Deer Hunting and Therapy in the Pine Trees

Summer is a busy season for me and my family. Between fishing tournaments, camping trips, and other activities, it’s a non-stop marathon. Fall brings on a different beat. As the leaves start to change, we go into hunting mode. 

It’s that time of the year again

The week leading up to the deer hunting season is one of the most exciting times of the year. It’s time for last-minute checks on equipment and supplies. At my house, that means camo clothing drying on the clothesline and equipment piled up in the basement. The group chat lights up with videos, pictures, and jokes about our upcoming hunt. Kurt, our host and trail cam supervisor, made sure to keep us in the loop by sending us the latest buck pictures. The week before the opener, we had counted 12 different bucks. Everything from a unicorn to a couple of 8 pointers and a big 10. This is as good as it gets in western Quebec. 

Kevin, our friend, and our host had hunted in the area last season and noted a very high population of does and fawns. After spending the season in that area, Kevin and Kurt decided to purchase a total of 600 acres. This piece of land is a perfect habitat for wild game with a mix of hills, swamps, old Timberjack trails, pine plantations, maples, and a large flowing creek. They built a nice cabin with a beautiful view of the maple mountain. The goal for this year was to see how deer move around daily. 

Driving up to the camp on Friday night, I had a good feeling. It had been 8 years since me, Kurt, Kevin, and Max had hunted together. I was also excited to have access to such a large area with a great deer population. The night before the hunt, we put our plan together based on wind, weather, and the presence of deer. Looking at the pictures, we noticed that bucks were transitioning and not hitting the baits as much. This is normal behavior as they focus on tracking, chasing, and breeding. We spent the night catching up, playing cards, and jamming with the guitar. 

Hoping to meet the king

We saw a lot of deer every day. Does, fawns, and younger bucks were seen and observed without a hand on the trigger. Our baits were also visited by foxes, raccoons, wolves, bears, and a healthy population of Blue Jays. We worked hard to try to blend in as much as possible. You can’t walk into a deer’s territory without him knowing it, but you try to get close enough before he notices that something's off. The older bucks have been around the block and they know how to play the game. They know the lay of the land better than anybody and could put google maps to shame. They live there day and night, rain or shine. Getting a shot at one means you’ve achieved something great. You’ve challenged the king. When you think about it, everything needs to be perfect. 100 different stars need to align for you to harvest a mature buck. On the other hand, it only takes one mistake and it’s all over.

In our case, the king was a solid 10 point stud. We soon understood that we might not see him in the light of day. If we did, it would be a mistake committed on his part during the heat of the rut. It happened at 4:13 pm on the last Friday of the season. He came out in the open and paused for a few seconds before chasing a doe around. Exciting, right? Unfortunately, we were not there to witness it because we were driving up after a long work week. Only the trail cam could tell the tail. It was disappointing, to say the least. But we consoled ourselves knowing that that buck would be a key part in breeding this season. When it comes to big bucks and impressive racks, genetics is key. All we can hope is that he settles down before winter hits. The rut is brutal for some bucks as they neglect nutrition to chase does. Some will lose lots of weight and end up dying when the harsh winter hits. Let’s hope he can avoid cars, predators and give us another shot next season.  

Therapy in the pine trees

Spending long hours in the woods by yourself is therapeutic in many ways. When can you sit in silence without the constant disturbance of everyday life? No phones, computers, TVs, work, or the daily grind of adult life. It’s hard to understand something that you’ve never experienced. Being alone with your thoughts is something you know all too well when deer hunting. Most of your time is spent thinking about life and you tend to forget the game you’re chasing. It’s a big assessment of the year that is coming to an end. A list of the goals we achieved and the ones that never made it off the ground. It’s a time to reflect on our jobs, our family, and our friends. We think of loved ones that have passed and wonder how life would be different if they were still around. Sitting there and thinking about your life can be scary, but it can show you a clearer path. All that pondering is interrupted by the noises of nature: squirrels moving around like 10 000 pound dinosaurs, Blue Jays causing a ruckus, and once in a while, the unmistakable soft and stealthy sound of a deer walking in behind you. 

Your heart beating out of your chest

I’ve been lucky to experience this feeling on several occasions. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been hunting or how many antlers you have gathered. A deer coming in will get your heart pumping as hard as you can imagine. The kind of thumping that you can hear. This is a moment where you feel so alive that it can be overwhelming. For me, It usually happens in the last hour of the day. This time, it was no different. It was 10 minutes before the end of legal shooting time. The wind had dropped to nothing. I could hear his every step on the leaf-covered ground. He was moving slowly and I knew I didn't have much time left. By the time he made it out to where I could see him, it was too late. I could see that he was a smaller buck. A 4 or a 6 pointer. I was 6 minutes past the legal shooting time. I put the safety back on, sat there looking and listening till he walked around and left. When I couldn’t hear him anymore, I came down from my stand and put my gun away. I looked up at the clear evening sky and a full moon. I walked back to the trail without a flashlight and I swear, I could have read a book it was so bright out. At the Y, a spot where 2 trails meet, I met up with Kurt and Max. We broke the day-long silence by swapping stories. We had all been a part of some sort of activity.  

The satisfaction of a good shot

The next morning I headed back to my stand and was hoping to have a few visitors. Sure enough, the same 4 point buck came in at 8:30 and I made the decision that I was going to take him. My shot was dead on and he dropped a few seconds after a short run. Knock on wood, I have had nothing but good shots in my short hunting career. He was not my biggest deer, but I was happy to tag him. My buddies came over, we field dressed him and loaded him onto the Atv. The rain started shortly after and we made our way back to camp for some coffee. We sat at the table looking outside at the rain falling. There’s a sense of accomplishment that comes with a successful hunt. I could see that Kevin and Kurt took great pride in seeing a buck hoisted on the front porch beam of a cabin they had built themselves, on a piece of land they owned. For people like us, that’s living the dream.

My afternoon was spent cleaning up knives, saws and going in to register my deer. In small Quebec towns, that’s done at your local corner store. The boys went out for the evening hunt and came in shortly after dark. As we sat around the table, sharing stories and a wonderful meal, I thought about the experience of hunting. They say you can’t understand what you don’t know. There’s certainly more to hunting than killing an animal. Hunting is a personal experience that varies greatly from one hunter to another. 

On the road of life, you must travel with friends

It was some valuable time spent in the woods with good friends. It had been 8 years since our last hunt together. One has to wonder where the time goes? We're all dads now and all have responsibilities of our own. Logan, the oldest kid in the bunch, is already driving around with his ATV and shooting partridge. Before we know it, kids will be sitting in stands and sharing their dad’s love for deer hunting. It brings me great joy to think that my son might someday, want to follow in my footsteps. Thank you to Kevin and Kurt for sharing their slice of paradise with us. I’m thankful for the time we have spent together and for the good times, we’ve had. In the words of Trooper, the Canadian band: “We’re here for a good time, not a long time”. 

I can’t wait to see what next year has in store for us.