Birthdays are awesome!

Gift certificate to the local sporting goods store for my birthday from my Dad! And a Bushnell Rangfinder from Mike and Claire! Best birthday EVER!

Nothin’. Nada.

I spent every chance I had in the woods in a stand.  With no luck.  I got the chance to see the biggest woodpecker I’ve ever seen in my life, about a million squirrels.  And one bobcat. (I took a shot at him but missed.)

Is that considered a successful hunting season?  What constitutes a great season? 

For me, this has been a dream season.  It was a season of firsts.  First bow. First trip up a tree.  First hunting trip.  First deer.  It’s been amazing.

I can’t wait for next year.

Boeuf Bourguignon

Claire and I watched “Julie and Julia”.  I was inspired to cook boeuf bourguignon which is just a fancy French way of saying beef stew.  I got out my copy of “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” by Julia Child.  I made it with some of the venison from my Alabama deer and beef so technically it wasn’t just boeuf bourguignon. We made a heck of a mess in the kitchen, but it turned out really well.

The pictures don’t look great, but it was really good.

Best Christmas Ever!

I got binoculars and an archery target! SCORE!  Still no deer! Sniff.

 

And my tree is pretty too!

Mike was right.

It is probably a rare thing that a wife puts in black and white that her husband was right.  But he was.  And is.

“You do know that hunting here isn’t going to be anything like hunting at The Shed? Right?”

I was certain he was mistaken.  I am after all a Woodland Ninja.  Deer can’t help it.  They just come to me.

Um. Yeah. 

I’ve been hunting EVERY chance I get.  I’ve seen about a gazillion squirrels.  As a matter  of fact, I’m probably going to have to seek therapy after seeing two squirrels doing…ahem…well…never mind.

Are there ACTUALLY deer out there or is just some guy wearing deer hoof shoes tricking me?

Yep. Still scary.

Note to self:  Make sure the batteries work in your flashlight. It’s dark.  REALLY dark.

Dark is scary.

Note to self: Make sure you actually HAVE your flashlight next time you’re going to be getting out of the stand after dark.

Meridian Star Article

Mike Giles at the Meridian Star wrote a very nice piece about The Shed and my first deer! I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Mike! Great guy!

The Meridian Star!

HOLY CRAP!

Billie invited me to hunt with her on her lease.  She neglected to tell me that I’d be in a lock on stand 75 feet in the air. 

First thing: I am TERRIFIED of heights.  Here I was thinking I was badass because I've been 12 feet up in the air in a ladder stand.  I was mistaken.

Second thing: I am SHORT and CHUNKY! Climbing sticks are not made for me.

Pride can be a fairly strong motivator.  We crept through the darkness to arrive at the stand.  It was beautifully placed between two green fields.  She assured me I would definitely see deer.  I stood at the base of the tallest tree in the WORLD and tried not to poop my pants.  There was no way I was wussing out.  And so, I climbed.

About half way up I began to have second thoughts.  Pride goeth before the fall.  I was pretty sure I was about to be a literal example of that.  I was sucking wind, sweat POURING down my neck, CERTAIN I was about to die when I spotted the platform.  Oh beautiful safety.  But wait, what’s that I see?  A LIMB!

A mother trucking LIMB! That I was going to have to somehow throw my short legs OVER to get into the stand. 

Billie was below me, quietly encouraging me.  I began to seriously question our friendship.  Had I somehow angered her?  Did she secretly hate me?

Somehow, I can’t tell you how but I managed to get into the stand and immediately CLUNG to the tree for dear life.  I finally secured my harness and turned around and sat.  Once my heartbeat had quieted in my ears, I heard Billie below.

“You ok?”

“Yep. Just great!”

“Ok, I’ll be back for ya in a bit.  Good luck.”

I was pretty sure I’d emptied my luck bucket on the climb up.

I had a wonderful hunt.  Turns out I was only 14 feet up.  I saw three does and a young buck.  Unfortunately none were within bow range.  Despite that it was a good day.

Around 11, Billie came back to rescue get me.  Holy crap!  I’d forgotten about down.  What comes up, must come down?

I considered asking her to call the fire department.  She gamely climbed up and then climbed down with me.  Good friends are hard to come by! 

I am certain that neither my climbing up OR down was pretty sight.  But I am proud to say, I did it!

This is me.  Wishing I had my inhaler.  And longer legs.

Lagniappe

Pictures from my first foray into hunting:

Billie slinging a few arrows.

Deep, serious bow hunting discussions.

Me in the stand.

These make me smile!  I saw LOTS of them!

Last stand, last day to hunt.

Me and Bille.  This is really all her fault.

Billie, Me, Tes, Kathy, Michelle and Linda.