Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Opening Day 2009 - PA Furnace Report

As the old timers say, the success of a hunt comes down to preparation (and breathing through one's mouth). My preparations for opening day 2009 were extraordinary. By any measure.

I finally honed the Ruger .243 to a one inch grouping at 100 yds. Check. I and my kin folk gussied up the ground stand in the Valley of Death and opened a new shooting lane. Check.

View from my well prepared stand

To prevent myself from getting lost, I left a single ribbon of flagging at the hemlock stand where I always make the wrong turn. Check. Ground the coffee before going to sleep. Check. Piled clothes in kid's play room so I wouldn't disturb anyone at 4:30 am. Check.

I woke as planned at 4:30. Check. By 5:11 I was established at my stand in the Valley of Death, enjoying the night sounds and solitude. Check. At 5:30 I congratulated myself for the extraordinary preparations. Check. Congratulated myself again at 6:15. Check. Twighlight arrived sometime after 6:30 and I treated myself to another round of self-congratulations. Check. At 7:00 I looked up to see an eight point buck just 10 yards in front of me, crossing the trout stream. Check. More kudos for a fine job in preparing for this inevitable moment. Check.

Inevitable arrival of Moby Buck.

Gun still in lap. Hmm. Deer winds me and turns, trotting across Valley of Death. Check. Confident in my preparations, I do not raise gun, instead allowing Moby to cross the meadow and disappear into the woods on the far side. What? Give him time and he will return I reason. Ok...

View from well prepared stand from 7:01 am to 5:00 pm

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ouch!I wonder if he returned at 5:03?

Mr. bill

Jim Tantillo said...

I am absolutely laughing my FA off! love the photoshopped picture of Moby. Another fine grousers tale spun with vim and panache. Five stars and all thumbs up!!

strong work, Petre. you'll get him next time.

KGT (aka Cagey) said...

I feel for you, brother. As a great poet once said, "Antlers Come and Go."

Great write up.

Vicar(ious) said...

Keith, Pete, and I apparently make quite a trio. Keith misses a buck. Pete notices one, but does not shoot. I fail to notice a deer that well-nigh runs me over in an open field. Keith's failure is one of execution, Pete's is a failure to act, and mine (far the greatest of the three) is a failure to even notice. Dude, who stole my mojo???

Anonymous said...

why not try some squirrel?
http://senecawildharvest.blogspot.com/2009/12/squirrel-fricassee.html

Bunny Blaster said...

good idea. Just be sure to use enough gun for squirrel . . . I find 12 gauge sabots do a nice job, although they're a bit on the overkill side for rabbits.

bon appetit!