Hunting and Fishing Thread - With Poll

[db]

Hi, y'all!!

I tried to find this thread and couldn't. Thanks to those that pointed me in the right direction.

Well, it is well into deer hunting season here. Anyone have any luck yet? I've seen several, but have yet to take a shot...

A friend of mine, a 16 year old son of a long-time hunting club member (and friend) had a great opening morning. A 6 point was out in the field in front of his stand. He took that buck with 1 shot, and was waiting for things to quiet down before he climbed down from his stand. Suddenly, a real nice 8-point walked directly below him. He took that one, too.

The season limit for bucks in GA is 2. His buck hunting was over for the year by 8:30 opening morning!

I'd be happy with just one of those deer. Maybe this weekend.


Craig

Craig, how could you bring such a disgusting and sad tale to us. I find this to be an exceptionally cruel practice! Now this poor lad has nothing left to look forward to for a year.

But wait! Could he get an out-of-state license to hunt in another state?

Hey 8 points for a 16 year old is a major bragging thing. In fact, I think it is a major bragging thing for an adult too!

 

[Mike S.]

Craig,

Thanks for gettin' this thread going again. Firearms season is the only deer hunting I do at this time, and we still have a few weeks to wait for that. I'm trying to get in enough practice with my Ruger .44 handgun to maybe hunt with it some this year, but time is ticking away on me, so not sure if I will be a rifle-only guy or not. Didn't get lucky last year but it was bitter cold and we had snow, and I almost had a nice 8-pointer until he happened to cross my trail to my stand and spooked just before I could get a shot off. Such is hunting...

 

[Craig H.]

Hi, Dave and Mike!

We have been blessed with too many deer here in GA. Including bow/crossbow season, we have been hunting about a month now. Its just been too hot to really make it seem like deer season (something a nice 10 point would help solve). Our limit for the year is 10 (not a typo) with only 2 antlered. To top this off, for the last several years more and more clubs have been practicing quality deer management, so there is a better chance than ever of seeing the big one.

I have a picture of John's deer (plural) at home. I'll try to post it here, but it will likely be next week.

I was the first guy back at camp (after John) opening morning. He was afraid we'd be mad about him shooting 2 deer in one morning. If they were small does or button bucks, maybe. 2 deer nicer than any I've even seen in the woods the last couple of years? Jealous, yes but mad? Not hardly.

Lest anyone think I (and I suspect Dave and Mike, too) go hunting for the blood, before condeming anyone why not go out one crisp fall morning before the sun comes up and sit quietly in the woods for a couple of hours? Watch the sun come up. Hear the birds awaken.

Can't wait for Saturday morning.

Craig

 

[David Hartman]

Lest anyone think I (and I suspect Dave and Mike, too) go hunting for the blood, before condeming anyone why not go out one crisp fall morning before the sun comes up and sit quietly in the woods for a couple of hours? Watch the sun come up. Hear the birds awaken.

Can't wait for Saturday morning.

Craig

Although we have plenty of deer (I see them almost daily this time of the year - with at least one a day seen as road kill), the last time I was deer hunting was as a teenager when I ended the day with 5 Hungarian pheasant and 2 ring-necks and never saw 1 deer.

But I do love the early September mornings setting under one of my favorite trees, watching the sun rise, and waiting on mister (or miss) bushy-tailed squirrel to settle down on their favorite limb. Since my 9th birthday I have been carrying around a single-shot bolt-action Marlin .22, that's as old as I am, and yet is very capable of bringing home dinner (if I'm patient enough to soak in the beauty surrounding me, and wait for it).

 

[Mike S.]

Blood? Nah, hardly. You are right. Just being in the woods and watching nature is great. Yeah, I get bored sitting still for 10 hours if I don't get to watch some does or turkeys or something wild, but I don't need to kill something to make it a good day. Imagine how many football fans would go to the stadium and sit for hours not even knowing for sure if there would be a game played or not -- especially if the odds were actually against it! And deer hunting sure gives you an appreciation for being able to do the simple things we usually take for granted -- like cough!

 

[Craig H.]

Blood? Nah, hardly. You are right. Just being in the woods and watching nature is great. Yeah, I get bored sitting still for 10 hours if I don't get to watch some does or turkeys or something wild, but I don't need to kill something to make it a good day. Imagine how many football fans would go to the stadium and sit for hours not even knowing for sure if there would be a game played or not -- especially if the odds were actually against it! And deer hunting sure gives you an appreciation for being able to do the simple things we usually take for granted -- like cough!

Yeah, even the mishaps can be funny. Like the time I went to a stand for the first time in the season a few years ago. I looked all around it to be sure there were no wasp nests before I climbed up. Got up, sat down, and was quickly swarmed. Sneaky so-and-sos had built their nest INSIDE one of the pipes the stand was made from. Out of 8 or 9 rungs, I think I used 2 on the way down. Fortunately, my rifle was still hanging from the rope. Somehow, the stingers all missed.

I made the mistake of telling my hunting "buddies" about it. Boy, did it make their day. They all talked about how much they would have paid to see it, etc. There's no way I could have looked that funny. Now, if it had happened to one of them...

As far as the football analogy goes, how about sitting in a stadium (tree stand) and not knowing if you are going to see 2 bucks duke it out? I've heard it, and I have seen where a big "throw-down" occurred, but have never actually seen one happen, except on TV. I suspect that the finest NFL linebacker wouldn't stand a chance against a big buck. And, except for the cost of a rifle, cammo, ammo, 4 wheel drive truck, accessories, license, and hunting lease, hunting is free!!!

Good luck this weekend

Craig

 

[Mike S.]

Craig,

Bees, huh? That's bad. I would never laugh at the unfortnate experience of a fellow hunter. I can see it now --first a very non-rythmic dance on the stand platform, complete with flailing of the arms and a few choice words, followed by a very quick exit down the ladder. Terrible. (Snicker - snicker.)

Luckily I never had the bee run-in (while hunting -- often when not hunting) but I very nearly became physically involved with a poisonous snake or two. But I'm sure I remained completely composed the entire time.

Kinda reminds me -- did you ever read the outdoor humor writer Patrick F. McManus? Some of his earlier work, like "They Shoot Canoes, Don't They?" was hilarious and can only be completely appreciated by a fellow hunter and fisherman who have been thru a few "events" of their own.

 

[Craig H.]

Craig,

Bees, huh? That's bad. I would never laugh at the unfortnate experience of a fellow hunter. I can see it now --first a very non-rythmic dance on the stand platform, complete with flailing of the arms and a few choice words, followed by a very quick exit down the ladder. Terrible. (Snicker - snicker.)

Luckily I never had the bee run-in (while hunting -- often when not hunting) but I very nearly became physically involved with a poisonous snake or two. But I'm sure I remained completely composed the entire time.

Kinda reminds me -- did you ever read the outdoor humor writer Patrick F. McManus? Some of his earlier work, like "They Shoot Canoes, Don't They?" was hilarious and can only be completely appreciated by a fellow hunter and fisherman who have been thru a few "events" of their own.

Mike:

McManus? A Fine and Pleasant Misery, I believe, was another. Have you ever read his story about the guy the kid knew who found the wildcat beside the road, dead (or so he thought).

That one almost got me kicked off of an airplane, I was laughing so hard.

I haven't read any of his books lately, but they are hilarious.

I can honestly say that nothing has ever happened to me that is remotely like anything in one of his books.




Craig

 

[Mike S.]

Mike:

McManus? A Fine and Pleasant Misery, I believe, was another. Have you ever read his story about the guy the kid knew who found the wildcat beside the road, dead (or so he thought).

That one almost got me kicked off of an airplane, I was laughing so hard.

I haven't read any of his books lately, but they are hilarious.

I can honestly say that nothing has ever happened to me that is remotely like anything in one of his books.




Craig

Exactly! A Fine and Pleasant Misery was my favorite. Every kid should have a Rancid Crabtree around to visit with now and then!

And I dunno, I'll bet your bee story would be a good seed for another McManus story...

 

[Craig H.]

Exactly! A Fine and Pleasant Misery was my favorite. Every kid should have a Rancid Crabtree around to visit with now and then!

And I dunno, I'll bet your bee story would be a good seed for another McManus story...

Mike:

Oh, yeah, Rancid Crabtree. I was trying to remember his name.

We have a guy who hangs around our camp that kinda reminds me of him. He's a local guy who calls himself a painter but does not work that often. Actually, I think that anyone who has hung around outdoors people can kinda relate to the characters in McManus' books, but I know some people that don't hunt and fish that enjoy them as well.

As far as being "written up", oh, well, I can think of worse things to happen. Is McManus still alive? If so, does he still write? I sure havn't seen anything from him lately. He used to do the last page for Sports Afield, didn't he? Or was it Field and Stream?

He didn't do much about hunting or fishing, but you might like Louis Grizzard's work. Sometimes serious, sometime side-splittingly hilarious.

Hunting camp in 1 1/2 hours. They just called me on the cell phone, and it's roasted chicked and steamed oysters tonight. They have already started the grill.




Life is good.

Craig