And So It Begins - Part One

The official opening day of deer season on the ranch started three days later than the State of Oregon's selected day because of a wedding.  Fortunately the new groom is a golfer and not a hunter.  (The bride is the daughter of one of the ranch corp.)  Hell would be freezing for a young newly-wed (give em 5 years) groom to depart the day before the annual celebration of marital bliss to chase deer in the sage brush.  The wrath of the new Missus would be monumental.  (Ah, mere speculation you say...I dare you to try)

On the morning of the 4th of October the truck dropped us off near the top of Carlyle and the walk began under gray skies and a chill wind.

Hunting partner Pete and I took the furthest west end ridge and proceeded to the lower reaches at a slow pace.  The monotone colors of the day, heavy sage and neutral shade of deer added to the difficulty of the hunt.  On these gray days it's touch to see them.   For a brief moment the skies attempted to clear but bounced back into the dull mood of the day.

On our way down, Pete took a long shot at a running 5X5 but missed.  Hitting a running deer is a chore and one at 600 yds. is even harder.  More luck than anything else.

Near the end of our hike (4 hrs. later), I tagged out on a 3X4 monster running up hill about 250 yds away.  A successful hunt.

(Sorry, no dead and bloody deer shots here.)

Three other hunters in our party also tagged out.  Pete and charlie had to wait til' the last day of the season to fill their tags and have meat for the freezer.  No one scored "huge racks" and no one cared.

At least I didn't. 

The hunt for me is the smell of sage crushed under a boot.  The sting of a sharp wind.
The stalk and the shot.  And the meat.

So there you have it.  Stay tuned.