Almost Deer Season...

     All this nice cold weather has got me thinking about the deer season coming up right after Thanksgiving. I am a pretty low-key deer hunter but I still get pretty excited about the season. Of course the preparations are half the fun. I have been introducing Louis to deer hunting the last few years and I think we are going to be bit more serious this year. It's nice to have someone to hunt with since in the past I have hunted alone a lot.This week has been a great week for preparing. It has been a great week to hang out outside.

      Tuesday was a great day to head out east of town and do a little work to create hunting blinds for Louis and I. I also piked up a few mineral blocks to place around the farm. We are hunting over open soy bean fields so I wanted something to pull the deer out a bit. I killed a nice little doe last year on the same fields, but I really want to put a few deer in front of Louis this year.
      My blinds are pretty simple. I go for the totally natural "brush pile" look. What that really means is a place where I can get in quietly, have a bit of cover in front and behind me, and room to set up a camp chair. I'm low maintenance.

Doesn't look like much, but that's kinda what I'm shooting for. 

         I will probably have to touch the blinds up before season starts but that's all part of the fun.
        Louis borrowed a slug gun from me last year but decided to get a bit more serious this year and got  a muzzle loader for his birthday. I needed to shoot my gun a bit and Louis needed to learn how to use a muzzle-loader and how to sight it in. Luckily, my parents have a spot where we can safely shoot with out bothering too many people. Watching Louis have some success with his rifle was pretty cool. I had a great time shooting with him. We need to practice a bit more but he got the idea and we can improve our shooting before season.
Here are a few pictures of this sight-in session.

Louis getting a ball started.

Ramming a ball home.

Louis cuddling up to his new rifle

We start by shooting close just to get the guns "on paper"

Sure takes a bunch of stuff for two people to shoot.

     We'll talk to you soon. I have a gun that needs some cleaning. Deer season begins December 2nd. I've already taken the day off.

-Luke