The gun deer hunt season is one of Wisconsin's most eagerly awaited dates. As DNR secretary Matt Frank said this year "Deer hunting is part of the bedrock of our traditions in Wisconsin." Truer words could not be spoken. However, I take hunting from a more casual perspective. I have been deer hunting each year since the 80's, but not with the usual vigor of a Wisconsinite. I get up around dawnish, take a nice long lunch (maybe go back to the cabin), and get back for the final hour of the hunt. This year would be different! My friend, Birdman and I (who happens to be the spitting image of Captain Morgan, right down to the boots) declared that we would be "real" hunters this year. We woke up before 5:00, prepared and entered the woods in the thickness of night. There would be no lunch break this year!
I found my tree stand and settled in. The drips of the morning dew melting off the trees onto the fallen leaves of the forest was deafening (and annoying). Load drip, drip, drips until about 8:30 in the day. Interesting events did pass bye on this day. Birdman and I had Walkie Talkie's (great product name BTW) and at 7:06 this mature exchange happened. "Birdy what's up? I am taking care of business (#2 if you know what I mean)." I reply " I am playing BrickBreaker on my Blackberry. He replies "I hope no one is monitoring this channel." Classic stuff. Not your usual burly deer hunter exchange. At 7:17 a Rooster starts roosting again and again and again (for hours). At 7:35 other hunters (that we do not know) start talking on the same channel as us about a deer they saw and where they might track it. I ( sophomorically) reply "Hey keep it down, I am trying to play BrickBreaker here!" Birdy says, "Yeah and I am reading a book buddy!" Funny guys we were.
Monotonous fun was had all day. Our neighbors were lucky(?) enough to see someone drive by and shoot a deer from the road (Illegal) and poach it from their property. Long day indeed. Birdman and I were happy that we lasted all day and will try to repeat this in the future. The hunt is back on the week before Thanksgiving next year. Even though neither of us even saw a deer this year, the tradition will continue!
Pictures above: Predawn hunt, my "Taj MaGoldie" tree stand, the "surprise" when I opened the door of the tree stand(nice little wasp nest), a doe culled from our neighbors land, a dead coyote we stumbled upon, hunting in the stand, and empty handed after the "big" hunt.
Video of the view from my stand.
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