Step One: Sit and Observe

Just FYI - I am going to describe my first hunting experience. If the thought of that makes you feel woozy or angry, just go ahead and skip to the next post. Thank you!

After Thanksgiving, I was able to take my first step toward my goal: sit with Tim as he hunts and observe! If you can't tell, I don't jump into things with two feet. I usually make sure I know all about it before I really take ahold of the reigns so to speak. 

We got up in his stand around 4:30. Before I even walked up the ladder, I made sure Tim took some time to check for any huge spiders, wasps or scorpions. We got all settled before the feeder went off the first time around 5:00. I soon realized that hunting in a stand is a whole lot of waiting in boredom for five minutes of nervousness and excitement. Tim went into this season knowing he wasn't needing a big buck to hang on our wall (there isn't any space left anyways), so he just went into the year knowing we needed a certain amount of meat to feed us for 2012. So when a spike walked up with several does, Tim told me that if it stuck around long enough, he would probably go for it. 

A spike is a male deer that only has one or two points on each of his horns. If you are managing land or trying to enhance the deer population on your land, you don't want a spike to breed because his DNA is inferior. 

Well, the spike did stick around. I was itching for Tim to do something about it. I was definitely worried it would get spooked off. I kept thinking in my head, "Why isn't he shooting? When you want meat, a spike under your feeder is worth a large buck who has yet to show up!" Sure enough, something spooked the does and the spike and off they ran. I was so disappointed. I knew I wasn't coming back with him in the morning (waking up at 5 AM, no thank you). Tim told me to just wait. You never know what may happen. 

So my lesson learned number one? Sometimes waiting does pay off. Or maybe my lesson to listen to my husband since he's done this a few times. I'll never know for sue. But, just as daylight was slipping away, that spike showed back up. The next thing I knew, there was a puff of smoke and a large pop and the deer dropped right where it was standing. And so began my first encounter with a deer that had just been shot.

Lesson number two: make sure the deer is dead. As we approached, I didn't see any sign that a death had just occurred. He really looked like he was sleeping. There was no hole, no blood. As Tim lifted him up to turn him around and see what was going on, I had the weirdest feeling that deer was going to jump up and leap off into the woods. The scene from Tommy Boy kept playing over in my head! Even Tim said, as we left to get the truck, that he would not be surprised if it was gone when we came back. 

No worries, though. He was surely dead. And we are very thankful for that deer who will feed us through the year! 

So I learned a few things and feel one step closer to next year. After Christmas, we will return to the ranch to make venison sausage. Hopefully I can shoot the rifle. I can't wait to tell you all about it!

Here are three generations of Wagner men before they left for opening weekend!

 We found out that Bobby absolutely loves cats. He is an all-around animal lover, but if you ask him if he wants a puppy or a cat, he will tell you, "a kitty kitty". 

 And both Tim and I apologize for the shot below. Since he didn't clean the deer up, I thought he wanted it that way. But he told me he learned a lot about photographing hunts after his Africa trip and he just forgot. So we'll remember next time! Oh - and this is not the spike. This is a six-point large buck he shot Sunday morning.