|
|
Hunting season is drawing to a close; those who bagged a deer or moose this season are waking up to tenderloins, while unsuccessful hunters wake up restless, having no wrapped package to proudly give their wife or husband. Regardless of success, everyone has something in common: they can look forward to a promising new year of activity; first up, rabbit hunting and ice-fishing.
Worthy of a “Skunked Again” column, my deer hunting adventures this year proved abundant but hardly fruitful, as I emerged from the woods many a night soaking underneath my woolies but towing nothing behind me.
In a recent conversation with my brother, Tucker, I said something along the lines of, “After 15 years of hunting without a deer, I’m surprised I still load my gun when I go out into the woods.”
My brother then asked me, “Do you still like deer hunting?” My response to him was “Yessah, bub!” (Just kidding, I didn’t really say it that way.) I did, however, answer that I absolutely did still enjoy hunting, perhaps more than ever. But now, it’s not just about avoiding the skunk; it’s the time you spend in the woods and what you can make out of it. Though this attitude doesn’t help your confidence as a hunter, it allows for a broader and potentially more enjoyable time in the forest.
|
|
I continue to base my success on whether I jumped a deer or heard one close by, but I base my delight on the directionless path I took and the natural wonders I found along the way. For example, as I walked behind my house along an attractive trout stream in Farmington, I paused to survey the yellow grass and straggly vegetation adjacent to me on the other side of the waterway. Once satisfied there weren’t any ears or antlers visibly poking up, my vision fell and subsequently settled on an object of remarkable perseverance: the alder.
This was not any alder however, it was a mature one that once stood tall but had succumbed to a beaver’s bite. The intriguing thing about the remaining stalk was its effort to live: although the tree had been effectively taken down by the large rodent, branches popped “out of nowhere” and started to take advantage of the new abundance of light as they climbed to the sky with vigor. The previous top’s nutrients were now being slowly drawn up from the soil and evenly distributed among the new branches. The resultant tree stuck out like a soar thumb but seemed to promise lush foliage after the big thaw comes in the spring.
To some people, witnessing a tree’s determination may not peak their interest, but to others, this is an example of exactly why we enter the woods and walk around. I suppose there will always be people marching toward the cities, and people running away.
Now, as the snow covers the ground and the temperature drops, so does your energy and the gauge on the oil tank downstairs. What am I saying?—Make your own heat outside, get some exercise, and enjoy the idyllic opportunity that is available to us in Franklin County. If you can’t, keep reading the Daily Bulldog’s outdoor section, it may be the next best thing.
Stay tuned for fishing escapades this winter, where I courageously venture out onto a block of ice in little but sheep’s fur and come back with fish of various lengths (which depend mostly on how close to the camera I hold them in front of me). Also, one of Maine’s largest open seasons is here: snow-shoe hares. The recent snow will tell you where they are coming from: everywhere! Happy hunting and stay warm.
