One of my favorite times of the year: deer hunting season
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I can’t help but marvel at the beauty of the earth. It’s that time of winter with its bright white snow and crisp air. It is hunting season so for us who hunt, we are outdoors. The opportunity to spend time in nature is always good.
I was thinking about nature this morning and a time period when the earth took a terrible beating. Back in the late 19th century, the powers that be flooded a place in California called the Hetch Hetchy Valley. It is in the northwestern part of California and is glacial. It was said to be as beautiful as Yosemite National Park. It was developed in the late 19th century for the emergency water. So, some big wig decided to build a dam there, the O’Shaughnessy Dam. They flooded and destroyed the valley. I think it safe to assume that the waters in this beautiful valley were tainted by the tears of John Muir, who fought long and hard to try to save this beautiful place.
We are all conservationists of our earth. Harvesting deer falls under this category. By keeping numbers down, we help improve the herd. Food insecurities are a big thing now because of the virus, so venison is a good source of meat once.
Speaking of deer hunting and all things related, my dear friends Roy and Claire Munce each bagged bucks this season. He shot a nice buck in archery and she shot a nice buck in rifle. The best part of the story is that our Claire is 4 months or so pregnant. This means the baby was out for his first hunt. Congratulations you two – or three!
Then I heard about Colin Shell, who shot a 3-point half rack buck on his 12th birthday Nov. 29. Good job parents and congratulations Colin.
Next this week I heard from a friend at the Dormont Mt. Lebanon Sportsman’s Club about a monster buck that will be the new state record buck if it’s so. The buck was taken in Tionesta and is said to score over 195. Let’s wait and see on this buck but my source says it’s a monster and taken with a recurve bow. If true, that will be an interesting story.
Lastly, I hear Hunter Weber downed a good buck. Hunter is the daughter of my good friend Mike who is always up to something in the hunting outdoor sports area. Its good to hear of his daughter following in his footsteps. It looks like a beautiful 10 point. Congratulations to them both.
It’s been a busy week and one I have been trying to enjoy. Mike Ward my son-in-law and I went out several times. I am happy to report he downed a small 5 point on Saturday. I enjoyed the camaraderie of my friend Monte Hunnell, which after all is a big part of the hunt for me. I saw quite a few deer and I’m still watching for Mr. Big Buck. At my age, just getting out there is encouraging. My last congratulations go to Mike Ward of Washington who made a good clean shot on a buck. It was a lot of fun watching him for me and Monty.
The deer herd looks healthy and plentiful this year. This is a gift of nature that we cannot ignore. Perhaps hunters and anglers are outdoor creatures watching over these resources. Like the disaster that made John Muir cry, this gift makes me happy. So, today’s article is about the gift of a plentiful harvest. Hats off to all of the young people and youth in today’s article who got a buck, too. I hope to be reporting next week to you my readers about the buck I harvested. Hope springs eternal!