Been up in the tree almost every day since Oct. 10 to get a better view of grass passing thru pool 9. Let several bucks pass, waiting for the big un with a bow or opening day of the gun season. Had seven bucks under the stand three days before gun season.
Over the past 20 years of gun hunting at my brother-in-laws place there has only been once that I didn’t tag a decent buck after a couple days in the tree….2005 marks the 2nd time this has happened, and I don’t know why.
Opening day I saw 28 does and one six pointer. The second day I saw 29 does and a little fork horn. The third day I saw seven does and the same little fork horn again.
Returning home, my neighbor called and said he shot a nice 10 pointer, 18 inch inside spread along our common fence on opening day of gun season. Could have launched an arrow at that deer TWICE, but won’t take shots over 30 yds and the closest he got was 40, standing broadside in a hayfield.
After 30 days of deer hunting and only filling two doe tags cause friends wanted venison it is getting tougher to maintain outside the ears standards for bucks and I almost would consider shooting a doe…because, honestly, I feel the urge to KILL something.
But then the does come in, totally clueless, and I tell myself there are two more gun seasons in Illinois, the bow season runs until January, and gun season in Wisconsin does too. So I let them walk.
Then that evening or the next morning, I’m back in the woods again and the little voice of Skippy, my evil twin, whispers “C’mon…dontcha wanna kill something ? Tenderloins on the grill for lunch!
The wind is now blowing out of the NW at 25-30. Not exactly ideal for deer hunting in the stand behind the house.
So here I am, logged on to IDA just like you are. Sitting at a keyboard rather than out there in the natural world.
That outside the ears buck will never knock on the door and stick around until I can load the gun or grab the bow. I must go out there in the woods and try to find him.
We all have demons and manitous. Mine are 150 inch or bigger bucks and walleyes over 10.
It would probably be easier just to slide into a steady downward spiral of booze and pills. Skippy would like that.
This can’t happen. God’s gifts have been too generous. Being born an American. Being reasonably healthy. Paying all the bills on time. Great wife. Great kids. And able to just go out and hunt or fish everyday.
Thanksgiving? Thanksgiving? How can we begin to give thanks? Maybe by picking up that bow and heading out to the woods…just because we can.
Happy Thanksgiving, y’all. Some of us have it better than others…but we all have it pretty darn good!!! 
November 23, 2005 at 8:01 pm
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