Vermont rifle season ended yesterday and I wasn’t the only one that had thoughts running through my mind. My wife did too. I was able to glean a few of the thoughts she had shortly after the season ended to share with you. Her thoughts are italicized, semi-audible mumblings under her breath are in bold, and clearly…
Have you ever shot a deer and wondered where it came from or what it was doing before it showed up at your stand? I know I have. Maybe it’s the never ending drive to understand these creatures and what makes them tick. The way I see it, the more I can learn about the…
It’s been a tough week. My wife left me and took my son with her (just for a few days), and every other hunter in Vermont has killed a deer while I impatiently wait for my turn. I’ve seen some real beauties posted on Facebook since the Saturday opener. I’ve even seen some pictures of…
The only luck I had on Saturday was bad luck. Oh well. It happens. The morning started off well enough, but then I put on my underwear. Unbeknownst to me, I put it on inside out, which set the tone for the rest of the day. If I had caught this mistake earlier, perhaps the…
Deer Vermont Hunters, It is the most wonderful time of the year, isn’t it? This Saturday marks the day that you and I have been anticipating since the sunset at the end of last season. Opening day of rifle season is upon us! For the majority of you, rifle season is the “big dance.” Before dawn…
Someday, I am going to devote an entire article on the most important ingredient required for a successful hunt. The ingredient? Time. I can’t remember a year when I have hunted over such an active scrape line, complete with fresh rubs and extending over 650 yards. It felt like I was finding fresh sign each…
Maybe it’s the changing weather or the feeling of hunting with a firearm in place of my bow, perhaps it’s both, but I feel more excited to hit the woods this time of year than any other. Daybreak on Saturday morning found me huddled up against the base of a mature pine tree trying to…
It’s true, I finally shot a deer. It wasn’t the biggest deer, but hey, it was a great time in the woods. The kill was extremely quick and clean. What more could I ask for? I was perched in an oak tree over some very fresh sign from deer feeding on acorns. The leaves were…
“For it’s one, two, three strikes you’re out at the old ball game!” How many strikes do you get when deer hunting before you are out? Is it three just like in baseball? I hope so because that means I’m still in the game. The story goes like this. I had only been in position for…
Other than a rather intense encounter with a bear a mere twelve feet away from Sam and I on Friday night, the weekend was pretty slow in the woods. It was Sam’s first time out “deer hunting” with me and he mentioned afterward that he’d rather not bear hunt again until next year when he’s…