OUTDOOR Adventures

BY BRIAN G. SCHOMMER

Just a few short days until the woods of Minnesota will be filled with an abundance of blaze orange clad folks in pursuit of the elusive whitetail deer. Deer opener is upon us and for those of us who participate in the adventure known as deer hunting, one thing is on all our minds; IS THIS THE YEAR? Could this be the year when that big buck makes the wrong decision and happens to saunter past my stand? It just could be THE YEAR!

To be completely honest, while I would not pass up the opportunity to bag a buck worth considering making a trip to the taxidermist with, I am always happy just to have the chance to harvest a deer and put some venison in the freezer. That is my number one hope each year when I venture out to the stand, climbing up into my perch and casting a gaze across the chunk of woods that become my surroundings at this time of year. As a friend often says, “you don’t eat the horns,” when debating if deer hunting is a sport or just an excuse for people to kill innocent animals. You may have guessed that this friend does not come deer hunting with our party. The first clue… ANTLERS… NOT HORNS.

The conversation with this friend usually starts out by him asking, “why would somebody get up before the crack of dawn, bundle up in enough layers of orange to make you look like a pumpkin carrying a rifle, walk out in the woods in the dark only to climb up in a tree and sit for hours just to maybe see a deer and then kill it?”

“Because deer are nocturnal and therefore, getting to the stand before the sun comes up provides the best chance to be successful in seeing deer and potentially getting the opportunity to make a clean shot,” is the same answer each year, but there is much more to it all. Yes, putting meat in the freezer is certainly a huge part of deer hunting and, this is where I throw in the conservation and environmental arguments as well. The most important part of deer, or for that matter, any type of hunting is the comradery that is shared within the hunting party. This is what makes the overall experience successful.

Our party gets to the deer campsite the day prior to the opener to share in laughs, stories (not many of which can be shared here, because what happens in deer camp, stays in deer camp), some great food and friendship. Many of the stories are regurgitated each year with just a little more embellishment than the year prior, and yet, they never lose the ability to have us all in stitches. We talk about that big buck that one of us is going to get and, about the most important part of being out there… the safety of each other. Nothing will put the dampers on a hunting trip more than an accident and we are very safety conscious as, that is a story we never want to talk about in the future.

While some deer hunters take this time of year to really get back to rustic living and camping by way of “roughing it,” we are not so much that kind of hunting party. We don’t stay at a swank hotel or anything, mainly since where we go, there would not be such a place, but we don’t rough it by any means. We rent a nice cabin, cook up some steaks the night before, try to figure out the streaming stuff on the television to maybe catch some hockey or a show that everyone is up for and hit the rack early so getting up for breakfast and a trek to the woods is doable for everyone. From there, the rituals continue, starting with a prayer for safety before we all venture out.

Like so many others, we travel to our stands with the help of a flashlight, get situated and wait. Look around and wait. Wait and look around. Don’t forget to listen as there are lots of sounds in the woods. Many of which sound like deer walking around, only to be the scurried pitter-patter of a few squirrels gathering nuts. They can be noisy little critters for sure. On occasion, a flock of turkeys will come through providing some excitement and thoughts of “here he comes… it’s the big boy,” only to see the feathered fowl walking through the woods at a distance clucking away like it is nobodies’ business. So, what else is there to do while sitting, looking, listening, and waiting for deer to come past your stand? Reflect. That is what I do.

I sit and think to myself just how great it is that I can be out in the woods, breathing in the fresh air, listening to the sounds of nature, watching what is left of the leaves on the trees fall to the ground, seeing the sunrise and being able to take in the gorgeous tapestry to all sides of me without any distractions. As Thanksgiving is right around the corner, being on stand reminds me of just how thankful I should be daily. Thankful for my family and friends, thankful for the opportunities to do things that provide joy not only for me, but for others. I would say for most deer hunters, the same can be said. Yes, we wonder if THIS is the year that we bag that big buck AND we are thankful for the chance, even if it doesn’t happen. To those entering the woods this weekend, be safe and good luck. Get Out and Enjoy the Great Outdoors.