hunting experience day 9

It's the final day of deer hunting.  I stuck it out 8 of the 9 days.  I even brought my camera along today ~ to show you where I've been this last week.  I took some pictures before I got settled in for the day ~ then the camera is getting shut off because it makes too much noise turning it on and off.

We got a nice dusting of snow last night ... maybe Big Bucky will show up today.

Here's my hunting blind:

This is the front of it ...
notice the nice patch job on the door that the bear tore off:

Here's the stove ...
I told you I was practically sitting on top of it:

This is the my shooting lane:

Here's the other window that I can't use; because the bear broke it.  I pray nothing comes in that direction:

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No cocoa w/Splenda in the thermos today - just straight up black coffee... keeps the gizzard warm and keeps me alert.  I'm wishing though it was Mt. Royal Lite and Diet Coke. lol  Maybe tonight I'll get to celebrate and have a cocktail.
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Noon whistle just blew at the mill.
Lunch today is some homemade smoked turkey slices, a little bag of Frito's and coffee.  Dessert is a handful of gumdrops!  I did bake a chocolate cake w/pecan frosting early this morning for suppertime, before heading out to the woods today.  But what's for supper? I haven't figured that out yet.  Breakfast was left over homemade pizza from supper last night.  Boy, am I ever slipping off my diet!! Starting tomorrow Dear Hubby and I are starting to eat healthier!!  (after we clean up the cake - can't be wasteful) Now I know why I'm so WAIST FULL.
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OH MY GOSH!! An owl just flew in and LANDED on my opened window sill - 2 feet away from me.  I think I startled him as much as he startled me! Then he flew up into the tree - camera ... QUICK!!!

 

Even if I don't see any more wildlife today - including Big Bucky - this was sooooo worth it.  Now I just need my heart rate to slow down.  What a cool experience!!  I should have tried offering him some turkey and Fritos.
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3:30
It's been pretty quiet this afternoon.  It's just me and my thoughts.
Dad has been on my mind - Big Time
He passed away two years ago and not a day goes by that I don't think of him and miss him.
You know how some people are just miserable human beings when they're alive; but when they die everybody talks about them like they were the sweetest, kindest person on this Earth:  Well ... that wasn't my Dad!!! He really was a kind, loving man.
He had such a love for life and the best sense of humor. Oh how he loved Mom and all his kids!  What he also loved was being in the woods.  He was an avid hunter right up until the end.
He loved hearing about everybody's hunting experiences and had some pretty good stories of his own to tell.  Even after becoming disabled, and had to walk with 2 canes, he still hunted.  He made it to Ontario for moose and Quebec for caribou and even Texas for wild pigs.
These woods that I'm sitting in today gave up many deer to feed his family of eleven.  I feel his spirit here today with me.

Daddy... if you have anything to do with this ~ fly on down with those angel wings and chase one out of the swamp for me.
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hallelujah HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!
A doe came in and right on her heels was a buck!!!!
I got my deer ... the last 5 minutes of shooting time for the season.  I finally got my first deer ever!
It's an eight pointer!
Praise the Lord and Thank You Daddy!!

 the buck stops here

mom and i