First deer of 2010

Running:

My running last week got back on track, at least as far as post marathon training goes. The runs are really just basic maintenance running. Things will stay this way until the new year.  I’m running just enough to not have to start completely over in January and hopefully enough to keep from gaining more than a few pounds this fall. I will be running about 5 times per week. 4 or 5 weekday runs and if time allows only 1 weekend run. This past week I ran 5 miles during my lunch break at work 4 times. Each time the same route. Monday I ran it in 41:09,  Tuesday in 40:32, Wednesday 39:45, and Thursday 39:22. Friday I took an off day. Saturday morning I got out for 8.5 miles from home in 1:06:09. Sunday was also an off day from running.

WTD 28.5
MTD 59
YTD 1815
ODO 26981
Hunting:
This past Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday was a four day special antlerless gun season in parts of the state. I was able to get out Friday after work, and a little bit on both Saturday and Sunday.  I spent the entire time on the Ottawa Wildlife reserve (OWR). I’ve mentioned in previous blog entries that Kylli and I are 2 of 14 hunters whose names were drawn for the rights to hunt there.  Just a beautiful property and lots of nasty thick and swampy areas for the deer to hide real well. This was my first time out there to hunt and the other 12 guys have been at it for a month.  From my scouting they seem to have all the close (to parking) areas already chosen.  Everywhere I seemed to find that looked like a good location there were stands hung.

Sunday morning while I was scouting an area way in the back of the property I noticed two deer that were making their way toward me. I got down on my knees behind a tree and waited until I could see for sure what they were. When I saw the first one was a large doe I didn’t hesitate and took the 50 yard shot. The deer ran only about 50 yards. It was very easy to find. After I found it I began to question why I had done such a thing. I was so far back on the property that I knew the drag out was not going to be fun. Was I right about that. After trying to cut across a swamp for a bit of a short cut I gave up on that.  The swamp was large clumps of grass with oozy sticky mud in between. I back tracked my way out of the swamp and then decided to go back out the way I came. After skirting the swamp through some of the thickest tangle of
brushy trees I then made it to a spot which was clear cut a couple years ago. Lots of small shrubby trees were overtaking this area and workers were cutting them down over summer. I had to drag the deer several hundred  yards over 4 to 6 inch brush stumps and old left over branches. This was like dragging the deer over a big comb. After that I had about 1/8 mile uphill through an oak forest. Once through the forest I still had about ¼ mile up an old road back to the car. This was one of the most difficult drags I have ever had. I was wet from sweat inside out. All for a doe. Had it been a giant buck at least it would have eased the pain a bit. Still good to get the 1st one of the year in the books.

I loaded the deer up, took it to be registered, and then brought it in to be processed all before the kickoff of the Packers game. Time for some serious bow hunting now, but having some meat in the freezer will allow me to be a bit more patient.

Gardening:
It has been extremely dry around here that last few weeks. I’m actually thinking I will need to get out and water a few things so they survive the winter. Evergreens can really have some trouble if they go into winter on the dry side. If it freezes hard before we get significant rain I could have a few things in trouble. I got the garden tilled this weekend so now I have a place to dump the abundance of leaves. I usually throw most of them on the garden to decompose over the winter and then till them in come spring. This has worked quite well and has significantly changed the soil for the better over the last 7 years or so. My entire pumpkin crop was sold. Nice to not have a few dozen to wonder what to do with.  I got a premium price for all of them since they were all so nice this year.