Ah! Deer Season!
I awoke early Sunday morning to the sound of gunfire ringing all around, rolled over and went back to sleep.
Yep...it's Deer Season in the Ozarks.
The first weekend seems to always be the noisiest. Saturday wasn't so bad here, but Sunday was. I guess it took the city boys awhile to traisped out my way.
All day long trucks and SUVs were rolling down our dirt roads. One truck went by with about 6 hunters in the back, all in their orange vests, riflebutts on their knee, barrels pointing upward. Quite a sight. Whenever I see stuff like that I just can't help but reflect back on my days being a city kid-Gawdalmighty, folks would freak right the hell out if they saw that rolling down their block. Here, it's no big deal. It's deer season. Hell, it wouldn't even draw much comment here if it wasn't deer season.
Jeez, I love it here.
I used to go out in my woods. But after numerous seasons of seeing, hearing but never bagging one I just gave up. Other than a set of camo that I kept in the buck shed so it'd get nice and stinky to mask the human stink, a stout hunting knife and a halfway decent rifle and ammo I had no other essential deer hunter accessories and one of my major concerns as I wiled away the early morn out in the woods was: 'Man! What IF I do get one? Then what?'
How would I get it back to the shack? The damn thing would nearly be as big as me! Sure, I could field dress it and lighten the load somewhat, but I would still have to haul it in by foot. Anyway,it was those kind of thoughts that put a kabosh on my big white hunter days. I kept to game I could manage easily-squirrels, rabbits, the occasional possum and whistlepig. I ain't sneaky enough for turkey.
In these parts commerce just about comes to a complete standstill during deer season.
One factory just goes ahead and shuts down for the first week, knowing that noones gonna show up anyway. Several local sawmills do the same. When Bill was around there was a noticible drop in calls for his services at that time. And those that did call were scheduling for after deer season. Suited him just fine-because he was out in the woods, too.
I can't help but be alittle apprehensive this time of year, though. Nearly every year we get a close call. A shot ringing out just alittle too close. We had one of those late yesterday afternoon. The younguns were out back, I was inside getting dinner ready and suddenly there was this thundering crack of a rifle. Enough so that it made me flinch and then the younguns came flying in through the backdoor, hollering that it sounded pretty close, like up on our hill.
"Stay inside" I told 'em. "I'll go check." That kinda crap pisses me off. Our land isn't posted, but dangit, good manners demand that if you want to hunt on someones land, please have the decency to ask. Don't just hop the fence like some big city rube...unless you are one, of course.
A good chunk of our property borders a dirt road, so I drove up it to see if anyone was up there, since the shot sounded like it came from that side of the property. We've had "road hunters" before, but it's been confined to a couple of locals we know. Not that that makes it OK, it's still wrong.
No sign of any vehicles-our stretch of the road was clear. I sat there for abit to see if I could hear any voices in the woods or anything else that would indicate folks was up in there.
Nothing.
I went back to the shack and just chalked it up to yet another 'deer season thang'.
Stray shots are a known hazzard this time of year here. But that one, I swear sounded so close, almost right in my driveway close. I had heard 4 wheelers tearing past the house about 5 minutes before I heard the shot, so I know whoever it was, they had to have been within less than a mile, maybe closer.
Y'know, I got almost 30 acres of woods and pasture that anyone would be welcomed to hunt on with my blessing-I wouldn't even ask for a deer ham in return. But, dangit! Ask first! It's a no brainer. Our house is right here. It'd only take a minute or 2.
Yep...it's Deer Season in the Ozarks.
The first weekend seems to always be the noisiest. Saturday wasn't so bad here, but Sunday was. I guess it took the city boys awhile to traisped out my way.
All day long trucks and SUVs were rolling down our dirt roads. One truck went by with about 6 hunters in the back, all in their orange vests, riflebutts on their knee, barrels pointing upward. Quite a sight. Whenever I see stuff like that I just can't help but reflect back on my days being a city kid-Gawdalmighty, folks would freak right the hell out if they saw that rolling down their block. Here, it's no big deal. It's deer season. Hell, it wouldn't even draw much comment here if it wasn't deer season.
Jeez, I love it here.
I used to go out in my woods. But after numerous seasons of seeing, hearing but never bagging one I just gave up. Other than a set of camo that I kept in the buck shed so it'd get nice and stinky to mask the human stink, a stout hunting knife and a halfway decent rifle and ammo I had no other essential deer hunter accessories and one of my major concerns as I wiled away the early morn out in the woods was: 'Man! What IF I do get one? Then what?'
How would I get it back to the shack? The damn thing would nearly be as big as me! Sure, I could field dress it and lighten the load somewhat, but I would still have to haul it in by foot. Anyway,it was those kind of thoughts that put a kabosh on my big white hunter days. I kept to game I could manage easily-squirrels, rabbits, the occasional possum and whistlepig. I ain't sneaky enough for turkey.
In these parts commerce just about comes to a complete standstill during deer season.
One factory just goes ahead and shuts down for the first week, knowing that noones gonna show up anyway. Several local sawmills do the same. When Bill was around there was a noticible drop in calls for his services at that time. And those that did call were scheduling for after deer season. Suited him just fine-because he was out in the woods, too.
I can't help but be alittle apprehensive this time of year, though. Nearly every year we get a close call. A shot ringing out just alittle too close. We had one of those late yesterday afternoon. The younguns were out back, I was inside getting dinner ready and suddenly there was this thundering crack of a rifle. Enough so that it made me flinch and then the younguns came flying in through the backdoor, hollering that it sounded pretty close, like up on our hill.
"Stay inside" I told 'em. "I'll go check." That kinda crap pisses me off. Our land isn't posted, but dangit, good manners demand that if you want to hunt on someones land, please have the decency to ask. Don't just hop the fence like some big city rube...unless you are one, of course.
A good chunk of our property borders a dirt road, so I drove up it to see if anyone was up there, since the shot sounded like it came from that side of the property. We've had "road hunters" before, but it's been confined to a couple of locals we know. Not that that makes it OK, it's still wrong.
No sign of any vehicles-our stretch of the road was clear. I sat there for abit to see if I could hear any voices in the woods or anything else that would indicate folks was up in there.
Nothing.
I went back to the shack and just chalked it up to yet another 'deer season thang'.
Stray shots are a known hazzard this time of year here. But that one, I swear sounded so close, almost right in my driveway close. I had heard 4 wheelers tearing past the house about 5 minutes before I heard the shot, so I know whoever it was, they had to have been within less than a mile, maybe closer.
Y'know, I got almost 30 acres of woods and pasture that anyone would be welcomed to hunt on with my blessing-I wouldn't even ask for a deer ham in return. But, dangit! Ask first! It's a no brainer. Our house is right here. It'd only take a minute or 2.
posted by white trash republican at Monday, November 13, 2006
7 Comments:
YOu "wouldn't even ask for a deer ham in return..."
Boy, you are generous. I'd ask for at least a couple of steaks.
We have one nutty neighbor who shot too close to my border yesterday. He's a punk and I am going to talk to his dad today.
A deer ham seems to be the rate of exchange here for hunting rights. Or so I've heard.
Yep, what is it about the season that seems to make all common sense flee from a body? (I know-they probably didn't have any to begin with.)
So you knuckle draggin' barbarian...have you got your deer yet? : )
Hear ya. One wonders if its only the deer that go into rut and act a little oblique. We had a guy up
here whose mules were getting shot during deer season. He took white paint and labeled 'MULE' on the side of his animals. One of them
got SHOT! So, we learn that painting CHILD on the little ones
isn't as wise as calling them in
when there is a 'war' outside?
Just as there are carless drivers there will always be people that are careless and care-less out there hunting. The care-less are the selfish people, don't consider anyone outside their own skin and look at any possible hunting ground as theirs for the taking. Shooting them is frowned on in most states however, so check your state's laws before you shoot very many of them.
Fish- I believe the laws here are quite lenient regarding trespassers.
; )
But I'll double check. I know you can shoot dogs that are ravaging your livestock with no penalty. It's kinda the same thing in a way.
30 acres! WTR, you are my hero more than ever. :-)
Pfffft! Hero-schmero. : )
Yep, 30 acres. But do I have a mule?
Nooooooooooo!
I demand my mule!!!
How can a person have 30 acres and NO MULE?!
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