Deer Diary....

This is my Deer Diary.
Before you sit there thinking I misspelled the word "deer", the spelling is intentional. I spent this weekend down south again, just outside of Lampasas, TX. I went hunting with Terry.

OK, OK, anyone who knows me knows that I am an ABSOLUTE animal lover and I would never hurt a single animal. When I met Terry and he told me he was a hunter, I wasn't totally sure what to do with that. But I figured I would let it ride and see where it went. Ever since he and I have been together, he has really opened my eyes immensely. The thing is...I used to think hunting was all about this crazy sport that just takes out cute, little, fuzzy deer. That other than "for the sport of it", there really wasn't a purpose. I mean, yes, there are people that kill for the meat because they really like venison, but come on! Just eat beef!

However, in the past few weeks, I have been learning about over populating, ages of deer, and why hunting really is an important thing. Yes, you have those douche-bags that are just sport hunters and are just trying to get a trophy, but that isn't what I believe Terry and people like him do.

So get this...

We wake at 4am. (which, if you know me, you know is a feat in and of itself!) Terry goes outside to get the clothes he left airing out the night before. (Deer have an incredible sense of smell) He brings it in as I am making coffee. I hear John down the hall getting ready. "You ready?", Terry says. I grunt.

It's 32 degrees outside. I am up at 4am. I am about to go and sit in a deer blind (I will explain this in just a bit) for 5 hours in hopes that we get to put a bullet through a deer....hhmmm? Am I ready?!

I digress. I throw on loads of clothes, including my HUGE insulated CAMO pants, jacket and beanie.

SIDENOTE: What the HECK is up with camo?? I mean, why does it have to be so ugly? Why can't they make something that is more form fitting? Something cute? They say that deer can't tell color. SO then...why don't they make different colors of camo?? I am on a hunt for cute camo...so if you know of anything, please do tell!

Anyway, I digress again. (It amuses me to the greatest degree that I am even speaking of wearing camo! LOL!)

I get my thermos ready with coffee, Terry gets all his stuff and we head out. We are silent. (yes, I know...that is amazing to believe with my loud voice and laugh...but I am!) We trek to the deer blind. Picture of deer blind we were in to the left with my little sheep!) Basically, a deer blind is a box or cover up that you can sit behind to cover your movement. Deer not only have keen smell and hearing, but they have good eye site. Of course, they can't tell color, but, they can catch movement, etc. So we get settled in the deer blind and wait. We have a deer feeder (photo of feeder and deer eating below) set up in the pasture across from us and it is set to go off at 7. A deer feeder is exactly that. It is a barrel filled with corn and it goes off twice daily. The deer start getting used to it so they know when to show up for some free yummy corn. So around 6:30, see our first doe. (Doe is a female, Buck is a male) With my third cup of coffee in hand, I whisper, "Terry." I point in the direction she is. We decide she is too young. Slowly, several doe start coming in and low and behold, a buck! We look at him closer and find that he doesn't look legal. (Bucks have to have a spread of at least 13 inches across on their horns in order to be legal to take (or shoot). We are sitting there in the blind, the feeder goes off and it is deer heaven. They are gorgeous! We watch for an hour or so and decide they are too small. They wouldn't be worth taking because they wouldn't provide enough meat.
There is one buck that keeps chasing this one doe everywhere. Terry begins to share with me how bucks go into a "rutt" once a year. Basically, it means, it is the ONLY time all year that they get to....uh....mate! so they pick up a scent of something that interests them and they go for it full gusto! As he is telling me that, I am looking at him and straight behind him, this large buck comes up over the hill. I point, he turns. As he turns, I pick up the scope to see if the buck we were looking at earlier is still at the feeder. HE IS! Terry says, "its not the same buck!" Before I know it, he is picking up his gun, I am looking at the buck next to us to count his points and see his size, I turn to look at the feeder and BANG!!! I turn to look at Terry and he is breathing heavily, I turn to where the buck standing next to us was and I see him on the ground! OH MY!
I don't know what to say....I am speechless. My heart is beating a million miles an hour. I can hear my breathing....I am in shock??
Talking about adrenaline rush!!! The other does are looking on. (It is crazy! They don't even run! Shoot! If one of my friends got shot, I'd be running! LOL!)
Anyway. We sit in the deer blind for a good 10 minutes not saying a word. Just trying to catch our breathe. He looks at me and says, "do you want to go see?" I take a deep breathe and say, "yes".
We trek over there and the buck is silent. I am shaking. I kneel and touch his warm furr. He is gorgeous. There is no bloody mess as I had envisioned. My heart is pounding as I sit there and pet him. Terry watches me and asks, "are you ok?" I look at him and say, "yes.....I am amazed." I look at his points and start counting. 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8....9. "He's got 9 points." Terry says, "Ya! And lots of weight! He's gonna be some good meat!" I smirk.
I sit there for a while inspecting him. So many thoughts cross my mind, but not one of them is negative. I look up at Terry and say, "you know why he died today?" Terry shakes his head. "He died because he came up over that hill chasing that doe. He had NO idea we where here! He had NO clue!" I chuckle. Terry laughs.

We sit for a while waiting to hear for John's shot. (He is hunting from a tree in another pasture)
At about 8:30, we hear his gun. We walk back and as we meet John, we start sharing stories of what we saw? How many? Where? Where were they going? How did you take yours? ....hunter stories! They grow larger and larger everytime they are told! LOL!

I will spare you the details of cleaning them and taking them to be processed. However, I have to comment on how I am learning everyday how education not only wipes out ignorance, but I believe so firmly it encourages a greater point of living. What I mean is...I NEVER in my life thought I would be so "OK" with wearing camo, sitting in freezing weather for hours in hope to kill Bambi's dad, mom, sister or brother. However, because Terry has spent so much time talking to me about what they do, how, what, why. He has shared the good and the bad. It has opened my eyes. Because I understand a bit more, I feel that I am able to call something that I thought was ridiculous or horendous even, awesome! Isn't that strange?

I guess you can teach an ol dog a new dance! (Why would a dog be dancing, you ask? I have no idea....I just made it up and I don't feel like reaching all the way up to the delete button to type something else. And it's my blog, so it stays! LOL!)

Anyway, there is so much more to tell, but I was pretty amazed this weekend. Both the good amazed and the not-so-sure amazed. Either way, I am grateful for the time I got to spend out there. I am a writer without words when it comes to explaining the beauty of such an incredible place. This is TRULY God's country!

I leave you now. Homes for the needy must be built and I get the great privlege of helping organize! Hope you have a great Monday!!!