It's that time of the year.

[Harter66]

Oh that chill in the air ,the ducks bunched up ,geese calling ,loading the gear for deer camp . My girls are going this year, even at 5 and 7 I think they will be good on the short walks and the Miss and I have doe tags so it shouldn't be 5 mile treks I sneak 500 yds to get a 200yd shot 3 miles from the truck.

But this time of year carries a burden that I just can't seem to shake.
From 74-78 , 80,81,85,94,05,06 I attended family funeral services from about now through Christmas and buried the dogs I grew up with and of course the 1 I raised from weaned to grave as a constant companion. Having my grandmother still around at the tender age 93 I and my folks at just 70-75 I'm dreading the season. I have a new May day pup that's coming around nicely,a rot/pointer mut . She got a nose from doom and gets awfully single minded when she gets something she has something in her nose . She's found a couple of dove otherwise lost in high grass and weeds. Everyone around me is in good health so I have that going for us. Christmas should be good this year it looks a lot like I might actually get to see all 4 of the kids and the 5 grands with my folks. I may have 3 of 4 home for turkey day. The larders are well stocked .I'm back to work full time after being laid off 1/4/13 recalled 3/10/13 laid off 3/30/13 called back 8/20/13 laid off 1/8/14 recalled 6/27/14. Just about 40 weeks of work in just shy of 2 yrs. In that time I did get to meet half a dozen members here and attend a"rondy" with some very cool guys from a BP board. I got to do a hog hunt and drink a couple of Shiners right down the road from the brewery . Swill ed some shine about 50 feet from the still it came from in 2 states . Went to 2 Castboolits gatherings and managed to draw deer tags at home.....well on the other side of the state . After 2 divorces I have a woman that actually keeps money in the bank and will let me spend some of it. That has resulted in several new toys dies and moulds to feed them. All in all its been a great year and even if I have to do a funeral I will have family to fall back on and a great set of holidays ahead. Beside how else would a guy work out 169 days of vacation and still pull out time to take a week off for deer camp,invites for goosacur seasons. Yep as I watch this kickaxx high altitude sun set over the ruined terminus lake and and think to myself "Dick you're 1 lucky SOB".

[BK7saum]

Glad to hear you and yours are doing well.

Brad

[Ed Barrett]

Time for the ranges to be crowded with the once a year deer hunters zeroing in there rifles.

[MaryB]

Sounds like a plan, I have not decided if I am deer hunting this year. I would be stuck with the public wildlife management areas and they get over run most years. Range here they will cluster on the 50 yard lane with a few on the 100 yard so I will just move to the 200 and 300 yard lanes. I am in the shotgun slug only zone of SW Minnesota and not many will even try 100 yard shots.

[Lee]

Retired in August. 45 years of pounding cement. Feet, ankles, knees, shins just got tired. Abusive workplace didn't help either. Tired of being told how I couldn't do any thing right.
Buried a dog this year. Funeral for wifes father this year(One of the last of the Chosin Few). Now I can terrorize the grandkids, and spend a few years enjoying life......
Harter...look at the good times. Let go the bad ones. You can't change them, they will only gnaw at you otherwise. Most all of your post sounds like you are at peace with your self. Relish that! ...... Lee

[Harter66]

Mary ,
I count myself lucky that in spite of having to decide in April where and what I want to hunt from September thru December that I have open public lands to hunt. As deer hunters we will take a couple of shotguns every day just in case we find a flock of Chucker ,I've hunted them on porpoise it's just pay back now. The area we have this year runs more or less from Battle Mountain to Utah along I-80 and north in more or less a NNE line from 80 to Idaho.

I'vehad the good fortune of being able to shoot the desert and not have to get to the range to check zerós. We'll probably stop Friday on our way and check them 1 last time . Just to be sure . I'm going to get some breakfast started and watch the sun come up with Remmy, the new pup. I think it might be the p'up that is making all the difference ,it's been 10 yr since I had a personal dog .

[cwheel]

Was nice to meet you and your some of your family at the shoot other side of Fallon this year. Sounds like you are one of the lucky ones to draw a Nevada tags as well. We put in for a group hunt ( 2 of us ) and got to draw tags as well. My partner, from Texas, got to draw one of the 2 out of state tags in this area, I got to draw one of the 50 for residents. I had a ton of preference points built up over the years to be finally be able to draw in Nevada. After the dusting of snow we had a week or so ago, my game cam is starting to pick up some small doe and fawn traffic coming back into Smith Valley. If we get one more good storm in the Sierras, could move the bucks down here. We got to draw area 201-204. Will be the first time after living here for 12 years that I get to hunt my own area, camp is at the house. Good luck with your hunt, deer or no deer, always a great time. Also, good that Hawthorn is putting some people back to work.
Chris

[Harter66]

Thanks Chris.

I just plugged the hunt area 061 -068 into Google maps it covered an area about the same size as Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rode island combined Jersey will fit in it and West Virginia is only just a little bigger. Only about 20% is off limits on reservations mines or closed ranches.

[cwheel]

It is a large area to be sure. Neighbor had tire trouble up there last year during elk season. Plenty of critters though. I might list that as a second choice on the next tag application, or that general area. Keep those green cans of ammo nice and dry, hope to buy some day if any gets to the CMP.
Chris