Whitetail Fever

Once More, This Time With Music

2006-11-02T06:49:00.000-06:00

Every couple of years, this seems to come up -- we run across someone hunting or scouting on land we leased, without permission from the landowner. Most are sheepish when caught (and leave), some get belligerent. That good ol' sense of entitlement kicks in: "I want to hunt here, so I should be able to and I shouldn't have to get permission, much less pay for the privilege." These are the same people who wonder why more and more land gets posted off completely.

We enforce a code of ethics on our own hunters: Do not enter another's property without permission, under any circumstance. If you find you have accidentally entered another's property, leave immediately.

It's a pretty simple concept, so sing along with me:

This land is your land,

This land is my land,

We have a lease, so please respect it

From the redwood forest to the gulfstream waters,

Fence laws were made for you and me.

As I was walking

a ribbon of fenceline

I saw above me

an illegal hunter

I called DNR.....

and then pressed charges,

Fence laws were made for you and me.

One more time.....

-- Hunting Widow, signing off.

Round 2 Ends. Deer Kicking Butt

2006-10-29T07:29:00.000-06:00

Another hunting week has ended here and we're getting beat up pretty bad by the deer.

Joe put the current big doe leader in the shed the other night with a shot that stopped her in her tracks. I have my doubts as to whether or not she'll hold out as the winner. But the way things have been going she could be. After that we just couldn't get him on much.

Jason put a nice shot on a doe the other day but 10 hours of steady tracking failed to locate her. We had a good trail for what turned out to be miles but just couldn't complete the deal.

Art and Rich had to leave early this week due to a family emergency but hope to be back to finish their week right before gun season. Hope they can get back.

Scott saw a great buck but not close enough. And Nick continued to see a lot of deer including good bucks through the whole week.

On the up side, another week begins today and now that we're rested up we'll try it again. The guys from PA role in today. Gary and the boys are always a hoot to be around and we have a great time during the week that they're here.

Dad rolled in on the train last night for the poker and will be with us for the next couple of weeks. He's been pumping iron and is ready to get some work done out here.

It looks like a good week weatherwise. Slight chance of a few showers tomorrow but otherwise dry and cold after that. Maybe that will get them a llittle more active during shooting hours.

In any case, stay with us.

I'll see you back at the lodge.

No Deer Yet. Inquiry Held by Lodge Tribunal

2006-10-25T08:10:00.000-05:00

Deer Count Yesterday:

Rich: 2 (Inquest held. Moved to new location)
Art: 5 (Released after questioning. Warned not to leave the area.)
Jason: 3 At 20 yds (Tree limb goes on trial this morning)
Joe: 0 (Transferred, placed on probation.)
Scott: 15, 10 at 15 yds (Tree limb summarily executed)
Nick: Couldn't count them all. (They got under him before he had gotten comfortable, or felt like hunting, or finished his coffee, or just plain too startled by so many chances that he just said forget it and didn't shoot nothin'. Nick nearly executed. Last minute stay granted by Lodge Tribunal)

We have adjusted Nick's medication and he's promised to do better today.

He probably better and so should the other guys. Rain is due in this evening and is suppose to stay with us through Friday morning.

I'll be encouraging everyone to get back out as early as they can today and stay all day if they can. I can't help but think that there'll be a huge deer feeding frenzy ahead of this extended storm. With any luck we'll have a deer feeding frenzy inside the lodge tonight as well.

Grab a knife and fork...

And I'll see you back at the lodge.

Update on the Guys From Up North

2006-10-23T21:14:00.000-05:00

Not a bad day all in all. Everybody but Joe saw deer today either this morning or tonight. Guess we'll have to try to help Joe tomorrow. He's going to try a different spot in the morning.

Nick was the winner of the big show tonight having a ringside seat to a great buck fight. He saw a total of 13 deer tonight but ofcourse nothing close enough to throw an arrow at. He was pretty pumped up when he came in.

Rich and Art are having a great time and seeing plenty of deer. I think Art is leading in numbers seen but Rich is as enthusiastic as anybody we get here. He's concentrating and should score pretty soon.

We'll be moving a couple of the guys tomorrow and I sure do hope we can change their luck. Guess Jason is serious about taking deer home this year. It's the only reason I can think of for that blanket on the floor in the back of his SUV.

More tomorrow I hope. If for some reason I don't get to this tomorrow I beg Amy's forgiveness and understanding. By the way Amy, why don't you come out next year and try your luck? Then I really will

See you back at the lodge.

They was everywhere

2006-10-22T22:00:00.000-05:00

Everybody saw deer tonight. Jason had a little spike bed down about 20 yards away and spend the evening with him.Nick, Scott, Joe, Rich, and Art all saw a deer or 6 tonight.

Just had to get that up here tonight so Jason's wife didn't come down here and kick my butt. I'll get more details up in the morning. Gotta get to bed now.

See you back at the lodge.

It Just Wasn't In The Cards

2006-10-22T07:09:00.000-05:00

Well, Mike and Richie left yesterday morning with a pretty fair 8 point in the cooler. Nothing much moved all week except for the one night.

If not for the coon and flock of turkeys Mike might not have taken his buck. He suspects that they were making so much racket over the buck's bed that he decided he'd move to get some peace and quiet. Unfornuately for him and fortunately for Mike that meant walking by Mike at about 7 yards.

He's not the biggest guy in the woods but when they stop that close and its Friday morning... Well you guys that have been here know how that feels. He was a nice 2 1/2 year old that dressed out at 140lbs.

I hope that next year will be better for them.

Jason and the gang are due from Mich. in a couple of hours as well as Art and Rich from Min. The weather this week is suppose to be pretty cool and dry so I hope they have some better luck.

I'll try to keep you updated as best I can so check in now and then. Until then...

I'll see you back at the lodge.

Nick's First Deer -- The Video

2006-10-19T12:17:00.000-05:00

Here's the video of Nick's first archery deer. Double - Click on the arrow to play the video. If you want to view this full screen (recommended), click on the "youtube" icon in the lower right corner. That will take you to the main site, and then you can select the option to view full screen.

I'm sure Chris will have some commentary to add here later.

Hunting Widow out.

Big Buck! Big Buck! Big Buck!

2006-10-19T06:36:00.000-05:00

That was Cole the Guide.

Mike: "WHAT?"

Cole: (pointing)

Mike: "*&*%^!"

That's how it went as Mike was getting ready to go into the woods last night. They watched as, what Mike called the biggest deer he's ever seen in his life, got up from his bed in the beans right in front of them and calmly trotted off.

Cole says it was a 140 - 150 class but Mike thinks it might have been bigger than that. He said it was bigger than what you usually see on the hunting videos.

Want to guess where he and Richie are going tonight?

Richie just saw one deer last night. He thinks it was a deer anyway. Said it came by so fast he couldn't even tell if it was a buck or doe. Being sure it was being chased by the biggest deer in the state, he readied himself but it must have just been a ghost cause there wasn't anything else.

The weather is improving and I sure hope they hit a lucky streak today. Its getting a little late in the game but these guys are good and a huge come back victory on their part is expected.

They Had Us Surrounded!

2006-10-18T15:51:00.000-05:00

It was a slow evening for the most part. We only counted 49 deer after noon yesterday.

Unfortunately most of those were seen by the guides while waiting for the dynamic duo to come out of their stands. Mike did see quite a few deer including a probable shooter that went by through the brush about 55 yds away. Naturally he was much happier with this new stand site and couldn't wait to sit it today or move a little closer to the trail he'd seen the big one on. Then the morning came. The wind has come around 180 degrees and is just flat wrong for that spot. Rather than pushing his luck he's someplace else right now and not very happy about it. Wish I could Change it for him. He had a little doe under him this morning but let her walk.

Richie had a small 5 point come in under him last night and saw some other deer out on the field edge quite a ways away. The buck came into a scrape near the stand and nearly lost his mind when he took a sniff. Richie said he bristled up and started looking around. If a deer can look worried I guess this one did. Richie is pretty sure it was something bigger than that 5 that must have made the scrape.

He saw two medium bucks this morning and is hoping that they keep getting bigger with each sit in the stand. I hope he's right. Maybe tonight will be the night.

The weather is pretty bad out there right now. Temp is about 45 and dropping and the wind is out of the north and northwest at 15 - 20 mph. Did I mention the drizzle that's blowing around in it? Small detail I know but it's sure to impact our brave heroes.

I gotta get back to some other guidy stuff so...

I'll see you back at the lodge.

And They're Off

2006-10-17T16:06:00.000-05:00

Mike and Richie are here with us this week From New Jersey. Many of you already knew that but I thought I'd mention it anyway. That may in fact be the most interesting thing about their trip so far.

The weather has been the pits since they got here. This morning was the first hunt that things looked pretty good. On a morning I figured there would be deer running and frolicing in every open space there wasn't much to write home about. Mike saw a button up where Jimmy took his Buck last year and Richie didn't see a deer. He did see 3 turkeys. But let's face it, that's not what they're looking for.

We did a little scouting today that brightened the faces of our intrepid duo. Richie is back in the area he hunted last year. He almost got to take a doe while we were scouting around. He's set up now near a crossing on a creek between a feeding area and a bedding area. There's a good rub line through there and a couple of scrapes that seemed to lift his spirits. Actually we couldn't get him back to the lodge quick enough o get changed and back in the stand.

Mike and Cole (one of our new guides this year) found a great spot where a bunch of trails come together and then dump out onto a cut corn field. They found a huge rub or , if you prefer, a rub on a big tree. I should probably mention the good looking buck that they saw in there as well.

So, as I write they are both sitting patiently in there spots and I await there frantic phone calls about the big one that they saw drop. I hope that's how it goes anyway. Last year Richie put us out on a track that I thought would never end.

The weather for the rest of the week seems to change by the hour and by the forecaster. The only thing they all agree on is that a cold front will move through late tomorrow and cool things down. Long as the wind don't blow any more this week I'm fine with that.

I gotta get on some of that guidy kinda paperwork stuff so I guess

I'll see you back at the lodge.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

2006-10-15T08:11:00.000-05:00

Mike and Richie are due in in just a couple of huors and wouldn't you know it, its raining. You'd think it was me that was going to hunt.

I guess I should be glad I'm not the only one this happens to but I was hoping for a little nicer start to our season here. Forecast is calling for quite a bit of rain this week but not much in the way of wind. Temps should be real good for hunting too.

I guess I shouldn't fret too much. There's a great story in this month's North American Whitetail about a guy that gets the buck of a lifetime in the rain. Sure makes for a worriesome track though.

Not much has gone on this week since Nick went home. Been trying to help get the farm ready for my extended absence during working hours. Have to loosen all the lids and change all the light bulbs so the hunting widow won't have too much of a hassle while I'm out.

We ordered the magic cable to get the video of Nick's hunt up on the web. Should be here Tuesday or Wednesday. Hopefully it won't take too long after that to get it up here.

Well, I better get after that last minute stuff. Always something that I forget until now. And since I'll be there for the next 5 - 6 weeks....

I'll see you back at the lodge.

And Now, Back to Our Heroes

2006-10-11T16:29:00.000-05:00

What a great week! I just spent a week hunting with my kids, Nicholas and Katie.

Nick managed to shoot two does this last week. We found one of them but lost the other. Katie shot a good doe on Saturday during the youth gun season and then gave us a lesson in tracking.

As previously reported Nick laid hands on his first deer with a bow on Thursday night and then on Friday night stuck his second one. We were able to track her for quite a ways but lost her right after she crossed Long Creek. She had already traveled quite a distance by that point so I have to assume it was a non fatal shot. Sure sounded like agood one to me. I was hunting about a hundred yards away and heard the whack when the arrow hit. We finally found the arrow yesterday morning. We must have walked past it half a dozen times looking for it. Had good blood on it but an awful ot of fat too. Nick thought it was a good shot but slightly quartering towards him. I don't know what went wrong but she's still out there somewhere. He had one in the ice chest when he boarded the plane today though so it was a successful as well as fulfilling week for both of us.

Katie put a great shot on a doe Saturday night. Put it right behind the shoulder where the twelve ring sits. She's turning into quite the tracker. She crawls through those little tiny holes in the brush that I just cringe at. After about 200 - 250 yards she walked up on it. We had just lost blood trail at the intersection of a couple of trails when she decided, "I think she went this way. I smell something". Sure enough 3-4 steps later she announced, "There she lay". Going to get her some brush pants and take her with me on some of those tracks you guys put me through. Maybe I can get to bed a little earlier in the evening.

The weather here has taken a big turn. First freeze of the season is expected tonight with 20-30 mph winds to go with it. We had half an inch of rain last night and today and the moon is starting to head toward new. Its hunting season and it doesn't get much better than this to get 'em moving around.

The first clients are due in this weekend. Looking forward to Mike and Richie's return. Both took bucks last year with Richie's being quite an adventure.

I'll try to get some scouting and reporting in in the next couple of days to keep you pumped for the season. So until next time....

I'll see you back at the lodge.

I know, I know....

2006-10-07T11:09:00.000-05:00

So much for the every day blogging. My son Nick came to town on Wednesday and we've been hunting ever since.

He took a doe Thursday night on his first day of hunting. Pictures will be up soon on that. I got video of the hunt and the hunting widow is studying up on how to get the video on the web. Like I said, I should have my own show. It was way cool.

This was Nick's first deer with the bow and we're both pretty pumped up about it.

He shot another doe last night but we weren't able to recover that one. Left a great trail and then it just went dry. Searched this morning for blood and the body but no luck.

My daughter Katie is hunting this weekend for the Illinois youth gun season. The deer beat us to the spot this morning and then the coyotes were roaming around us so we just hung it up and went looking for Nick's deer.

We've come home for lunch and a nap and then back out to the woods for more family hunting.

Hunting with the kids is just great. I like the guys that come out every year, but this is almost heaven.

I'll work on the pictures and the video. Hope to have them up soon. And I'll get you updates on the family hunt as they become available. Until then....

I'll see you back at the lodge.

I Should Have My Own Hunting Show

2006-10-03T10:07:00.000-05:00

Never did get out yesterday. 92 degrees in the afternoon and the wind was blowing 20 mph. Tried mowing the lawn but the blades are so dull all I managed to do was get sweaty and make the lawn look odd at best.

But the deer missed me. Just after sundown my intrepid hunting beagle cut loose outside just a howling. In my effort to promote neighborhood harmony I went to shut her up and there they stand. Two does standing right across the road saying, "Hey, aren't you coming out to play? We know you're in there". Only Drew can know the frustration I go through every season. He's had a lot of practice laughing at me or doing a play by play from the stands.

Now, to the reason I have titled this as I have.

I was watching deer porn on the Men's Channel this morning. These are the shows that haven't made ESPN2 or the Outdoor Channel yet. Some of them never will and here's why.

"The wind isn't right for where we want to be so let's just make do. We'll set up down wind looking into a rising sun in a tree that doesn't offer the cover we really need for the dozen or so camera, sound guys, producers, advertisers, and others that we need to put on this show." Okay, they didn't really say that but it became obvious from the other patter that was going on.

Out steps Charlie Racker walking slowly toward the stand from waaaaaaaaay down the field. He knows they're there. He's got the perfect view looking down sun. He walks toward the stand with that stiff legged gait that says, "I know you're there. I just haven't winded you yet".

Charlie doesn't get the chance to offer a decent target. In fact he stays head on through the entire approach. Suddenly the background music stops and the shot rings out. Charlie takes off as fast as he can considering the non-fatal wound Zippy the Hunter has inflicted.

Zippy, in his effort to save the show, calmly explains "we're going to give this buck quite a bit of time. I think I got a good hit on him but etc, etc".

Not!

Don't let me catch any of you doing this with that big one out here. I spend enough time tracking to get me through the year. For your sake, my sake, and the deer's sake, let's wait for the right shot and make those shots good ones.

Makes for better TV anyway.

That said, I'll see you back at the lodge.

The Trophy Doe

2006-10-02T13:04:00.000-05:00

As I said yesterday, yesterday for all you yahoos that are blog addicted, I went in search of that trophy doe that all of you want for next year.

The weather was terrible. Temp was in the high 80's and the wind was blowing. Seemed like summer again. Even though the wind was blowing a steady 10 - 20 MPH it was a swirlin' down in the bottoms.

I saw 4 does during the afternnoon but all were to far away or in the brush to take a shot at. I think the wind was letting them all know I was around. The trophy wasn't there but I could hear my freezer moaning as they went by. It has an echo now when I open it.

Didn't hunt this morning. The wind was still blowing and all wrong for the spot I was planning on. Besides, when the alarm went off I was all snuggled up with the hunting widow and just couldn't stand the thought of moving right then. I'll do better during you guy's season, I promise.

Still hot and windy out there with temps near 90 today and tomorrow. Looking for some rain on Wednesday to cool things down a little. Hope so anyway, that's when my son, Nick, gets here. Hoping to take his first deer with the bow over the next week. If not that then his first 5 pound bass in the middle of the day.

Some news from our hunters - Rich, who took a nice buck last year, and a nice bear as well (somewhere else), scored another bear this year. He has promised me pictures one of these days so I'll get them up here when I get them.

Scott says the Louisiana Boys had an underwhelming trip elk hunting this year. I don't think they've ever said anything good about that trip. Wish they'd just save that money and spend an extra week here. I bet we have a lot more fun here anyway. Scott says the marsh has recovered from Katrina so I'm planning to get down there and duck hunt with them this year. They've offered for years but I think I might make it down this time. Ducks in the morning and red fish in the afternoon is what they tell me. Stay tuned, I'll let you know how it goes. I may be branching out if its as good as they claim.

That's it for today. I'll get back to you as soon as I get out again or something equally important comes up. If neither happens I'll just let you know tomorrow. In the mean time...

I'll see you back at the lodge.

Opening Day

2006-10-01T10:33:00.000-05:00

Its opening day here in Illinois so I thought it appropriate to open the blog season as well. That and I've been beat up by so many of you for slacking off on it.

Have been scouting, hanging stands and hunted this morning. I won't go into many details as to location on these things because you all want to hunt where the biggest deer is. Believe me, I want you to hunt there too. I don't put you guys anywhere that I don't think there's a shooter lurking about.

Wednesday night I was out for a little sunset look and sighted three bucks traveling together. The first was big, the second was a shooter and the third will be someday. They didn't come out until right at dark so no pictures. That they were about 500 yds away is another reason.

Last night I saw two shooters, one of which was a very, VERY nice 10 point and the other a shooter 8. The 10 came out first, did a little scraping and then he and the 8 point did a little soft sparring out in the field for me. I know, I know, where are the pictures. Seems as I get older the the camera shakes quite a bit more and at maximum zoom all I seem to get maximum fuzzy. I need to put the tripod in the truck I guess.

I've been seeing does by the truck load. Should be a hell of a rut with that many of them out there. But since that's what I was looking for from the treestand this morning they weren't around.

I did see 3 bucks this morning. The first was on me and past right before I could see my pins. (no, I wasn't going to shoot) I'm pretty sure he's a shooter but it was still pretty dark. The second was a smallish 8. Should be a shooter next year and thereafter. The third was a spike. I did consider him for a minute but his body said, "I'm really young. Give me a chance, I'll get bigger".

Its going to be in the mid 80's today but I'm going to try again this evening. I have to get mine in before you Yahoos get here and my hunting days are over.

Couple of quick notes:

My son Nick is coming out this week to doe hunt for a few days. He's not taken a deer with the bow yet so we're looking forward to a great time.

Dad is coming out again this year but needs to know who wants some poker lesssons so we can plan his arrival.

Last, and most importantly, today is my Mom's birthday. Happy Birthday Mom. She's... well lets just say older than me. I miss her.

That's it for today I guess. Maybe I can tell you about my trophy doe hunt next time.

See you back at the lodge

You Still Have a Shot at Tags

2006-08-14T09:28:00.000-05:00

Illinois DNR has non resident archery tags left for this coming season. About 1500 tags will come available on a first come-first served basis on Aug 21st. If you haven't gotten your tags yet (Doc) make sure you hit the DNR web site and know what you need to do on the 21st.

Well, the antlers are coming out and so are the game cams. We hope to have some pictures to put up of this years hopefuls in the next few days. Have seen a few that are already outside their ears and still growing. While I haven't seen the numbers of past years I'm not bothered much. I never have been out here scouting this early either.

We've been getting a little rain to ease the drought the last couple of weeks. Creeks are flowing and there is still plenty of water in the ponds. Crops around the area have been good in some places and disasters in others because the rain has been very patchy. As an example, I live 5 miles south of Carthage and got just a shade under 0.3 of an inch on Thursday morning. A fishing buddy in town got 2.6 inches at the same time. The Good Lord makes it rain on the just and the unjust alike as my neighbor would say.

We have a lot of returning hunters this year as you'll see if you keep up with us this year. Gary and Richard (The Pennsylvania Boys), Scott and the Louisiana Boys, Jason and the Gang... I'm really looking forward to it.

Dad will be back again this year. Mom says he's been working out to get ready. He golfs 3 times a week and gets frequent naps. In all seriousness, I hear he's doing great and pretty excited about being here again. Says he'll pay his own way this year if I'll let him keep the poker money.

Everybody here is doing fine and looking forward to another great season and a lot of fun. I'll try to start updating on a semi-regular basis from here on out so we can start getting you pumped up for the season. Meanwhile...

I'll see you back at the lodge.

Illinois Archery Season Applications Are Open

2006-06-01T20:09:00.000-05:00

We're in the process of contacting all of our hunters for the upcoming season: Illinois DNR is now accepting applications for the 2006 non-resident archery tags. The window for applications closes June 30th.

Hunters can apply online here at Illinois DNR. We don't anticipate a shortage of tags, as there was a surplus last year. However, it doesn't pay to tempt fate. If you need any help making your application, give us a call.

We're anticipating a good season -- lots of healthy looking deer running through the fields. No antlers visible yet.

The Hunting Widow has started a quilt repair & restoration business, and with it comes her own blog for pontificating about the business, life in the Midwest, and being a Hunting Widow: Force Majeure Farm. No more pictures of deer wearing wedding dresses on Whitetail Fever, at least for a while.

Meanwhile, be sure to check out our blogroll of hunting sites that we check into regularly -- lots of good articles and stories.

Buck Stops Here V2.5

2006-03-18T09:15:00.000-06:00

Greetings again from the Hunting Widow!
This week's theme is taxidermy, which can be so....limiting... to one's decor. After all, one can only do so much with a mount: turn the head left or right, up or down. Maybe string Christmas lights in the antlers for the holidays. When Chris was at sea, and the nights were long, I could swear that his goat used to look at me. And not in a nice way. So I put a sunbonnet on him to make him a little friendlier looking. That didn’t go over so well when the big guy came home. Anyway, just when we hunting widows have reached the end of the bottom of the inspiration barrel, along comes Gordon Wilding with some great displays to liven up the lodge

Vocabulary word of the week: crypto-taxidermy, which is the creation of stuffed animals that do not have real, live counterparts. For hunters, the most commonly seen type of crypto-taxidermy is the jackalope, which, you may be amazed to discover, actually has some basis in fact.
(There, you see, reading this blog is not the waste of time your spouse or employer is thinking -- it is EDUCATIONAL.) For more fun with crypto-taxidermy, visit the Minnesota Association of Rogue Taxidermists. Be sure to try the Beast Blender. This is what happens when winters are long and dark.

“Probably, nobody will remember anything I've done when I'm gone, except the folks who brought me an old set of horns with which I created something beautiful.” In Find Something You Like To Do, Articman tells a great story about how he got into doing taxidermy.

Apparently taxidermy is an expanding field. Perhaps they can team up with a veterinarian -- their motto could be "No Matter What Happens - You Get Your Pet Back!" You have to wonder, too, what the new (living) pet that you bring home is thinking about that stuffed cat in the corner. Makes me think of the naughty parrot joke.

Haven’t gotten a buck worth mounting yet? Never fear, the mass merchandisers of America have brought you Buck, the Singing Deer. And if you didn’t see him at Christmas, then you don’t shop at Walmart. Be sure to turn on your audio.

Taxidermy figured into one of the best (and unintentional) practical jokes Chris and I have ever pulled.

It all started back in 1981, the summer after my junior year in high school. I signed up for an anatomy class at the local community college, including anatomy. The class included dissection of various animals, including cats. The professor needed a volunteer to skin the cats in preparation for dissection, so I took on the job. Being curious, I checked out a book on taxidermy from the library and decided to try it out on a couple of the cat skins. (Yes, I know, most teenage girls have other things on their mind for summer vacation. Yes, I’ve always been this way.) Having been soaked in formaldehyde, the skins came out a little stiff but were presentable. I even lined the best one with felt and hung it up.

Fast forward to 1988. I’m in the Coast Guard, married to a Coastie, and newly transferred to Headquarters. And we had this cat…..it had seemed like such a nice cat when we got it. As the weeks progressed though, this cat became increasingly cold to us. If we entered the room, it left. If we tried to pet it, it walked away. Not only that, but the ghost in the house didn’t like it and started throwing things at it. (No, we did not believe in ghosts until it happened to us, and besides that is a completely different story.) We had a long list of charges against that cat and it did absolutely nothing to otherwise endear itself to us.

Chris would go into work each Monday and regale his co-workers with the latest outrages the cat had committed. He started offering it for sale at our cost, but each week the price went up – first it was the adoption fee, then it was the vaccinations, and then the cat got sick. Chris’ griping about that cat made for great office entertainment.

Meanwhile, we were unpacking the last of a few boxes that had been unopened since before we were married. As I unloaded a book box, from behind me I heard Chris say, “WHAT is THIS?!?” I turned to find him holding the cat skin. As I explained the provenance of the skin, a light began to gleam in his eye (Chris, not the cat.) What better way to bring the weekly cat gripe to a head than to bring in a skin? We figured everyone would have a good laugh and move on.

Monday morning: Not everybody is laughing. Chris called me mid-morning to tell me that everyone was actually believing that this was the hide of the cat, and that his boss was furious with him.

Chris had come into the office he shared with a Lieutenant (Paul) and a Gunnersmate, poured his coffee, retrieved the cat skin from his briefcase and hung it from the bookcase over his desk. His nearest neighbor, Paul, asked him what that was:

Chris: I’d had it with that cat, so I killed it and skinned it.

Paul: Wow. What did Kim say?

Chris: Oh, you can’t say anything to Kim about it. I did it while she was out shopping with her mother and I told her it ran away.

(Crowd gathers, Chris repeats his story. General reactions run along the lines of “what if your wife finds out?” Then, enter the Commander (Butch), everyone’s boss.)

Butch: What’s that?

Chris: It’s the cat. I finally killed it and then I tanned it’s hide.

Butch (outraged): How could you do that?

Chris: It was easy – just a little tap between the eyes with my hammer!

Butch retreats in spluttering outrage. Now Chris is calling me. He never believed the entire office would be so gullible, and he’s also starting to get worried that Butch is about to call the ASPCA on him. However, this is way to much fun to just holler April Fool and move on – so we hatch a plan….

It’s 11:00 – time for lunch. Usually, Chris meets me in the passageway to go to lunch, but he’s “running late” and still at his desk. I enter the vault, sign in at the desk and chat with the secretary a bit. Everyone in the vicinity is visibly nervous and retreating back to their desks or other strategic viewing spots. I make my way toward Chris, who has his back turned to me and is talking to the Gunnersmate. Chris knows I’m approaching me, because Gunner’s eyes are getting huge and his face is turning bright red.

I stop behind Chris, glance up at the bookcase and spy the skin. I take it down and look at it with a dawning look of horror. Chris turns slightly and I throw the skin at him: “Murderer!” and storm out of the office. Shocked silence.

As soon as the door slams shut, Chris is surrounded by sympathetic co-workers offering couches to sleep on and the names of good divorce attorneys. Butch launches another tirade about cat killing, and Gunner is still watching all this in amazement.

I walk back in, and everyone gets quite again. Chris says, “I have just one thing to say to everybody.” And together we say, “April Fool!”

Butch pokes his head out of his office, “Awww, I knew it was a joke the whole time, I was going along with it….” Right.

Years later, Butch made Captain and took command of my unit. When the time came to transfer out, we looked and looked for that cat skin so that we could give it to him as a memento, but it had long since disappeared. I made a new one out of fake fur and glass eyes, but it just wasn’t the same.

Butch, wherever you are, thanks for being such a good sport.

I'm off to a quilt restoration seminar next week, so you'll just have to do without me. Until next time,

The Hunting Widow

[taxidermy]
[crypto-taxidermy]

The Buck Stops Here V2.4

2006-03-10T19:35:00.000-06:00

Greetings! I did such a good job last week, Chris asked me to write this week's entry. Or, maybe he realized that no one is saying anything remotely interesting about deer hunting this week. However, being the avid blog reader that I am, I have plenty of off-topic recommendations to make. (Chris would make the argument that I’m always a good source of off-topic and esoteric information. Hazard of my former occupation, I guess).

But first, the near and deer:

Here’s a primer on How to Age Your Deer.
Study hard, there’ll be a test this fall.

Genesis of a Duck Cop: Terry Grosz was a conservation law enforcement officer for more than 30 years, first for the State of California, and then with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For the last 18 years of his career he was based in Denver as Assistant Regional Director for Law Enforcement. In 2004, a movie based on his stories, entitled Wildlife Wars, was shown on Animal Planet. He’s also a prolific writer, with five other books listed on Amazon.com’s website. While you’re visiting, check out Proven Whitetail Tactics by Greg Miller, Bowhunting Pressured Whitetails by John and Chris Ebereart, and John Weiss’s updated Guide to Planting Food Plots for Deer and Other Wildlife

In a note from the inlaws last week: My uncle Joe and his best buddy, Bubba, went hunting a couple of weeks ago. Somehow they got lost. Uncle Joe reassured his buddy, though. "Don't worry. All we have to do is shoot into the air three times, stay where we are, and someone will find us." They shot in the air three times, but no one came. After a while, they tried it again. Still no response. When they decided to try once more, Bubba said, "It better work this time. We're down to our last three arrows."

That’s the deer recap for this week. If you’re interested in broadening your horizons, here are a few recommendations:

Tales of A Wandering Mind – written by a law enforcement officer who posts on all sorts of topics, and generally has something intelligent to say when he does. And, he likes brunettes!

Copper’s Blog is written by a British police officer with an acerbic wit. Lots of good links to other Law Enforcement blogs.

Michael Yon is a journalist in Iraq doing real reporting, as opposed to opinionating. Go see.

The Intelligence Summit. Because, some days, the Drudge Report is too heavy on aliens and celebrities. Then go visit The Counterterrorism Blog for some further analysis. Then, just to see what the other guys are thinking, visit the English language version of Al Jazeera. Unfortunately, The Diplomad is a dead blog; it’s still worth scrolling (all the way) down to the bottom and looking at the archives for an honest look at how the UN REALLY responds to a disaster.

Operation Eden – a post-Katrina documentary, in words and moving photographs, whether you agree with the opinions expressed or not. Also see, Vincent Laforet’s photo-log of Hurricane Katrina (go to the main page, select index, select “editorial 2”, then select “Katrina.”) Eye of the Storm is also an excellent post-Katrina photo blog.

Waiter Rant – What your waiter is thinking.

Medical blogs – I’m addicted to them. Start with the weekly “best of” summary entitled Grand Rounds, and then take a closer look at these: The Examining Room of Dr. Charles, Information is Free, GruntDoc, and Ah, Yes, Medical School. Pissed Off Student Nurses is another dead blog that’s still fun to read. Pity, I love the title. By the time you’re done looking at these (and the other blogs they link to) you’ll either be thoroughly hooked, or thoroughly grossed out.

Missed your favorite TV show? Get the recap at Television Without Pity. “Spare the snark, spoil the network...”

Individual Items of Random Interest:

Feel the Coast Guard. Go ahead, you’ll like it.

Caring for your introvert. Just leave us alone, already!

How To Kill Rats and Mice. Because if you live in the country, you’ll need to know. I’m thinking about buying the rat rock. I’d buy the bazooka if they had one. We had a mouse in the attic this winter and it nearly drove me insane. And if mama ain’t happy……

Demotivators. Or, as I like to call it: Reality.

Notable Quotables – Quote of the Year. Speaking of reality, Dan Rather and Mary Mapes have lost their grasp on it.

Looney Toons Opera. Because you just never know when you might need to break into song.

For those of you who think rivers are “peaceful” and “lazy,” take a look at this towboat’s encounter with the current..

STILL looking for something to do? Go play Runescape.

-- The Hunting Widow

[deer]
[hunting]
[whitetail fever]
[deer hunting]

The Buck Stops Here V2.3

2006-02-27T15:40:00.000-06:00

Ah, spring is coming, we can feel it in our bones, and a young man’s thoughts turn towards…..building horse stalls, and cutting down trees, and tattooing calves, and moving dirt around with a tractor. Therefore, this edition of the Buck Stops Here is brought to you by the Hunting Widow.

First off, a quick note to our visitors on active duty or otherwise engaged in the War on Terror. Several of you have inquired about hunting with us and expressed your concerns that you cannot commit to a certain hunt date because of the uncertainty of your deployment schedule. Be assured, we value your service and will do everything within our power to be flexible and accommodating. In addition, hunting deposits will not be forfeited if the cancellation is due to involuntary recall or a change in deployment schedule. Contact us directly for further information.

I came across the 2001 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released its latest report on Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. According to the report:
· hunting was a $20.6 billion industry in 2001, with hunters spending 30% more on the sport than in 1991.
· Hunters as a percentage of the population began to decline around 1984, but the sub-category of big game hunters maintained its population. Small game and fowl hunting numbers dropped considerably.
· Trip costs (food, lodging, fuel) consume about 25% of a hunter’s expenses per year, and well over half of hunters are also hunting on private lands (either by lease or through hunting lodges).
What I get out of this is that hunting is expensive, and perhaps the continued attraction of big game hunting is that it puts more meat per dollar on the table than a bird or a rabbit. There’s plenty of additional detail on spending, demographics, and geography in the full report, and there are worse ways to spend your coffee break. The next census survey on hunting takes place this year.

Two does, one slug. And the hunter was ten years old. I don’t want to hear any whining this fall.

PETA says that Hunting Belongs In History’s Dustbin. It’s an article loaded with illogic (and a bit of hysteria). There’s an email address at the end, if you’d like to share your thoughts with the author. As for me, all I’ve got to say in response is this:

And finally, a cautionary tale:

The deer took the runner out, saying, “he smells much better than most critters we get going through here.” It wasn’t long before the couple was in a rush to the altar, wishing to avoid a moral hazard. The Bride wore camo, and all were inspired by the appearance of a another deer outside the chapel. There could be no other possible explanation for the sudden appearance of this deer other than it being the reincarnation of the bride’s former husband giving his blessing to the marriage. The couple moved in to a small cottage and several years passed in peace. The mooching of the groom's deadbeat friends became too much for the bride to bear, and they soon divorced. The forlorn ex moved to a home next door, separated by a fence. Chortled the deer, ““My ex-husband lives on the other side. They are eating HIS stuff.” The attraction remained, however, and ultimately proved fatal: They died together, locked in an angry, apparently unbreakable embrace.

Photo provided by Marc Gould to the South Bend Tribune.

(Please do not send me your Brokeback Deer jokes.)

Til next time,

The Hunting Widow

[deer]
[hunting]
[whitetail fever]
[deer hunting]

The Buck Stops Here V2.2

2006-01-26T19:08:00.000-06:00

What’s next, leashes? Hunting preserves are the subject of some controversy, and it looks like Indiana is about to join 11 other states in restricting the methods by which deer in those preserves are taken. In our humble opinion, there’s a reason it’s called “hunting” and not “grocery shopping.” In a blog entry about hunting in that other preserve we call “suburbia,” Greg Alan Store discusses the results of an urban deer population control hunt in Cedar Rapids. Somewhere, there has got to be a study about where the point is in deer populations that they go from “cute” to “annoying” to “dangerous” (because of frequent vehicle accidents). Greg puts forward a pretty cogent synopsis on the safety and effectiveness of urban deer hunts.

What the heck is an atlatal, you ask? If you live in Pennsylvania, you may be about to find out. We Googled and found this picture at the University of Louisiana:

More women are taking up deer hunting, a fact noted in solid statistics by the state of Missouri. Women are closing in on making up 20% of the hunter population. We noted this fact several years ago when we were getting ready to open Long Creek Adventures, and we took care during the farmhouse remodel to ensure that we can assure comfort and privacy for our female guests. It’s no surprise that many of these women take up the sport because of the love that a father or husband has for hunting. Hunting is an incredible bonding experience. The day the Little Admiral took her buck was certainly a big milestone in our family. This hunting family in Connecticut shares its traditions and inculcates proper respect for firearms at an early age. Yeah, but do they use an atlatal?

Poaching is a crime. Poaching is a crime. Poaching is a crime. Yes, we feel very strongly about that. Here’s a touching story about a father-son duo who have, among other penalties, been dealt a lifetime ban against hunting. They’ve already done plenty of damage. In a sign of fatherly love, Dad complained that his sentence was too severe, given that it was his son that did “most” of the poaching.

In further news of the strange and unusual, all we can say about THIS is, well, wow. Hat tip to Greg Alan Store. And, just in case you thought this might be a singular incident, here’s a summary of other attacks. It just may be that it will be up to the squirrels to defend the unsuspecting among us.

Lastly, just for fun, visit The Other Side blog and tell us: how many deer do you see?

We’ll see you back at the lodge!

[deer]
[hunting]
[whitetail fever]
[deer hunting]

The Buck Stops Here v2.1

2006-01-18T07:41:00.000-06:00

Our friend Greg, who's serving overseas, sent us this video clip from Break.com of one very stupid but lucky buck. You can also check out this video of two bucks battling it out. They appear to be in velvet, which would explain why they're not using their antlers (when in velvet, antlers are softer and easily damaged).

Have you ever wondered about the stages of antler growth? Texas State Parks and Wildlife has a photo log showing antler growth for one buck from March 99-Sep 99.

Since many of our hunters are from Pennsylvania, we thought that this article about the debate over whether the state’s deer population is over-hunted (a two-week firearm season?!?!?!) was pretty interesting.

As bucks age, they become increasingly nocturnal. North American Whitetail has a great article “When Bucks Go Over the Hill” that discusses this and other age-related changes, and how they affect your hunt. While you’re visiting that site, take a moment to read Getting the Most From Your Stand. It has some important advice about what to do – and not do – in order to avoid educating the herd about your location.

[deer]
[hunting]
[whitetail fever]
[deer hunting]

The Buck Stops Here v1.3

2006-01-03T10:30:00.000-06:00

It was a thin week for articles on deer hunting this week. Must be that time of year, as Dave Richey, notes in Time Is Winding Down For Deer Hunters. Ah, well, now’s the time to be creating all those great venison recipes. Venison is a healthy, low-fat addition to the menu, and the corn-fed deer we harvest here in Illinois are tender and not at all gamey or bitter, (which can happen when deer have been eating landscaping rather than their natural forage). If the chief cook is looking for inspiration, Recipeland.com has a number of intriguing venison recipes.

Do you know a woman who hunts? If so, she may be interested in reading Woman The Hunter by Mary Zeiss Stange, a professor at Skidmore College. She recently wrote an editorial in USA Today on Why Deer Hunts Can Be Humane. Blogger Jim Freeman further expounds upon the costs of deer overpopulation in Taking A Bead On Bambi.

Happy New Year, everyone. We’ll see you next year, back at the lodge.

[deer]
[hunting]
[whitetail fever]
[deer hunting]

The Buck Stops Here v1.2

2005-12-23T18:13:00.000-06:00

This weeks round up of deer hunting articles has some pretty interesting stuff. Be sure to check it all out. Just click on the links!

You have got to see this one! We’ve had some pretty good days at Long Creek but…..

This photo brought to you courtesy of blogger Conniemia. She writes: "Apparently, when dad was in town registering the deer, people were actually getting out of their cars and taking pictures of this. I don't care how townie you are, THIS is impressive. Not just the number of deer, or BUCKS for that matter, but the fact that they got them all on one short-bed pick-up truck. .... yep, this is my life. " Connie tells us that there are seven bucks and four does in the back of the truck, all culled during Thanksgiving weekend at the family hunt camp, Porkey Creek Lodge, in Wisconsin.

This past year, several of the hunters at Long Creek donated their meat – some went to Hunters for the Hungry, some went to people who we knew personally that could use it. It was greatly appreciated by the recipients. Similar opportunities to feed the hungry exist in just about every community. Let’s make every deer count for those that need them.

Archery hunting has grown in the last 30 years according to the Illinois DNR. But elsewhere, development encroaches on traditional hunting and feeding grounds. When new rural homeowners regard deer as pets, it follows that Deer May Roam, But Hunters May Not Tread.

Two safety articles to post this week: First, the article doesn’t say it outright, but the judge’s sentence implies that alcohol was involved: Man Gets 10 Years On Probation For Hunting Death . Second, wear your safety harness, and wear it properly.

Dave Richey, an outdoor writer, muses on whether deer can sense danger. Meanwhile, when the tables get turned on some poachers, it turns out that their sense of danger is less attuned.

Lastly, here’s an awesome photo blog of some deer hunting in New Zealand. These appear to be red stag. Wouldn’t they make for a great hunt?

We’ll see you back at the lodge!

[deer]
[hunting]
[whitetail fever]
[hunting safety]