Alright, yeah I've been inconsistent with blogging, and lot of people have actually asked when I was going to start again, so, here's to my public followers, and thank you for reading.
Ok, I left off I believe a good month ago, our big trip back to Argyle and my first time hunting since 1996, this really is a great year for me, first time fishing in about 12 years, first time hunting since "96". Things really are moving forward, not FAST by all means, still have occasional issues, but damn, I'm going hunting. If you ask Jeanne, was driving her nuts, I was SO excited to get going, was ready to leave a week before season opened.
Well time had come, and we took off, the 3 of us on our next journey, Loki as excited as I it seemed, he was a nervous wreck worse than I. And once again, great trip had no problems riding in the car whatsoever, but Grandma wasn't going to be home yet, she was still in hospital in Darlington after her second successful hip replacement, so after morning hunt on Saturday we'd go see her in the hospital, that'll be another step for me, another new place to visit, well not knew, but since my anxiety is slowly getting worked on, everything is new to me after so long in my mental prison, like learning to walk all over again.
I gotta write more often, i've forgotten a lot of details about the first day, 2nd day lol. I know we got there Thursday night, and we slept after unpacking enough clothes for 3 families, I come prepared hehe. The next day, Dad and I would go down to the quarry on our land and I'd make sure Grandpa Bob's old .220 swift was still shooting good, and i've NEVER hunted with a rifle, strange eh? Well it went fine, and gotta say buying ammo isn't cheap anymore , wow 35 bucks for one box? Ridiculous.
Honestly I just wanted Thursday and Friday to zip by, I could NOT wait to get hunting!!! Shoot something or not, I didn't care, couldn't wait to get back out in the woods. And Jeanne who was going to have to go with me, because I didn't know how I'd handle my anxiety being alone, yeah it sucks to have to rely on someone constantly yet for NEW things, but it's getting easier without help. and she WAS THRILLED to have to get up bright and early and go sit out in the cold for however long it took, so thrilled indeed!!
The alarm was set, 5:00 am, tad early, but excited, and I set it far enough out of reach so neither of us quick whap that snooze button, I'm good at it, very good, but NO where near the professional Jeanne is at whapping that sucker until it's dead and never stop snoring, that thing used to go off and off, the alarm that is, and she'd run out and answer the phone, or vice versa, quite comical if you ask me, which no one did, so i'd have to bring it up, and end up with a bruise on my shoulder, not sure how that works out.
So I ramble on. Alarm clock DID go off, and we DID have to get up to shut it off, meaning we were up for the long haul, and the long process of layering on the hunting clothes has begun, been so long, just getting dressed for hunting and early morning sleepies took me a good half hour. But we were on our way, umm downstairs to eat breakfast that is lol, we're up but we're not happy about it.
All right! Breakfast done, and we're off!! a 3 minute drive down the pasture, and a 5 minute walk and we're on stand and ready for season to open!!! Hehe nice to have your own private land to use. Now the training of Jeanne begans, because i've never seen anyone that will just NOT sit still in stand, I swear she was sitting on a pile of fire ants the entire time, not to mention on the way in she decided she'd take lead and meet me at the stand since I was getting my gun, backpack and a few other things, well she got lost LOL, drove half of one brush line where I hoped deer were bedded down already and would come out to see us in about 40 minutes, so I'm flashing my light at the direction I saw her go, and about 10 minutes later she come plodding through the brush to me, and gave me the number 1 sign, well geez ain't my fault, guess I was grumpy about it, but coulnd't stop laughing either, i'm so sweet.
Well, got light, it's hunting time,and well, we sat for quite a while, and of course not a damn thing, except some douche bag that came and sat just acrossed the fence line to our west from us, someone elses land, but what a prick, wasn't even 80 yards away, friendly fire wasn't allowed I read in the deer hunting guides, was it a friendly? lol.
A good couple hours passed, saw a guy, I assume my cousin Kurt come walking down a fence line about 400 yards away, he looked around a bit and walked back to the east, and a small buck ran behind him about 60 yards, not even sure he saw it, got to within about 200 yards of me, but nah, too small, year and half buck, little 6 pointer. Nothing for about another hour, then a big doe came out in the field about 80 yards away, now that was tempting, and probably should of downed it, but was in a good spot, didn't want to spook anything "nice" away. Well, shoulda shot, didn't see anything else, so we went to the car for lunch maybe 10:30 ? or so, met up with Dad and step brother Josh, distributed my munchies, Josh had missed a doe, never saw the buck that ran down to him that I saw, and Dad blanked not a thing.
So, we went to the house for awhile, got a bit more to eat, then went down by the lumber mill awhile, wasn't long and cousing Matt called on the radio a "big" buck was headed our way from up by the house, well sure enough a buck and 2 does come running down toward me about 225 yards, well wasn't big, another year and a half buck, looked like a small 8. Sorry Matt, he wasn't too big hehe. We sat for a bit longer, then went to the house and got ready to go see Grandma.
Heck you know what? I think we went to see her on Friday!! LOL, ah well, she looked good, but felt like crap, and yep, was Friday, she came home at lunch time or so on Saturday. But anywho. yeah Friday, trip went great, about 15 minute drive is all, but it's new for me, and the hospital all that stuff can get me jumpy. But had no problems, probably just excited to see Grandma Eva, my dear beloved grandma. Also went to Matt's house for first time, very nice, little small for them, but very nice home, proud of him, has a nice family and a good place to call home.
Ok, The rest of Saturday wasn't overly eventul, except I was to go stand in an actual above ground deer stand for the evening hunt, about 3 o'clock we headed in, well let me tell you, the next hour and half SUCKED. Why? well I haven't sat in a stand in a long TIME, not fond of heights to begin with, but I got up into the stand no problem, soon as I sat down? My whole world spun out of control, huge panic attack, major one, bad bad bad, almost dropped the gun, almost went head first 17 feet down, was all i could do was jam my foot on the ladder and grab anything with my free hand. I seriously thought I was going to die, my head was spinning so bad, vertigo, and whatever else, like you drank a bottle of booze and went to bed with bed spins only worse, my vision was so blurred and twisted I couldn't see.
Took me 20 minutes to climb down the stand it was so bad, another 10 to calm down. and another 3 to climb back up to see if I could defeat this monster. I failed. got up to the top rung 15 feet up, and couldn't go any further, so I sat there for the next hour or so on the edge of hyperventalation, clinging on to the top of the stand. Occasionally settled enough to look around for deer, Dad was sitting about 120 yards to my south on the hillside, said there was a few does out in the field, that if I was sitting in the stand I probably could see, but i'm facing the tree wishing I wasn't anywhere near it, if someone would of been with me, maybe I'd be ok? But, since early morning hunt, and as the day passed, I didn't feel like I needed help already, amazing really. I even drove us around the "block" which is about 5 miles or so looking for deer with no problem. The farm I tell you has magic waters.
It just can't defeat the deer stand apparently.
Ok, will continue tomorrow or next day. I swear!!
Merry Christmas! i'm BACK!!
Lance
