Deer Opener, 2022

Some days, just being out and making it back in is the highest achievement you can expect. After Chemo, just being out is all you can ask.

We started getting rain about 10 minutes before legal hunting, and it grew to a downpour. I stayed under an umbrella and managed to stay fairly warm and dry. When they came and got me with the truck about 0930, I was still quite serviceable. In a pinch, I could have still walked out. The gear didn’t fail. I was still warm at the core. I lost feeling in my hands coming down the ladder, but that was the only hitch.

At 0742, I heard a shot coming from over at Lazy Boy. Moose had bagged a six-pointer and after securing the carcass, walked out to get the truck. He had shot it on the far side of the ravine; he and Angus pulled it out by driving over to Virginia and hauling it out of the ravine from that direction.

Moose’s prize went 160lbs live weight. He nailed it with a 30-06, 150 grain Rem Corelokt over H4895. The animal went all of 10 feet with a double-lung shot 80 yards.

We’re refitting for an afternoon hunt after the precipitation ends. Mooselette is primed and ready.

UPDATE:

Mooselette and I went out to Midway for an afternoon hunt. Just as we were sitting down, an 8-pointer came walking by the blind. It was all over so fast, she didn’t get a shot. Oh well, that’s deer hunting! A good time was had by all.