I’ve used the word, “Rodeo,’ multiple times to describe my opening weekend of deer season 2020. The weather seemed to be cooperating. The deer seemed to be cooperating, at least according to my trail cams. The stage was set! I forgot one little detail though. It was 2020. Of course, something would find a way to become a struggle. Nothing is coming easy this year and this is no different.
I don’t mind a struggle. Who doesn’t dig the overcoming obstacles narrative. There’s romance to defeating the odds and finding a way to be successful that’s woven into our fabric as a society. Insert every single movie and fairytale you’ve ever seen or heard. This time it seemed like I had done my homework to the point where the story was more the effort I put in on the front end. The Hunt was just a culmination of the story. I was wrong.
I didn’t have my tree stand, it was still in storage in Alabama and I had not been able to grab it. I also purchased a hunting saddle for this year which I cannot wait to start trying! But the climbing sticks I ordered with it have been on back order for a month, so that was not an option either. So, I grabbed a stand I had been wanting to try for a while from a friend, and off in the woods I go.
I’m going to mentally chase a rabbit here, so bear with me. There is an importance that has been placed on gear over the past 20 years that I believe is massively overblown. I have outhunted many dudes, that were geared with the best and newest money can buy. I’ve also been outhunted by guys wearing the coveralls they bought in the original mossy oak pattern in 1989. “The Industry” is built on selling us the new and best gear, to the tune of making hunting a billion dollar market. So obviously, its over blown. That all being said, gear is very important.
I give you that side bar because a gear issue is the main reason this first weekend of the season has been so tough. I don’t want to talk bad about anyone specific or any specific company here. I mean, this website and myself would love to have some sponsors someday. I will say though, if you have a lone wolf hand climber, I do not want to borrow it. It proved, at least to me, wickedly difficult to climb, hard to maneuver as you ascend and descend, and its just not a comfortable seat. I’m sure there are a lot of positives that appeal to a lot of folks, but I have not had a great experience. I’m not a gym rat, but as I ready myself for my wedding, I’m more in shape than I have been in many years. It took every muscle in my body to climb up the tree. Imagine doing the gymnastics in full camouflage, while trying to be quiet. Even better, do a crunch, and now do a crunch where if you don’t execute it perfectly you fall. Thats what climbing this stand is like. It’s like a workout where your life hangs in the balance.
In the Field Journal, I even said after my opening day morning sit, that I wasn’t going to use it again. However, when you get daylight pictures of your target deer you get back in the tree no matter how much you don’t want to sit in that seat again. I even took a GoPro to try and get some footage of the hunt. I was actually pretty confident. Fixing a few obvious mistakes I made the previous morning, the ascent began. It was still a struggle, and I even came the closest I’ve ever come to falling out of a tree with a climbing stand. Knowing that was a possibility, I was hooked to the tree on 2 different tethers. I will also take this time to say that I love my future wife and my future life, so ropes and harnesses are always my friend. I make it all the way to where I wanted to sit, begin to settle in, and I look in my pack to set up the GoPro. Yup, Its gone. So now, back down the tree, out of the woods, back down the trail, and almost all the way back to the truck. I did find it though and at this point, a win, is a win.
Now, again. Back down the trail, in the woods and up the tree I go. I am exhausted. It says a lot about how rough the rest of the weekend was, when the fact that someone blaring terrible rock music at 7:30am in my direction, becomes a footnote in this story. For the record, I don’t think it was malicious. Inconsiderate yes, but I don’t think they intended to ruin my hunt.
So, no deer, actually almost no animals whatsoever. I was so tired and sore by the time shooting light was fading on Sunday evening, I couldn’t even draw my bow. So I suppose the morale of this story is this, 2020 is going to make you work.
A Day in the Field 