Grouse Hollow Journal for November 19, 2015

Grouse Hollow Journal for November 19, 2015

Considering how many times people have said I must be out of my tree over the years, I think I probably made up for it this last couple of weeks.  I have hunted the wily whitetail from an aerial perch for some period almost every day recently; I probably will later today for that matter.  I have seen deer, but I have not drawn my bow.  I can say unequivocally that there is no shortage of squirrels.  Some of the sunsets were those pretty fall ones and one was even spectacular, changing colors for almost an hour before I realized that the air was getting a bit chilly and it was time to climb down.  Pat and Eli were hunting too and both saw deer, and like me neither got a shot.  As I knock this out early last Saturday morning, Eli is in a most likely frigid tree stand with a shotgun hunting deer in Minnesota and Pat is up on our frosty ridge with his bow.  I just finished some pancakes with sorghum syrup and bacon and hot coffee in our toasty kitchen.  You make the call.  

Actually, Eli did take a huge ten pointer in Minnesota that morning.  Pat saw deer, but never got a shot.  I passed on two small bucks this last week in hopes of putting an arrow in one of the big ones we have seen.  I haven't yet.

Friday night, I was up in the night to let Scout out - after I got up in the night to let her in around midnight because those of us who can hear stuff in the night couldn’t sleep.  Scout was going nuts from her kennel.  To be fair, the Zinks had called earlier for permission to coon hunt.  Scout was barking, Roger across the road was barking, and there were some coon hounds barking an unsettling serenade.  (After 30 years of rock and roll, the only lasting benefit is that I don’t hear much and thus sleep pretty soundly.)  While I was outside, I was struck by the night sky.  It was a sparkling vision that could have inspired Van Gogh; it was one of those breathtaking moments you can only get at that time on that type of night. There also doesn’t appear to be a shortage of raccoons out there based on the corn damage and just seeing the masked bandits along the road, so I hope the hunters had some luck.  (I heard later they got seven on our place.)

If you haven’t seen it yet, you can catch Deer Hunt Wisconsin 2015 on You Tube in segments and on Wisconsin Public TV’s digital channel.  Ellen and I watched the hour and half show this last week and enjoyed and learned from it.  There were segments on sighting in your gun, the Wisconsin DNR Info line at 1-888-936-7463, the new registration process, how antlerless tags work this season, using UTVs for hunting, the DMAP program, info about winter kill, reports from different units, CWD, kill numbers from last season, a venison recipe, handicap hunters, crossbows vs traditional archery, hunting safety, an interview with the DNR secretary, and youth hunters - whew!   

Ellen, Pat, and Eli went out the other night and got soaked to the skin while helping our neighbors try to find a bow shot deer.  They came in bedraggled and cold, chilled more so by failure because the last sign of the blood trail had petered out in the downpour.  They made the effort.  Ellen went to pick up her orange marker tape in the area the next morning but she didn’t pick up a trail, but again she put in the effort.

I heard about a bow kill at 7 am one morning this last week.  The deer was tracked down by 10 am about half-a-mile away.  When the trackers got there, the carcass was almost completely consumed by coyotes!  I can say is without fear of error that there is no shortage of coyotes either.  Eat more yote!  

Until next time, get out - the Big One is upon us. Our dining room table is pile high with coats, boxes of food, cased up guns, boots (on the floor) and more.  For those of you who join us in the blaze orange army, may I suggest you enjoy the moment and maybe not get so wrapped up with who shot the bigger deer.  I get it, but this is supposed to be recreation, not competition.  A fat doe or fork buck is as big a deal to the hunter who tagged it as that tough old trophy buck is to others.  We can't all shoot a 30 pointer.  Remember to call in your kills by 5 PM the day after not at the end of the season in the past.  Also, take a few moments when you have a quiet time and put down some notes on the season and start your own journal, maybe in your smartphone even.  The weather, the sights and sounds and smells, the company, the deer,etc. all will be memory triggers in years hence.  I guarantee you and your children will appreciate it.  Be safe and have a great hunt and at least take lots of pictures.  Enjoy.