My First Hunting Trip

A friend called and wanted to take an overnight hunting trip and since his wife and kids couldn't go in the middle of the week, I got the invite!  Note that they've asked me to go along before but I've chickened out. 
  

So we leave the next morning around 11 after he finishes prepping the venison we will have for dinner.  I always forget there are big hills in Texas and they sure aren't far to the west of Fort Worth (where the west begins you know).
 

They keep their trailer parked at the deer lease (hey, a kitchen, beds and most importantly, INDOOR PLUMBING are necessities for this city kid).

Target practice area!  I had my Beretta and a little bity gun I found in my Dad's stuff.  My friend - an avid gunsman - got the little gun to work and I did fire it but he recommended to have a gunsmith repair it before shooting it on my own.  No problem for me.  I like safety.

I got to practice holding and firing the shotgun (no shells) and had a hard time getting used to the scope.  So next thing you know, we take off for the deer lease.


Walked through some mud to the 10' tall blind.  Now that was fun - no rail, steep, and little bitty tiny uneven rungs.  And very hard to swing over at the top to get into the blind.  I'm stifling laughter and a few curse words because we are in the whisper and slow movement zone.  That and the fact that my boot got stuck under the top rung and he had to move it for me.... There are all kinds of animal sounds - birds, cows, goats, dogs and coyotes.


FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T LIKE HUNTING, PLEASE BE AWARE YOU MIGHT PREFER TO LEAVE NOW.  IT'S OK. It took me a while to get used to the idea and actually go on a hunting trip.  My hunter friends and family all eat what they kill.

A doe walks in from the left and as we move to get the shotgun in place, she notices us.  Instead of running away, she actually turns and walks toward us.  She watches us intensely then leaves - she wasn't running and we could hear her for a while walking and watching us from the other side of the trees and bushes.

As dusk comes quickly, I'm thinking it's time to leave but my friend spots a larger doe coming from the other direction.  The shotgun in place and I just can't determine the tree from the doe so I whisper I can't see it, you take it.  And he did quickly and took a shot.  Dang, it was loud and the doe went right down.  We scramble down (and I didn't lose my footing and fall) and walk over to the doe.

Next we go back to get the truck in the DARK to go back to load the doe in the truck.  I didn't help either.  Then it was off to the processor.  I watched until the gutting started - I want to keep my grocery store and the animals completely separate. 

Back to the trailer to start a fire (burn ban was lifted due to the recent rains) and grill venison for dinner.  I used the microwave to cook the sweet potatoes. 


An early evening as we needed to start early in the morning.   I couldn't help but wonder how in the world I was going to climb the 10' ladder in the dark without letting the entire western part of Texas hearing me.  I looked out the side window after I got in bed and could see the fire restarted and was burning.  Then I conked out.

Well, it started sprinking about 5am.  Then stopped.  As time came to get ready to leave for the morning hunt, a thunderstorm rolled in and a quick vote to get more sleep was made. 

 See the bigger tree on the right?  I used it as a practice target for the shotgun (remember no bullets).  Wow, with the scope, I could see the bark on the trunk.

I didn't get my camera in time to take a picture of the ducks on the pond.  

Pretty tree.  Had a great time even if I didn't shoot anything.  I saw the process, experienced the fun and had a great brief escape from everyday boring.  And I'll probably do it again.