin! We wasted no time it starting the gas furnace.
I would continue to go on in great detail about my hunting experience but it was a repeat the following morning and evening of Saturday. Although I found dear feces and dear tracks everywhere I never saw a dear. So would I have had the courage to pull the trigger??? who knows - maybe next trip will reveal it.
- Jude
on.So I borrowed a gun, found a responsible adult to accompany me (at my wife's bidding :-), and set off into the wild. Back in the day, forging the river onto the property required a 4-wheel drive truck. A few years ago a hunting club that shares the same entrance had a concrete pipe bridge poured. It brought back memories of forging the river after a rainstorm to rescue the boy scouts who where trapped on the other side. I was in the bed of my Grandfather's huge Dodge Ram truck and the water was lapping into the bed when we stalled in the middle of the river. Water was all through the cab also and the currents were racing around the truck. My grandfather climbed out onto the hood of his truck and pulled his wench cable out then managed to throw it to the other side of the river after a couple o
f tries. The Boy Scout leaders on the other side wrapped it around a tree and the truck was wenched out. I do not remember how we got back across.Driving safely across a sturdy bridge really paled in comparison to the excitement of that adventure. After crossing the river you drive about a mile through fields and woods to arrive at a pleasant little cabin that seems out of place amidst its wilderness home. This cabin is new and comes fully equipped with gas heat, bunks, picnic table, and wood burning stove. To reminisce a little more, there used to be an actual log cabin but it accidentally burned down. It is kind of family thing that no one talks about and so I have never really obtained the details.
Well we arrived about noon and was it ever cold! It was colder inside the cabin than outside. We made the mistake of not turning on the gas heater to keep the place warm before we left to hunt. I located a tree stand at the
far end of the property and there I sat, and sat, and sat....... I was dosing in and out of consciousness as I sat, and sat, and sat....... Did not see a deer or even a squirrel. I do not believe I even heard a squirrel. There were a couple of birds but that was it. Now to some this might seem kind of boring but it was actually very nice. It was the first break like that I had taken in years. It was perfectly sublime peace, without a single unnatural perturbation to interfere with thought. It was nice to hear the light rustle of the leaves as the wind rolled through the valley, and to watch the mountain shadow ascend as the sun was eclipsed behind its peak. The only drawback: I lost feeling in my toes because of the cold. When it became dark, I very carefully crawled down my tree stand ladder because my feet were almost as cold as my toes. Arrived back at the cabin and it was even colder inside the cabin! We wasted no time it starting the gas furnace.I would continue to go on in great detail about my hunting experience but it was a repeat the following morning and evening of Saturday. Although I found dear feces and dear tracks everywhere I never saw a dear. So would I have had the courage to pull the trigger??? who knows - maybe next trip will reveal it.
- Jude
