Watch out Bambi
|3.Nov.2007Today marks the first day of deer season and both Jeff and Lorne (my uncle and Jeff’s buddy), have been preparing for weeks, yes WEEKS. They’ve tilled the land, strategically planted peas, oats and carrots in patches and filled feeders with corn within sight of their stands. And for those that find the luring of deer with food a ghastly affair, remember that many more deer will benefit from the “crop” than will be taken and used to stock our freezer with various forms of venison.
In addition to planting, there is always the scouting of trails looking for tracks, the inspection and repairs on the deer stands, and of course, the purchasing of a license and gathering of “provisions”. Not being foolish men, they’ve zeroed in their rifles, making sure the scope settings are still spot on.
While the kids and I manned last weekend’s garage sale the boys men drove an hour away to bask in the utopia that is Gander Mountain, hitting a few bike shops on the way. It was a day of big dreams and little budgets, I assure you.
And then the blessed day they’ve been waiting for comes. They turn in earlier than usual, setting their alarms at an ungodly hour, and strategically place their hunting gear where they can dress without waking the rest of the family. A soft, hushed kiss tells me he’s gone so I don’t wake startled.
The season has started.
If they arrive home before lunch, like today, it isn’t good news…
…it means they didn’t spot anything. They’ll be disappointed and eagerly anticipating the next morning they can wake and give in to the invisible carnal tug that draws them deep into the woods for another early, wet, cold morning to sit…and wait.
They will also be frustrated with me for popping off shots and try to hide.
They fire rifles – I fire a lens. They can run, but they cannot hide.
Day 3: NoBloShoeMo
NoBloShoeMo: Thirty Days of Shoes
Every girl needs a pair of steel toed boots.
Yes, EVERY SINGLE ONE.
Even you.
19 Comments
Serene and Not Herd
Steel Toed Boots are rockin cool. A girl in steel toed boots is rockin hott!
This photo nearly redeems all the other NoBloShoeMo pix.
MMM
Sorry they didn’t get anything. I like how you explained (cuz you KNOW some people will get upset) that more deer will benefit from the crops than will be killed.
witchypoo
Houston, we have a blog site!
Many thanks to you and your WordPress Wednesdays. I will think of your venison while Hurricane Noel does the nasty to us this evening.
Can you add me to your fancy blogroll?
Please?
JenK
Crap. It starts today? I guess I need to clean out my freezer. Boo.
I guess this explains all the extra bow practice lately. I should pay more attention.
mamalang
Ahh, hunting season. My husband is in love with the idea of hunting…but not so much with the actual reality of it.
I spent a whole summer wearing steel toe workboots almost every day…that’s what you get when you work quality control in a frozen veggie plant. Steel toed boots help prevent cold and wet feet :)
Lanna
Wood cutting to my hubby must be like deer hunting to yours. Mine gets positively giddy over getting the saw tuned up. It’s really cute. Especially as I’m counting on him taking the kids out to help him as they get older. Yes, even the new one even if it is a girl. If we can find small steel-toed boots… ;)
Angella
Sweet boots!
Matthew wants to learn how to hunt. Maybe I’ll send him to Texas ;)
Jenna
Mmmboots.
And so. Can I say? It’s nice to see someone “blogging” about hunting season. I talked about hunting once and got lambasted. Eesh. So thanks for making me not feel like a freak of a blogger.
That said, we’re still in bow season out here. My Husband is all stoked that his grandfather bought him some strange hat with a camo cover over the face. He almost forgot it today. The horror.
Laurel Wreath
The season where tons of us become widows for a few months. My friend when she got married was told she is not allowed to have any babies during hunting season. Because you know…there are priorities. =))
OMSH
serene and not herd – I couldn’t agree with you more, it was HOT in those boots today! HA!
Crackin’ up that I was able to redeem nobloshoemo!
MMM – I am sure I will get a few of those emails, but y’know, this is my blog and they can write about my bloodthirsty ways on their blog.
When we killed the Copperhead, there was quite a bit of blogging about how horrible I was to KILL a DEADLY snake. So, I can only imagine what my blog post title will draw.
witchypoo – FIRST! Congratulations and YES! I will add you to my fancy blogroll. Eeek – you’re in the path of the hurricane? I expect updates if you don’t lose your electricity. Be safe!
JenK – Bow hunters your way, eh? Yes, well we do have a tendency to keep our heads buried when we think we need to clean out our freezers! HA!
mamalang – He likes to dream of hunting, but actually getting out there and getting eaten alive by bugs while sitting still for hours isn’t appealing? What is WRONG with the man?
Lanna – Wood-cutting? Well, I do believe chainsaws are euphoric for any male. Mine would be very excited over readying a chainsaw too. Maybe not so much over an ax, but a chainsaw, definitely.
Hmmmm… wonder if you can dress a deer with a chainsaw? Ewwwww…
Angella – Well, check it out – send him here to hunt and then to Lanna’s to cut wood. He’ll be absolutely worn out by the end of the season!
Jenna – Lambasted? Well, I’ve been there and done that. BRING IT ON. No seriously, I don’t want to get lambasted, but this is a part of life around here and it puts food on my table, so hey … I take seriously the fact that God supplied the earth with both vegetable AND animals for man.
Oooh, camo covered faces – NO FLESH SHOWING. Did he get anything yet?
Laurel Wreath – Widows – yep. CRACKING UP at the priorities. That and football. I got married too close to Superbowl and nearly came unglued when mine wanted to get home quickly the night after our wedding to WATCH THE GAME.
I should have known THEN.
As I stated yesterday … boys will be boys.
Jen
Eeee … good luck hunting! I’m not against hunting – I’m just against ME hunting – I’m scared spitless of woods! Good thing I’m not a man …
Yay for NaBloPoMo!!!!!!
Belinda
Oh, sweet merciful heavens, my husband is excited about the chance to blast away at Bambi in a couple of weeks. And he’s asking me to GO WITH HIM next week as a kind of pre-amble to his REAL hunting trip. I may burst my own appendix to keep from hurting his feelings.
BOSSY
Those boots are made for stompin’.
Sleeping Mommy
I guess all my uncles must be out today then. Every last one of them are hunters—oh except for Bob. But he’s a bit of a douche, so never mind him.
karen
Want to send them to my yard? I don’t have to plant anything special and we get deer all day long!
Holley
Night before last, we went to investigate the killer cocker spaniel’s latest corner. We found a doe, bedded down under the pecan tree in our side yard. She was totally nonplussed by the barking nuisance running circles around her. The hubby is practically licking his chops. Too bad she wears a collar. She belongs to distant neighbors. She has twins that usually follow her. Her name is Sweetie-pie.
Liz C
I hope your fellows have better luck than the men in my family. Dad and my brothers did Nature a favored and culled the Dork Deer from the family herd up at the cabin. I’m seriously concerned about anyone eating meat from these deer, because they were Seriously Dorky. As in, a forken horn on One Side Only. As in, one antler standing up, and the other curving downward. Far Side Dork Deer.
On chainsaws… last year, not only did Dad buy a new saw, he bought saw-resistant CHAPS to coordinate with them, and was just gleeful.
I married a city boy who still thinks it’s possible to plant enough garden for the deer, AND for the family. It’s kind of sweet.
zoe
gun season starts here on the 15th. damn it all. they have a buck pole down the road from me and i have to drive by it every day…it makes me cry :(