Got up a couple hours before dawn today and got moving to go deer hunting. First time deer hunting this year, and haven’t found a deer in several years now. Today was with a new hip since March and 55 fewer pounds since February. I’ve been looking forward to this for awhile now. Plus, I put a new heater in the truck. It’s so nice to have heat again.
I stopped at Black Bear Store for coffee, and made my way out the road. I was headed to a spot I’d taken one of my best deer with Brian several years ago, and I’ve been back a few times since. Part of the jaunt involved a fairly steep climb up and down a low ridge that would be the first challenge like it to the new hip. Doc said I was good to go on my last consult, so I felt good about it.
I had a hard time finding the “trail”. Either the sports group that sort of maintains the trail hasn’t done it in awhile, or I just plain missed it. I fought through the old logging cuts and blueberries, but knew I had 9 hours of daylight and plenty of time to get a good hike in, and just took my time.
I got up the hill to the bottom of the small knob, and worked my way along the muskegs along the base. I called in one or two muskegs before I got to the one I thought was my turn up and over the knob to the country on the other side. I called in a doe at the last muskeg. No buck with her, and she didn’t stick around. But a deer already, and I hadn’t even started climbing in earnest yet.
I started up the saddle and worked my way to the top. I checked Onx and I was a mile in. Wow. I have not hunted that far from the beach or truck in a long time. And I felt good. Until I fell in a little muskeg hole, went down to my knees and elbows in the water. Gun went in, too. The usual.
I never was quite sure today if I was going to the “right” place I went to on the other hunts, but tried to keep from going down the wrong hill that might not lead where I wanted to go. The Onx app is quite the technology. It’s sort of like seeing a deer call work that first time- I never go hunting without it, and would be at a loss if I did. Onx is the same. I called at a couple spots in big timber where I could see a good ways. After calling at the second spot, I looked downhill and – oooh- that’s what I’ve been looking for. A muskeg I hadn’t noticed til now. Just as I got down to level ground to sit down and call at the edge of the muskeg I saw movement- I was busted. A doe nervously started walking away. Oh. And she’s got a boyfriend. I tweeted lightly on the call, and that just made her move faster. I stood still for a few moments to see if they might come back, then slowly crept along to the direction the pair had headed. And there was Romeo, who stuck around to see if he might find another girlfriend. I dropped my pack and got a rest and jacked a shell in the chamber. Only, I didn’t need to. There already was a shell in the chamber. Well, Romeo didn’t like that, and he walked out of sight. I crept up to see better, and they were gone. Cool! My first chance of the year. I only got one chance all of last year. I think I always choke on the first buck of the year. Just a little rusty, and you learn for the next one.
I checked the Onx and realized I didn’t have to backtrack the way I came in. I could just keep going around this side of the knob and get back to the road in a circle. I just hoped there wasn’t a reason I shouldn’t do that – like a cliff or something. I still had 6 hours of daylight left, so plenty of time to figure it out. I hunted my way back to the truck the rest of the morning into the early afternoon. Wow, some nice deer country I’ve never seen before. And lots of sign. I saw three more does – one with a yearling – for a total of seven deer for the day. That’s a great day for any day I go deer hunting. I’ll take it. I usually expect to see fewer deer on the road system than I do from the boat, but then again, I’m not used to hunting this far in from the road.
I worked my way down the knob out of the last muskeg, where I ate a lunch of smoked coho salmon out of the jar and called in a doe. When I reached the road, it was kind of narly getting down to the ditch and up to the road. I was doing well until I side-hopped across the ditch, stumbled, and fell spread eagle onto the road like only I can do. So much practice. The gun slammed to the road, too. I lay there a second, and realized I wasn’t injured. But no more hunting till I check the gunsights, for sure. I walked about 100 yards back uphill to the truck. I got out of my spiked boots and rain gear and wet coat. Love the new frog toggs overall rain pants. What I had a hard time grasping was that my knees weren’t aching like crazy. At all. Last time I remember that happening was. Well. Never. They seem to like carrying around alot less lard, it appears. I feel like I’m 40 again.
I made my way down to the bottom of the hill in the truck with the new heater on full blast, sipping coffee from the little Thermos Ken left me this summer. I found a flat open spot at the bottom where I could check my gun sight, and parked off the one lane road. When I got out I looked back up the road, and here comes an SUV down the road behind me! I’d parked at nearly the end of the road, so these people must have been out that little bit more of road and I missed them. I’m guessing they were road hunting. I pulled back onto the road and didn’t shoot there.
When I got to another spot I could shoot – at a pull off to a long logging road that goes well up a drainage, I looked around for something to make a target out of in the lot. There was an abandoned tire on the lot down range I could stand upright, and a big wood round uprange that would work for a rest. I found a bucket in the back of the truck, taped my neon yellow renewal notice for our PO Box to it, then made an X on the paper with black tape. I set the bucket on top of the upturned tire, and put a rock in the bucket to keep it there.
During the time I was doing all this, three trucks came out of the road, a few minutes apart. I’m guessing these were more road hunters. I took aim and shot once to check the gun sight. As my friend Ron told me, it’s the first shot that counts. I walked down to check the shot. Spot on! What a relief not to have to adjust the scope.
I enjoyed the truck heat on the way home. Wow, was it nice. Blue sky and light winds. Not the weather they called for yesterday.
Back at the ranch, I got all my soggy gear hung up, and my cork boots on the boot drier. I took a hot shower and marveled that knees still didn’t ache. Then I checked the weather for tomorrow. Not a gale! For one day only! Then even bigger gales then we’ve been seeing forecast for the weekend. So, I got busy getting things ready for the skiff- a ditch bag, the spare heater, and the new portabote. Looking forward to hunting from a beach tomorrow.
