“Drawing the Line”  

By Gary Ramsey, Published in the Adirondack Express on December 24, 2007

 

The alarm went off at 4:45 AM sharp.  It’s deer season and I need to meet my brother-in-law at 6:00.  In the shower I used the latest scent free soap and shampoo.  I threw on my polypropylene underwear and my waterproof, breathable, insulated, scent control bibs, parka and boots.  Stuffing the pockets with my GPS, two-way radio, laser range finder and other sundries, I was in the truck by 5:15.  Whoops, forget the cell phone.  Back on the road by 5:25. Andy, my brother-in-law, pulled up just as I did.  There wasn’t much to say as we each knew where the other was going.  We had hunted this particular farm together for 30 years.  On his way to his stand he whispered back, “channel 8?”  “Yup, channel 8, I answered.”  

Around 8:00 I heard a shot.  Was it him?  If he shot, he would be calling me on the radio shortly.  By 8:10, nothing.  Just then, my cell phone rang, it was Andy.  “Been trying to get you on the radio.  Jumped a buck on my way in and tracked him to the back side of the hill.  He’s a nice eight point, come help me get him out.”  “Sure, I’ll be right there!”  As I got back to the farm house, John, the landowner, was out front.  I told him that Andy had just shot a nice buck and needed help with it.  John offered to use his 4WD truck.  I said “great, radio me when you get back.” 

I knew of a field close by where we often see deer crossing to a wooded bedding area.  It is a large square field.  As I glassed the field, I saw a buck standing near the far corner staring right at me.  No time to do anything but shoot, he was going to bolt any second.  I eased up to the nearest tree, boy that’s a long way, maybe three hundred, steadied as best I could and touched one off.  “Whack“, a good hit but the deer bounded into the woods. 

As I unloaded my  four wheeler, I kept thinking about  how far the shot was and whether I got a good hit.  As I drove up, the deer lay dead just in the woods.  Not much of a rack, but he was a good size deer that would certainly make nice table fair.  I field dressed the deer and loaded on the four wheeler.  Just before leaving, I used my range finder to measure the exact yardage.  Two hundred and eighty six yards.  Back at the farm house, Andy and John were there with Andy’s deer -- a beautiful eight point buck. 

The next day, we decided to hunt property that Andy and I own together.  Andy’s son was home from college and had a doe tag.  His son is also named Andy and has been  part of our hunting camp since he was 7 or 8 years old.  We called him “Little Andy” or on the radio his handle became “Little A.”  My grandson, Zachary, came along  too.  Zach is eight and loves to hunt with grandpa.  The plan was for Zach and I to post in one location and Little A to post in another while Andy worked through a patch of woods.  We hoped Andy would push the deer to either Little A or me and Zach.  About 15 minutes into the drive, Zach whispered, “grandpa, grandpa, something’s coming, I hear it walking.”  Try as I might, I couldn’t hear a thing.  Zach kept listening and pointing.  Finally, after about five minutes, I heard the sound.  It turned out to be Andy moving through below us.  A few minutes later, “BLAM.”  Little A had shot a nice, mature doe.  He called on the radio to let us know. 

As we walked toward him, I’m thinking, “damn, I just can’t hear like I used to.”  As soon as I get home, I’d better to check outfitter catalogs to see what the digital hearing aid products designed specifically for hunters are going for and get one on order. 

Have I become a “high tech” hunter?  Look at what I take to the woods these days.  Sure, I was proud of that long shot across the field but I wager most hunters today could have made that shot with a modern bolt action rifle and a good scope.  Not really a big deal when I look at it that way I guess.

Thirty years ago Gore-Tex®, Thinsulate®, FRS radios and pocket GPS’s weren’t even invented yet.  Four wheelers were only “three-wheelers.” Andy had a second hand 30-30 lever action and I carried a surplus 8mm Mauser that I had customized myself with a new stock and sights.  Neither of us had a scope or binoculars.  We wore cotton long johns, blue jeans, a red hooded sweat shirt and cotton brown gloves.  We bought un-insulated green lace up rubber boots for $20.  We didn’t have radios or cell phones, but we sure did “whistle” a lot.  Did we shoot as many deer back then, I think so, but the hunt was different.  In order to get that buck across the long field, I would have had to play the wind, guesstimate his travel route and slip in front of him undetected to an ambush location were I could comfortably make a 50 to 75 yard shot with that old military Mauser.

Enhanced hearing is an advantage the deer can keep on me as far as I am concerned.  Yes, I am drawing the line.  I don’t begrudge any hunter that elects to use the “high-tech” stuff.  I will probably use all of it on occasion and no, I won’t be throwing away my cell phone.  However, next year, in the deer woods, it won’t be with me.  The four wheeler will be left home along with the high tech clothing, range finder and probably the radio.  I don’t think I will go all the way back to blue jeans and the hooded sweat shirt though.  You’ll probably see me wearing traditional wool and I’ll probably opt for a basic rifle without a scope, maybe even a single shot.  I’m feeling I need to put some more “hunting” back into the “hunt.”  I sure hope I still have what it takes -- we’ll see.