And miles to go before I sleep
I loved hunting in Africa.
That said, I cannot even describe how I feel about hunting the American Midwest.
Oh, hell, I’ve been skunked the last couple of years, for one reason or the nother- but I’m not about the getting so much as the hunting itself.
And where I hunt. Indiana is a plains state, and the terrain and flora and fauna of the midwest are comfortable to me as a pair of old slippers, or a hudson’s bay point blanket.
Walking through the fields and forests is comforting to me as anything I know, and while I sit there, sucking in the scenery, it makes me think of the poems of Frost, who I love just as much.
My specific favorites are Mending wall, which I have discussed here before, Stopping by the woods on a snowy evening, from which the title of this post comes, The Road Not Taken, and In the Home Stretch.
I recite what I can remember, and drink in the wonder of Frost’s words as I watch the breeze blow the tall grass around.
This is hunting. The deer, when it comes, will be nice, but it is incidental.
I’m of no accomplishment as a hunter, but I sure do enjoy the time in the field.
Africa, to me, is both a dream and a nightmare. I’m not sure which will win out in the end.
“I chose the lesser path and it has made all the difference.”
Wonderful!
Most folks don’t understand hunting. Too bad for them.
I quit hunting some time ago. Working in the woods everyday may have something to do with it but what hunting has become, I think, effected me more. I loath these hunting shows on TV. To reduce the stalk and the kill to a means to promote a product is just not right and that’s what most of these shows are. I feel the same way about profession bass fishing.
I do wish I could find the old episodes of AMERICAN SPORTSMAN which ran on CBS for several years. Curt Goutey was the narrator and it largely treated hunting and fishing as it should be treated, as a sport but not a competition. Don’t know why someone hasn’t put them on CD’s or run them on cable TV.
Maybe a little to un-PC for these days.
The Road to Tinkhamtown. Considered the Greatest Short Story Ever Written.
http://www.afn.co.kr/archives/readings/tinkham.htm
Enjoy.
Not to bad, the story at the end of the link.
Og, can you read sign?
Reasonably well, Paul.
What kind of deer you looking for? I helped a bud this fall. He had a spot that had been good for him a couple of years ago and when we went to set up his stand I asked where the trail was. he pointed and it was once a well travled route, but didn’t have any fresh sign.
I cast about and found a trail the deer where using on the other side of the ride and followed it into a clearing they went through. He shot a buck and a doe in that clearing.
If you’ve found a funnel point cast about and if you don’t find any new sign move on till you do. Don’t need to follow it, just find some good fresh sign.
If you are looking for does, which is good this time of the year, look for some real little doe tracks. There should be bunches of them.
Find that and the deer will show up sooner or later.
Plan on getting out where I shot a buck a couple weekends back this weekend and getting a doe to go with him.
Have a good one.