Iowa Deer Shotgun Season 1 Days 3 - 5 in Reflection

I would  like to share my slant on Days 3-5 of  Iowa Deer Shotgun Season # 1, which were spent around the homestead.

The "Group Hunters" of which I had spoken previously, had gotten two extra bucks during the second flushing of our timber. The 14-point taken by my 16 year old neighbor and an 8-point. As good fortune would have it they offered Hubby and me a choice between the two to put in our freezer. Taking into consideration the storage space we had available I took the smaller 8-point which arrived after dark on day 3.

This happened to be the first opportunity for me to skin and butcher a deer on my own. Assisting my Mentor on one occasion several years back to render a doe he had shot provided me with some idea of what I should be doing. Oh and yes I utilized some tutorials on You Tube by Wilderness Outfitters...

The weather,although not snowy was hanging in the 20's for highs. My task began in the great outdoors on day 4 after attempting another spot and stalk. I was enticed to try once more by the swift exodus of deer bedding near my food plots. They happened to linger for a time on the north side of the fence. I headed out to the west to circle around...I should have continued with the first plan, but changed my mind mid-way heading through a gate, not knowing for sure whether there were still deer to my right as I entered the pasture. It soon became evident by the noise of trampling hooves and blowing I wasn't a welcomed guest.

Ahhh, another precocious buck! Maybe it was the same one as the other day?!? He got to a certain distance in front,turned sideways, looked back and then took off as I continued to move forward. I wasn't immediately deterred from trying to get another deer;heading for a thicket of trees in a fence corner often used for deer cover I concealed myself. A short-time passed and I watched a buck return to move back through the timber. The shot distance totally out of range.

After an hour I left the thicket to get started on my new experience. The air was still extremely nippy. However, I am starting to use some fleece clothing to layer under my coveralls since Hubby had some in the closet. I had picked up a thermal top lined with fleece to get the core layer started, when I stopped to visit our local farm store before the season got going.

Did all my layers help? They seemed to do quite nicely when I was in the windless sunshine of the afternoon.

Time to get back to rendering my buck. After being subjected to outside temps for at least 36 hours the animal had become an ice block. Skinning was most definitely a challenge since I didn't want to chop anything off that could go into freezer packaging instead.

It took me until late afternoon to get the hide off.The sun's rays were starting to get long, and I needed to get a move on so I could go see two of my grandchildren sing at their Winter Program.

Wrapping the deer in plastic I proceeded to pull it for a distance, got some plywood to make a smooth surface over the deck steps and inched it up. Making a turn at the top through the front door I pulled it, plastic and all into the extra bathroom - boosting it into the tub to defrost. I had to make concessions if I wanted to keep the deer and not take it to a professional locker.

I made it to the Program but could feel my physical labor that kept me hopping that day.

The next day, day 5, I started washing and putting the parts in the refrigerator to age before finally getting the venison back in the freezer to be enjoyed during the cold days of winter.

So went the days three - five of Shotgun season #1. ;)

That brings to a conclusion my reflections on season #1. I will have a few thoughts to share on season #2 soon. Over all I will tell you they were good seasons, even if I ended it still holding my two tags  still in hand.

Deer Shotgun Season 1 Day Two in Reflection

Day 2 of Shotgun Season 1,December 5th, started off with Spot and Stalk. I tried to get outside for the morning passage, but the deer came back 15 minutes earlier than  usual. A doe with fawn came trotting through the soybean field heading south through the pasture west of the house. Watching from inside the house I grabbed my shotgun and headed out the backdoor since I was already dressed in my hunters orange.

Down the back steps, stopping to look in all directions, I continued to watch the open space between our trailer and new house construction for signs of deer in the pasture. Trying to sneak... I thought I was doing good,just not good enough. Getting close to the southwest corner of the new house I heard rustling in the timber. A group of six does,fawns and one dominant buck ran swiftly from their bedding area along a fence line bordering the timber/pasture. The does and fawns ran in long leaping strides without looking back, but the buck ran into the middle of the pasture,paused and stared. A challenge?  It was 7:00 A.M. and I let one slug fly...As it would happen the only one in the two Iowa seasons that went from December 4th - 8th, and December 11th-19th. That incident ended my morning hunt. When they leave it is a long time before they return, if they return during daylight hours.

Being outside prior to and between the hunting seasons gave me a front seat to witness rutting pursuits. It ignited fires,the basal feelings of hunter and prey.

The 2:30 hour rolled around and my Mentor had staked his spot in the same place as the day before on our fence line shooting onto my side.

We didn't have any snow at the time. However, it was still cold and I had to get bundled up to stand waiting for the deer heading back out to graze. This time I got in the pick-up and headed to the other end of the property on a fence line bordering another neighbor's crop ground, a very busy location.

I headed out before the call came from the "Group Hunters" to inform Hubby and me they were going to come through the timber again.I apparently was wrong in assuming that they would only be flushing our timber once. My reasoning was they have a huge amount of property between them to hunt. Why would they need to come back?

Standing for what I felt was at least an hour,not seeing ,or hearing anything I moved a few feet to get a different perspective on the trails. A little while later I turned slightly to see two fawns moving quickly in my direction,they saw me and cut into the timber east of me. That is when I saw orange clad men getting lined up,stationed on the far fence for a drive onto the open soybean field.

Feeling uneasy about my location I moved further inside my property to another timber edge. My movements slow in an effort to stalk,I found two fawns bedded down. I sent them straight east...

There was a stirring of dry leaves, activity of deer? I waited and waited.The choice for me to head back to the homestead side of the ravine was made. Upon my reaching the pick-up,putting my shotgun in it's sleeve for transporting, I climbed in and started the engine. I stopped after getting turned around and headed down the lane. Spotting 2 deer in a panic coming out from the ravine to my right I wanted them to cut south for the hunters now in wait. Moving slowly back home I kept scanning for activity.

Reaching the house I looked down the fence line to see my Mentor field dressing another deer. Same time...same circumstances, a lactating doe, as the day before.

Later, I was informed by my neighbor who had gained permission for the "Group Hunters" to be here that he had flushed a "Big Buck" in my direction. However, the large group of deer they were moving wouldn't go until I had vacated the area.

The good news being that the buck intended for me,a 14-point, was taken by my young neighbor,son of the aforementioned neighbor. He sure has started off his hunting experiences with a story to tell....

So went the second day of  Iowa Shotgun Season #1. ; )