Deer Season 2011

Last time I checked most of you had been in the field, hunting it up.. posting photos and stories of your deer hunting adventures. Well, here's a quick update on my season:

Rifle season in Kansas opened on November 30th. I did spend opening day in a blind and was greeted with 20+ does on opening morning. I almost wish I had been on a photography hunt rather than a real hunt that day, as many came within feet of the blind.. you could see their breath on the cold, crisp morning air and the white frost on their backs. Those special intimate encounters are what makes hunting my passion. It's those moments where you become one with nature, a quiet observer and integral part of all things wild.

The next few days I spent in long meetings at work, which turned out to be the best due to frigid temps and the changing movements of the deer. Saturday night, though, I had the opportunity to get out to my favorite hunting spot. The temperatures were suprisingly mild after the extremely cold week, but as the sun set and the temperatures began to dip, the deer started to move. The first and only buck we saw that night was a beautiful 8 point. I saw his antlers first, a lighter white than the dark brown tree limbs, slowly walking along the top of an old river ledge, well-hidden in the trees. Before he even stepped out of the timber I readied my rifle and prepared for that vital moment of action that makes a hunt truly successful.

He actually walked down the small embankment where we lost sight of him for a few seconds. As he came back over that ledge, he stopped, his body tense, and at full attention.. with his head held high, he looked absolutely majestic. It was an absolutely beautiful, awe-inspiring moment... and it was at the moment, from about 40 yards away with a head-on lung shot that my 2011 deer season had ended. Successfully.

Here's the only photo from the night... as dusk was setting in so there wasn't much opportunity for good field photos.