Cheers to a New Year and a Few Deer!

Happy New Year! Ours was spent down at the family farm. Spending the new year there is somewhat of a tradition, largely because it’s the only place we can shoot off firecrackers and not get in trouble.

That is, as long as we don’t shoot off anything big that would catch the field on fire. We got in trouble for that once…

It was a shock to see everything be so green.  I’m used to dead and decaying grass this time of year, minus the occasional oat patch. Given the warm weather and green fields it might as well have been spring this weekend!

Trooper was loving it. In Trooper news, he got booties for Christmas to help him avoid sticker burrs, but his legs are so short that they don’t fit.

One of my objectives this weekend was to get a couple of deer we can have processed into snack sticks, hamburger meat, and sausage. On New Year’s Eve morning, my husband Brandon and I went out to the deer blind. It was cold and rainy, and we were tired puppies. About a dozen turkeys paid us a visit so that perked us up.

As you may have read in my recent post, we are both new to turkey hunting and are on a turkey quest!

However our mission was deer this morning, so the turkey got off scot-free once again and the quest continues.

A few does and a young buck came near the feeder but not close enough for a clean shot, so at about 8:30 am we headed home, empty handed.

Later that evening we opted to sit near a different feeder and see what showed up.

Brandon was armed with the telephoto and I had the rifle.

Soon, a doe emerged with a meager young buck hot on her tail.

A minute later, two cows came through the brush. The buck spent half his time with his back to us, making sure the cow didn’t pull a fast one on him.

Never mind the fact there were two hunters about a hundred and fifty yards behind him!

Eventually a doe turned broadside and I took the shot, successfully.

That night was New Years Eve, and having gotten up at a God foresaken hour that morning and shot, skinned, and quartered a deer, we were asleep on the couch by 8:30 pm and there was not a firecracker to be had.

The following morning, we were back at it. No rest for the woman who wants her own venison!

It was Brandon’s turn to get a deer so I handed him the rifle and he loaded it up. When a group of does showed up, he chose the biggest one and took a shot. It was a kill shot and she went down immediately. (We prefer that!) He reloaded and we waited about ten more minutes, and more does came to the feeder. He took a shot at another one and got it in just the same way.

Three deer later, we were thinking a wild game dinner was in order.

A gorgeous sunrise graced us while we took care of cleaning the deer and headed back to the house.

I never tire of seeing what the skies will do out here. Every day is something different.

As a final act on New Years Day, we got out the shotguns and went out to see if dove were flying.

Nada. But it was a very tranquil afternoon by the field, watching the grasses dance in the breeze and letting my mind wander. I hope it sets the tone for my 2017—tranquil.

You could say our new year started off with a bang!

Ha!

Hope you and yours had a good one. Bring it on 2017! We are ready for you.