Receiving Education While Sitting In Tree

This weekend, November 7 & 8, has been the opening weekend of the Minnesota rifle season for whitetail deer.  It is the 31st year I have loaded a weapon and headed to the woods as a licensed member of the orange army.  It is the first year, however, that I have gone to the woods with a daughter by my side.

Of my three daughters, it is Child 2 who has taken the most interest in outdoor pursuits.  She has hunted with me on short outings a couple of times prior to this year, but this marks her first year as a licensed hunter.  She took firearm safety classes last spring, has done enough shooting to become consistent at making kill shots from 30 yards, and has helped with offseason work on trails, food plots, and stands.  Now, finally, she can take part in the fun part of the hunting process.

I was misguided as a novice hunter...."mistreated" might be a better word.  Placed in a stand at dawn, left alone until lunch, left alone again until dark.  Luckily I was usually put on a stand that deer generally avoided so I wouldn't be bothered in my quest to avoid freezing to death.  As I suffered through season after season in those early years I thought hunting had only two benefits - killing a deer and seeing the season end.  I accomplished the latter much more consistently than the former.  Over much time, some trial, and many errors I have developed a deep appreciation for the many benefits of the November hunt.  I am thrilled at the chance to share this appreciation with a new generation of hunter.

As Child and I have hunted these last couple of days we've talked about more than just which stand to hunt and what sign looks fresh.  We have discussed the dilemma between the desire to kill a deer and the dread of having to kill a deer.  Looking at the difference between a responsible shot and a risky shot was an early topic when we had a young buck come out to us at 9:30 on opening morning.  She got a chance to practice mental and physical toughness on day one when the early morning temps were below freezing.  And patience, ever in short supply for both of us, was tested often on both days as hours would slide by between deer sightings.

I could, and will, write volumes about what hunting means to me and what I hope it can mean to her.  Right now hunting means we're exhausted, and the dawn of day three will be cracking too soon.  We have seen small bucks, medium bucks, and one huge buck.  We had a buck at the base of our stand and nice doe too far out in the brush for a clean shot.  We have seen deer while together and she's had a chance to see deer while hunting alone.  What we haven't done yet is pull the trigger, but I don't think either of us care.  We have enjoyed two entire days together doing something we both love with someone we both love.  The journey thus far has been far more meaningful than the destination, which was the first, and most important, lesson I wanted her to learn.