The freezer is full of venison. I've given some away, even to the paper carrier. I've been researching yummy venison recipes, and hope to have friends over to enjoy it. Meanwhile, I have begun the process of tanning my hide....no pun intended. I spared you the fleshing process, it was not for the faint of heart. Perhaps the salting part isn't either. What I have done is this, I've stretched the deer hide out on a sheet of quarter inch plywood. I poured pickling salt all over the hide, and rubbed it in. I will leave it alone for 12 hours, and apply more salt. Following 12 more hours, I will brush off the salt. I haven't decided whether I want to try the brain method, or use the kit chemicals on the hide. I have plenty of time to figure it out. Once the hide is dry, it will be stable for a while.

Evvy and I went for a long hike this afternoon. I was kind of sorry I had taken a deer on the first day, there's still time and I'd like to be hunting. Nevertheless, I enjoy following game trails anyway. I found several, and plenty of good sign. Some good scrapes were found up on Derry hill, but quite far in for most hunters. I'm still seeing Bear sign in the usual places.

Evvy located a cow bone, that would be better suited to an English mastiff. She had actually found it last year. I had taken it away from her then, leaving it behind. She found it once more, so I let her lug it home a mile away. I would not however, allow this thing in the house. I have a small pile of bones outside, all of which Evvy has found.

We enjoyed our walk today in the thin fog of Derry Hill woods. The air was so fresh, and damp, intoxicatingly breathable. I didn't care that my pant-legs were soaked to the ankle.

Hunting Don'ts

This is my first deer hanging from a tree, rather unorthodox, but it worked in a pinch. The deer hung for three days in moderate daytime temps, and freezing nights. Then on the fourth day, I brought the deer to a butcher in town. He guessed the carcass yielded 55% of the dressed weight, so about 67.2 pounds. I asked for the hide also. I intend to tan it myself. If the hide comes out well, I'll go back down to the butcher to collect one or two more hides to tan. I was told that on a given day there may be as many as 24 hides in the dumpster, what a waste. I'll document the process as I begin. The first thing I have to do, is remove the skull, and salt the hide with pickling salt. I have ordered a fleshing knife, and a tanning kit for the remaining steps.

I have begun giving some of the venison away, because I can not imagine eating all of it before it gets freezer burnt. When I got home, I cleaned out my freezer and stuffed it full of the venison; breakfast sausage, back straps, hamburg, steaks, one roast, and loin.

Next year, I'll build a place to hang my deer, complete with block and tackle. This year alone, I have learned alot about hunting, and more about the post hunt; cleaning the deer, hanging the carcass, cleaning up my clothes, ordering various cuts of venison, and imagining all the ways I can prepare the venison.

Now to the issue at hand that I feel compelled to discuss. The day after I got my deer, I knew my neighbor and his wife were out hunting Derry Hill. They had asked me to come out with them to take photographs. I walked out to their location, and stayed long enough to know they would not get a deer with all of the noise they were making. I returned home. Late in the afternoon, I heard FIVE shots! Right away, I knew he had taken a bad shot, then another, and another....and so on. With disgust, I thought about the poor deer that had to endure such cruelty. Then I received a text message of all things, from his wife, who was still in the woods. She relayed the whole torrid situation moments later. She told me her husband had taken a shot at a deer. The shot hit the deer opening one side of it. The shot was taken head on (shooting don't #1). The deer began losing his entrails, and attempting to run away. Fearing the small buck(button buck) would get away, dubious hunter took shot #2, which blew off one of the back legs(shooting don't #2). At this point, I'm envisioning a few things, his taking random pot shots, disregarding firearm safety, and of course disrespect for the deer. Just appalling. It doesn't stop there. He takes a third shot, and blasts the mandible from the deer! I'm guessing the other two rounds were either misses or a final blow to an already mutilated deer. While they hunt their own property, and do not require hunting licenses, they do take liberties with this privilege. I don't know if they register their kills, or even if they must by law. Occasionally, they bait deer with corn or apples. Thankfully, the bear get to this stuff, and eat most of it before the deer have a chance. This couple crunch their way through the woods, destroying any chance of seeing a deer. Then they wonder why they rarely have a successful hunt. They are poor marksmen to say the least. Both have now taken multiple shots on a deer. The woman in this duo, told me once that she took a bad shot at a doe a couple years ago. In the process of taking the shot, she shot another doe, at the same time injuring them both, but killing neither! She chose one doe, and went after it. It took her two more shots to kill the doe. Presumably, the second doe became coyote food.

Needless to say I will never hunt with the people!

Shoot, or don't shoot

Opening Day, for me began differently this year. I had hung a stand in an oak tree. I thought this would be the perfect spot. Along a clearing that had been logged off a few years ago. Above, a granite summit with views of Vermont. The clearing sloped downward to forest of white pine, hemlocks, and oaks. I was out there at dawn. At around 9:30, the sound of a skidder. The property had been for sale and resale for the last couple years, so I figured I'd never hear a thing. But today, there was a skidder, a drilling machine, and a very large excavator above me on the granite top. At first the noise wasn't bad. The skidder was widening the access road above and east of me.

On my way up to the stand, I noted two new scrapes. I had previously made one near my stand. I was encouraged by this new activity despite the site work above. So I sat up in my tree for about four hours, before I took a break for a bite to eat. I slowing walked back down to my house. Less than a tenth of a mile I think. I spent about a half hour, tending to my dog, and getting a snack. Then I returned to my stand, noting fresh deer skat along the way. I knew they (the deer of course) where there, presumably watching my every move. I could just sense it. As I got closer, I heard the very disappointing sound of a chainsaw. The chainsaw was not above me, but closer to my stand! I thought surely I'd been discovered and the oak was being cut right then. Thankfully, the logger was not at my stand, but well below. Nevertheless, I decided this day of hunting was a wash. So, I took my stand down. First the stand, then the climbing sticks. The logger, drove his skidder up near me when he noticed me. He told me he did not see my stand. I said, "I guess it was a good stand then". He told me not to be discouraged by the noise and his presence there. He explained that he was a hunter also, that the noise and smells of heavy equipment would be good cover for m. I just thought to myself, "whatever". I thanked him, and lugged the stand back toward home. I left the climbing sticks there, planning to drive up later and pick them up. By now it was after 3:00 p.m. I made my down the hill to an area just above my house. I set my stand down, and looked around for a new place to hang it. I decided to leave the stand there, and hang it again the next day. In the mean time, I set the stand down, and found a place to take a ground spot.

I had given maybe one call - no commercial calls, just me sqawking through my hands. About half an hour later. I hear that familiar sound. The funny thing about deer is, if you're in thick cover, you don't actually see them until they are right there in front of you. The doe came into view from north to south, broadside. I watched, took note of the perfect shot, but decided I wanted to wait for the buck that must be following. The doe came to a halt suddenly, catching my scent I assume. She turned around, and took a couple of leaps before stopping. The turned to the north, and sniffed the breeze which was in my favor at that point. Well, you know what they say about curiosity killing the cat? This time, curiosity was about to kill the deer. I had decided when I began this hunting thing, I would hunt only for bucks. Today, was different. The logger had said, "you can't eat horns" when I shared my interest in bucks. So I would take a shot at this doe, if she put herself in my sights. After a dance of stamping front feet, then moving, stamping, and once again placing her broadside to my crosshairs......pow! I was surprised to find no hesitation whatsoever in pulling the trigger. I had wondered if I would actually dare to kill a deer. Now, the second the muzzle flash was over, I knew I had made a good shot in the kill zone. But she didn't drop, she ran off though on a definite tack to the left, like it would not be long. I waited but a few minutes after collecting my things. I checked the spot where she had been. The blood was there, good. I could follow the blood trail, and find her. I had to find her, to make sure. I thought about how ashamed I would feel if I just left the deer out there dead or alive. Darkness was coming very fast now, and I would need to get more light to find her. I looked around until it was just pointless.

Back to the house. I decided to put Evvy(my lab) on a long line, and search for the doe. We followed the blood trail, with some good arterial blood spatter, eventually becoming just a drop here and there. The wind was still blowing hard, and Evvy had some trouble tracking when we got to close to the rim of a shallow ridge leading down to my house. But Evvy eventually did find the deer. I just stood and looked at it for a moment. I did that. Should I feel bad, good, exhilarated? Evvy growled at the dead deer lying there with a single shot, nearly perfectly placed. I supposed my first thought was, "how am I going to get this out of here?" With darkness all around, I knew the coyotes would come soon. I decided to try an field dress the deer there. I started, but I was making a mess of the deer without better light. So I decided to pull out my drag. I never imagined how hard that would be. This deer weighed as much as I do. At first I wasn't even sure how to put the drag on to the deer, and what about the head and neck? No clue, but I knew the head would be dragging on the ground. So it tightened this contraption on to the deer, and put the straps over my shoulders. Took a step, and fell right back on my rear end! Heavier than I thought. I started listing off the wish list of things that would really come in handy right now: an ATV, a deer cart, another person, better light, and a cold diet coke. But alas, none of those things were there, just me and Evvy. While Evvy was helpful at finding the deer, she was a horror while I dragged it foot by foot. Evvy pulled the deer's tail, as if we were playing "tug", her favorite game. I began to feel exasperated, but I would not be defeated by this challenge, and it WAS a challenge. I lost track of time, because I knew I would be out there until the job was done, period. I pulled, fell, pulled over stones and logs, stopped to breath. Then I heard them, the coyotes had arrived. I shone my flashlight into the darkness behind us, and saw the eye-shine. They were scurrying back and forth across the path. I decided we really had to hustle now. I was exhausted, every muscle in my body ached.

It felt like my black belt test in Tae Kwon Do, all over again. I just kept thinking, "just a little further, then she'll slide right down the hill to my footbridge, and into the yard." Little did I know Evvy had been lapping the blood coming from the deer. I had no idea how much she had consumed.

At last into the yard. I put everything down, and brought Evvy inside. Then I got a work light and hung it on my porch railing, shining directly down on the deer. I donned my rubber fishing bibs, muck boots, and shoulder length cleaning gloves. Oh and the wonderful "White Tail" skinning knife my sister got me following one of our B.O.W. weekends. I felt a bit macabre, kneeling out there in the dark under a work light, the woods were alive with creatures watching.

What a mess! I didn't find out until the next day on the way to the game check-in, that I was supposed to leave the heart, lungs, and liver in the carcass. The deer would weight nearly 20 pounds less. Oh well. I knew she weighed as much as I, but no more than that. I saved the heart, which by the way, I missed, and put it in the fridge for anyone who enjoys that part. I took my deer tag and covered it with clear shipping tape, so it would hold up in weather. I tied the tag on to the deer's ear. I rinsed out the carcass, and resolved to lift it into my truck bed. Fat chance! There was just no way I could lift the awkward, ungainly weight. I set it back down on the ground, and prayed the coyotes wouldn't come into the yard. I had taken the guts, and placed them back into the woods, hoping the coyotes, etc. would just go for that and not my deer.

I gave the deer an expression of gratitude, for her life. She was still lactating, there was a babe in the woods looking for her. I was alittle sad. On the other hand, her little one should be old enough to make it on his own by now. I pray that is so.

I left my bloody stuff outside to rinse later. I was drenched in sweat, thirsty, and hungry. I rattled off the next few tasks, as if running on autopilot: back inside, take a shower, go to bed, I would not do one other thing. Except there was Evvy. All the blood, and whatever else she ate, came up again, and again, on my carpet. I would still not be defeated, after all I had the next day off right? I cleaned up the smelly mess, and took Evvy back outside should she need to expel anything more. All she wanted to do was go back into the woods. I wouldn't have any of that. Back inside. I left all my hunting gear there on the kitchen floor, showered, brushed my teeth and went directly to bed. What a day, a day of challenges, and a supreme accomplishment for me - single handedly. I felt proud, the aches and pains would go away in a few days. The memory will last a life time.

This is me, and my doe the following morning. I hung the deer later with the help of my neighbor. She looked much larger hanging up.

Big Day Tomorrow

The view from my stand.
So tomorrow marks the start of firearms season for deer hunting in New Hampshire. Each year I learn alittle more about what to do, and what not to do. This year I bought a tree stand at Dick's Sporting Goods. Then I got the climbing sticks: 20 feet worth. Got the parachute cord to hoist all my stuff up to the stand. The stand came with a harness, and relief restraint should I end up dangling in the breeze. Last week, I ventured out to find the perfect spot. I put it up the first time, next to a corn field. Then I thought, no it's too close to the logging road, someone will find it, and steal it. Not only that, my neighbor rode up on her horse while I was under construction.....I felt like my secret had been revealed. So down it all came, back in the truck, and up behind my house on Sheep Hill. There is a wide open area with a great view of Vermont to the west. This property has been for sale for a long time, so I didn't think I would see any other activity there. The picture above is the view from my stand. There is quite bit of deer skat around, lots of tracks too. I didn't see any scraps or rubs. So I made a scrape, and drizzle the ole "Doe in Heat" lure on it. I climbed up into the stand. Within a few minutes, what do I hear? A frigging skidder about 200 yds above on the granite ledge. I was dumbfounded. Why now? Site work began, and a wider access to the view was being created. I am praying this activity will not be happening today or tomorrow. What a disappointment.

This is my stand in it's current location on Sheep Hill. Hopefully the recent site work won't be an issue. If it is, I am resolved to go back to hunting from the ground. I went for a walk around the old location this morning. Lots of bear sign, and not so much deer sign. But game trails everywhere. The bear skat was mostly seeds of some kind, not birdseed though. There is always a place to plunk down, and wait. Wait, I will, and I'll bring my camera in case I get too chicken to kill a deer. BTW.... yes I know my ladder is up-side down. I noticed it while I was climbing up. Thankfully, the pegs don't turn down so much that I slide off.

Halloween Road Trip, etc.

Last Sunday, just f or kicks, I drove up to the White Mountains. Though Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, I wasn't in the mood for scary. I made a loop around the national forest, shooting photos as I went.

My primary motivation was to see some snow.

I saw this Red Fox on the road to the Cog Railway. He wasn't very afraid of me. I found out later, that people feed the Foxes. There are signs up discouraging people from feeding the wild animals.
The "faceless" Man of the mountain.

Here's a good look at the valley with snow falling atop the peaks. Not a leaf on any tree.
I made a whirlwind trip of it, as I am often wont to do. I would have liked to go for a hike, but I was ill prepared for the elements. The weather changes so fast up there, and it was cold to begin with, so I stayed pretty much inside my warm truck. I did make quick dashes outside to take pictures. I will say the White Mountains at this time of year, seem desolate. I rarely saw people driving around, or even on the Kancamangus Hwy. I expect this will all change when the snow has accumulated.

As I left the Mt Washington valley for home, I took a leisurely tour down through Tilton as Trick 'or Treaters made their way around town for sweet treasure. I recalled doing the same thing when I was a kid. We would fill up pillow cases full(or at least a third) of candy. It was heaven on earth. Driving around this night, I wondered if I could get away with trick or treating again. I still have an insatiable sweet tooth.

Darkness soon enveloped me and my truck. I was encapsulated and safe from goblins. I should not stop lest the boogie monster aka "the lurking" catch me. Thankfully, I made it home safe and sound. Who knows where my next impromptu journey will take me?