Pennsylvania Game News - December 2012 - 29

were few and far between. However, the sounds and smells of the woods this time of year are phenomenal. It’s the beauty of the season that captures my attention and I let it all sink in. November brings the rut and I had nine days to hunt. It was this hunt that produced memories of a lifetime and many stories to share with buddies back at camp. The deer had finally started working the acorns and bucks were on the move. I grunted several bucks in, saw them chasing does and just cruising the woods. It was definitely the time of year to stay out all day. My shooting during the season, however, was let’s just say not world class. I missed shots at three really good bucks. One under, one over and the last arrow glanced off a branch that came out of nowhere. But as bad as that seems, I was content that clean misses meant another day to hunt and be in the woods. It also gave my friends plenty of ammunition for some good old ribbing. I’ve grown to enjoy the hunt and all that goes with it. Besides, I still had a week of vacation saved for the firearms season. The firearms season brings our whole camp to life. We had ten members up that year, which brought all the excitement of once again hunting in the big woods. Yes, deer were not as plentiful as in past years, but there were some good bucks around, which is all the incentive I need. I felt confident I would at least see one of them. Every year, on the Saturday before the opener, our camp and another called “the Shako” have a pig roast for friends from other camps and neighbors. It’s always a good get-together and a great way to start deer season, listening to all of the stories and laughter a group can share away from the workplace and responsibilities of home. I decided to hunt the first day from my treestand in a laurel thicket that bordered one of the oak flats on top of the mountain. I hoped the acorns would keep some of the deer there. Monday morning came quickly, after a typical short night’s sleep before the opener. By 6 a.m. I had found my stand and
DECEMBER 2012

was perched up a tree, wondering what the day would bring and how many other hunters might be in the area. It was barely 7 o’clock when the first shot rang out, followed by another. Must have been a miss, I thought. Not long after, a hunter walked along an old trail just south of me. Minutes later two more hunters walked by. Yes, others had noticed the deer sign here, but maybe they would push deer into the laurel, I thought. The day went by without a single deer sighting. Several close shots meant someone was having a better day. On the way out, I met a man and his son. The boy was carrying both rifles and a tired looking Dad was pulling a nice 8-point. He had a few questions about his location, and after showing him a quick reference to a spot on his topo map, I had them on their way. Still, it would be well after dark until they got out. I wondered if any of our members had had any luck, and was hoping one or two deer would be hanging from our porch when I got back. But Monday produced only stories. Most had seen deer, but no one had shooting. By Wednesday we were still without a buck and many were leaving for home. There would be only three of us left for Thursday and Friday — Jere, Terry and myself. Thursday night I returned to camp to learn Jere had broken the ice with an 11-point, and he had dragged it two miles until dark. He informed me, before I got my boots off, he could use some help to get it out the last mile. While I was thinking about a cold drink and warm cabin, I knew having two sets of hands on a drag rope makes all the difference in the world. And, I thought, maybe some of his luck would rub off on me. Five o’clock Friday found only me up. Jere and Terry slept in. Overall, it
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Pennsylvania Game News - December 2012

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