This narrative begins Friday night as youth season begins tomorrow morning.
Grandson Jared has one doe and two hogs to his credit. It was not clear until 24 hours ago that Ben would be bringing Jared up to the tree farm this weekend. Once I got the green light last night, there were several things to put in order.
This afternoon with all the boxes checked and The Dreadnaught (my trusty old Lincoln Navigator) loaded I got on the road and arrived in time to put out corn in the pig pipes and check the game cameras. Most of the daytime deer pictures that I have came from the telephone camera that sends pix to my phone in real time.
My role this weekend is to be the cook and, hopefully, butcher.
Ben said they will arrive at about 2200.
The boys arrived on time and got bedded down.
We were up early Saturday morning. Sausage and eggs for breakfast and off they went to the deer stand.
Hours passed without a gun shot. (On 18 acres, everything is within earshot.)
Lunch courtesy of the crock pot, soup with pork sausage, well received.
The two hunters left the house at about 1600 to be well settled before sunset at about 1830. I kept myself busy in the house with domestic chores.
It was at about 1820 when I heard the shot. Staring at the phone waiting for Ben’s text…yes, Jared shot a spike that ran into a wooded area.
The little buck entered the food plot quickly and was moving around some. Ben gave Jared the green light to take the shot. The animal stopped broadside, and Jared took aim and squeezed off the shot with the 243 bolt action. The buck leaps into the air and starts running. Ben hears a crash, and we wait.
In about ten minutes I start walking that way. The boys are coming out of the deer stand. Tension is high.
We go into the thickly wooded area and quickly come upon the spike buck. Jared had made a perfect double lung shot. The deer ran but not very far. It was just at sunset so it was easy to find.
Life is good with a tractor. We used the bucket to hoist the deer to clean it, hose it out, and leave it hang overnight. The weather was cool, so this was an easy process.
Sunday morning, Ben and Jared leave for home. With the deer lashed down in the trailer, I drive to the processor and deposit the animal.
Could I ask for a better weekend?
Porcus Hogrelius Make Yourself a Better Hog (or deer) Hunter
