By now the deer seasons are almost over except for the holiday hunt.  Several years ago, Big River Rich shared with me how Great Grandpa Jake would gauge his deer hunting season. I am now able to share that list with you along with my random thoughts. 

1. Got out hunting 
2. Saw some deer 
3. Had some shooting 
4. Shot a deer 
5. Got a big buck

It’s a pretty neat list of criteria as a way to judge the hunting season so I decided to apply it to my season and include some random thoughts. 

1. Got out hunting. 

I’m not sure it’s the fact that I am getting up in age or not, but this could possibly be the most important item on the list. As the years fly by, the time spent doing exactly what I want and when I want is a pretty cool thing. I guess having the ability to still do those things is also a huge component as well. Yep, I “Got out hunting” and I am grateful for that. 

2. Saw some deer. 

Just seeing deer is a simple pleasure. It doesn’t matter if it’s archery or gun season, watching deer do deer things is a treat. Seeing deer interact, socialize and communicate with each other is awesome until that communication leads to a doe blowing an alarm call to all the other deer in the woods that she has smelt trouble in the form of you. It’s fascinating to see this age-old alarm system working to perfection even when it means tag soup for you, or me. 

3. Had some shooting. 

I’ll refer to my age again regarding this item because I think it plays into the progression of the life of a deer hunter. Oh I still enjoy bagging a deer, especially with my bow, but hunting to get a shot or bag something doesn’t seem as important as when I was younger. I did get a shot this year with my bow. Read on for more about that.   

4. Shot a deer.   

Yes, I shot a deer and I am patiently waiting for my venison summer sausage and hot dogs to be ready for pick up.Back in the day my family always made “cook sausage” with all of our deer and we seldom saved even a single back strap for steaks.  We did that for the simple reason being that our dad told us to do it. Whenever I would come across venison summer sausage my mouth would water so I vowed that when it was my turn to decide, that’s what I would have made from my deer. 

5. Got a big buck. 

Everyone wants a big buck, including me. I did shoot a buck during the bow season but it’s important to note the popularity of the holiday hunts indicate that horns aren’t a priority to everyone. I’m actually waiting for the late bow season to get back out and hunt for a doe. 

So those are the qualifiers that Great Grandpa Jake used to gauge his deer season. One of the reasons that I am a little enamored with his list is because he grew up when times were tough and hunting was not a sport but a way to provide for the family. Still, he saw past that and knew that there was something more to it. His overall theme can be summed up with the question: Did you have fun? 

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