Post by: Buckmark on September 08, 2010, 02:12:45 PM
The plan was to head over to my place in north central washington, no tv's, no cell phone coverage.
Just some time to cut my last load of dry wood for home (16ft trailer, almost 2 cord worth), then cut some wood for next year, relax (right) a day or two till opening day, bag some grouse for a few recipes and notch my deer tag on a freezer deer (first legal deer in range). That was the plan, but plans change or dont go as planned...
I am the type of person that plans things on a time table, and if all goes right great, if not then i am all flustered and it just seem to snowball from there.
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The plan was to pack everthing up on truck and trailer friday (8/27) after work and head out by 6am saturday.
Frustration #1: The trailer brakes are inoperative on my flat deck, i am hauling over my nissan 4x4 on it and bringing back the firewood, good idea to have working trailer brakes (which becomes true later).
So i find the problem, connection inside the trailer plug, which of course the little tiny screw hold the plug together is rusted and rounded out, drill it out, repair the connection and the brakes work, finish loading up.
Frustration #2: Saturday finds me dealing with a matter that can not be left till i get back, takes all day so i dont get to leave until sunday, now i am a day behind in my plans, no big i still have time to get wood done and relax before wed 9/1.
leave later then expected on sunday, get to my place and set up/unloaded by 3:30, weather is cool and cloudy, with a hint of rain, no big as that is what noaa had predicted.
Frustration #3: Not really a bad thing, just time consuming, there were 4 deemed dangerous trees near camp/camp trailer that we decided to take down on this trip when i got the chance, only problem was it was windy when we got in and my other half just kept looking at them and said she needed them down asap or she would not be able to sleep all week, ok so i am 1 day behind on cutting dry wood to take home and now i need to get this done first, problem was we were under chainsaw restrictions, no cutting after 1pm, so monday morning i knew what i would be doing, easy enough, up early, tress down and then onto firewood, done by 1pm and relax till wednesday.. Our neightbors came over for a hello/check in to say hi, they are some of the nicest people i know and more than helpfull, problem is if they help with something it becomes a project, well my other half mentions the tree thing and my neighbor insists on helping, long story short by the time we are done on monday it is 12:45, with no wood cut other then the trees down. Only 1 full day left till opening day and no wood cut for home yet...
Fun #1: My other half mentions that she heard a "scurring noise" when she was using the out house, i check it out and low and behold a packrat had made a nest in there, i remove said nest, sweep and clean out the area and think all is good, find that the same packrat is also living under my shed, put some bait under there and pile up dirt all around the outside..problem solved...yeah right...
I go to use the facilities later in the day and am interupted by a "scuuring" sound from the area of the box i am sitting on, i have this quick horrible thought that the "scurring" sound my be storing up for the winter and think that i am deemed easy picking, i quickly finish and check out the noise, only to find my little grey bushy tailed packrat friend staring at me from the back of the box, i proceed to say a few choice words, march to the trailer for my .22 and put an end to his outhouse days, bury the problem and think i am in the clear.
Tuesday goes ok, i cut alot of wood before 1pm, get it split and loaded, almost a full trailer and i am happy, other then the rain. I get to relax, scout a little, put some arrows in my foam targets, contemplate the rest of my week.
Fun #2: Opening morning of grouse, i see 3 and bag 2 in the first 1/2 hour, enough for dinner we decide and set about to cut the rest of the wood.
Frustration #4: I have only been a serious bow hunter for the last 4 years, before that it was on again off again, Everone i knew rifle hunted so i was always hunting alone if i bow hunted, If a freezer deer was needed i rifled hunted, If we were ok i bow hunted and set out for horns only, which i have been unsuccessful at so far with the bow, but i always had shots at legal deer every year i passed on, so this year we decided i would tag out with the bow on a freezer deer early season, then the other half could look for horns during the rifle season, yep sounds like a good plan....
Open evening hunt i have a spike and doe come down the trail (whitetail), the doe is bigger, no youngins in tow and i decide she is the one, wait for the right spot, go to draw and forgot all about the spike, which was fixed on me and as soon as i moved "snort, flag, run" goes him and her, dang it, no other deer the rest of the evening, so much for thinking it would be easy. Lesson learned..
Frustration #5: Get up on thursday, plan on grouse hunting, and cutting just a bit more wood, go out to find a flat tire on the nissan, well there goes that mornings plan, get out the pump, air it up and head into town, 26miles one way, buy 1 used tire and head back to camp $40 poorer..Afternoon grouse hunt yields 1 nice blue in the first hour, ok be me so far the day is getting better.
Frustration #6: Thursday evening hunt, lesson in my head know were every deer is if more then one comes by, check. Just before last light 3 deer come by, 2 i can barley see, think they are does (no hat racks seen), 1 for sure is a doe, good size and no youngins in tow, only problem they are on my left and not moving over in front of me, there is tree branches and brush on my left obstructing a good view, i turn as far as i can slowly and quietly, draw and peek through the brush at her, she is quartering away at 45yds, decent look at her right shoulder, i hold waitng for her to move a little more, which she does but takes a step away from me, i decided this is it, let it fly and i watch her jump the string and bound to her left, and bound off unscathed, found my arrow clean as can be.....oh well thats hunting.
1/4 mile from my place a bear decides to run down the road in front of me,(it's dark out) little blackie...
Friday day is uneventfull, cut the last of the wood, kill the foam deer alot, relax and check the around the shed, find that a critter (most likely) a packrat is still under there as they dug out, more bait and dirt.
Friday evening hunt, 1 lone spotted fawn comes by me at 10ft, mills around, eats and then beds 20yds away, "are you kidding me" i am thinking, great now as my legs fall asleep i cant move and i am sure the buck of a lifetime will come by, which does not happen it only gets dark, and i feel a little sorry for scarring that little deer to death when i got up to leave.
Frustration #7: Saturday, last day to hunt as i am coming home sunday to avoid traffic, spooted a few grouse but no shots, no big i got a few, save a few for seed.
saturday evening hunt, i almost hit a deer (doe, whitetail) on my way up the hill, had my ohter half not said something i would have, spot a big bear, all black with a white crest on his chest walking on another hillside, cool site, no bear tag this year dang it... about 1/4 mile from my stand a doe and spike (whitetail) jump out and i almost hit the spike, had i not braked i would have.
Get to my spot and sit for the night, not 30 minutes later comes a deer, alone, doe i think about 150yds out, i clip on my release in case she comes down my trail, stops feeds look around, i think i spy the slight gleam of antler now, i unclip, put the noc's on her and hey she turns into a little 2x3 (whitey), i reclip and wait, and wait, and wait, then out he steps, moving from my right to left, broadside at 35yds, he stops looks the other way, i draw, find my spot hold and release and i swear to god i watched in slow motion as my arrow passes right in front of his chest, clean as can be, must shaved shaved a hair or 2 which as it passes him and stucks in the ground he jumps and runs, only to stop and look my direction then blows ans bounds off, i get my arrow and it is as clean as can be....on my walk back to the truck i contemplate buying a new more modern bow, or running mine over or both........
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That is my season so far, i know there is still alot of time left, but i am starting to doubt myself...
Anyone need a bow hunting partner?
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