Grouse Hollow Journal for September 10, 2015 by Greg Koelker
“Give a man a deer and he’ll feed his family for a year. Teach a man to hunt and he’ll spend all day sitting in a tree playing with his phone.” Author unknown. I saw this message on a t-shirt, and it reminded me that I resolved last fall to leave my phone in my pocket while deer hunting from now on. I’ll see if that happens soon as the hunt is upon us.
Early teal and goose and some bear hunting seasons are open already, and the 2015 archery and crossbow deer, small game, and fall wild turkey seasons open on Saturday morning somewhere around a quarter after 6 in Vernon County time. I probably won’t be out there then. I hope to be out there the second evening of the season though - if I am physically up for it after just getting home from a trip to Colorado.
In 40 years of sharp stick hunting, I have taken four bucks on the second evening of the bow hunt, so I guess that night is sort of my lucky night. In retrospect, I realize I have had that luck early because the critters are just not that wary yet. The early season is fraught with some peril for hunters too. The biggest one is bugs - mosquitoes to be more exact. Even high up in a tree the little suckers buzz in your ears and bite through your gloves and pants legs. The buzz is worse than the bite I think. I do have a ThermaCell insect repellent device, but I haven’t tried it for hunting. Deer have better olfactory glands than bloodhounds and I can’t but think that deer must smell that stuff too. Of course being high up in a tree is one of those perils for someone as gracefully challenged as me. The leaf cover is thick too, so seeing is harder. Still whiling away an evening as an orange sun fades into the Minnesota bluffs is such a pleasant way to meditate and soak up quiettime that risking the bugs and falls and such is worth it.
Most deer hunters know that deer hunting is not just something that happens during those legal hunting dates. It is a 365 day a year occupation - no make that preoccupation. At every get together with other hunters, we talk about deer hunting: last season, the weather, the interesting things we saw like bobcats and bears and ruffed grouse and coyotes, and the interesting happenings and accidents and such. Of course we talk about deer; seen and unseen, deer sign and big bucks mostly. We share trail camera photos and discuss food plots and tree stand placement and new gear. We often share plans and dreams like a Colorado elk hunt or a Wyoming mule deer hunt. We might talk about memories of hunting buddies that have moved on. Our friend Gregg Sikora’s dad passed away a couple weeks ago and I know Gregg will be thinking about his dad and memories of hunts and fishing trips with his dad a lot this fall, and I know our family group all have departed members of the hunting party on their minds at least some of the time. I know many older guys who used to hunt but still like to hear the talk and share a story or two. You can learn a lot from old people so listen.
There is also plenty to do in the off season. I had Ron Gerke at Ace Sportsland in La Crosse tune up my old Browning bow and cut me some new carbon arrows after two of my dwindling supply shattered the first time I started target shooting in August. I also have to find and wash my hunting clothes with no-scent detergent and hang them out in the open air. We have one more ladder stand to place somewhere and brush to clear yet. Most importantly, I have to practice shooting much more on targets to have some chance on the real item come that time I get in the woods.
Until next time, get out - some astute reader has most likely asked themselves, “Why doesn’t he just leave his phone in his truck or even home?” Well, it has a great camera in it and takes nice video and, well, just maybe I might fall out of my stand and need help - this has happened when I didn’t have a phone. Anyway, I’ll have it along and hopefully get some good pictures with it; oops! I almost forgot that I am not going to have it out while hunting . . . maybe, unless I get bored! NO, I AM turning it off - or at least putting it on just vibrate anyway and in a hard to get at pocket . . maybe. Have a safe hunt everyone. Enjoy.
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