Tis The Season – Hunting Season, That Is
Posted on Friday, November 16th, 2012
Most of my memories around this time of year have somewhat of a blaze-orange tint to them.
Not sepia.
Not black and white.
Blaze-orange.
Yes, I grew up in a deer hunting family.
Tomorrow is ‘Opening Day.’ There is a great deal of commotion in the days and hours leading up to this event. I must say, I miss it.
Being far far away from my homeland is sometimes just dang hard…
The rows of snow covered boots, leaves blowing around the hallway, the Packer game playing in the background, and the combined aromas of woodsmoke and scorching wool are the memories that have me all warm and fuzzy right now. And missing my family.
Since deer hunting season runs right through Thanksgiving week, most of what I cherish about one season is tangled up in the other.
If I think about Thanksgiving, I think about piles of blaze-orange and boots around the fireplace. If I think about hunting season, I think about a big turkey dinner.
Like I said, it’s all tangled up.
It’s also the season when piles of pumpkins and squash from the garden line the porch and hallway, waiting for us to “please take these things before they rot.” (Yes, Mom.)
Along with the blaze-orange clothes, the wet boots, and the pumpkins and squash, you can imagine with eleven kids just how many “hand-print turkeys” were plastered on every door, wall, window, and mirror available.
And let’s not forget about the pine cones. Piles and piles of pine cones. Now, pine cones served a dual purpose. They were decorative, yes, but they were also functional. We had a fireplace, so naturally these ‘decorations’ would find their way into the kindling box. But, never fear, there were plenty more waiting to be gathered.
So, these items – the hunting gear, leaves, leftover pumpkins and squash, the hand-print turkeys, and the pine cones – formed both my memories of hunting season and Thanksgiving. More than any fancy dinnerware or table setting, these are the memories of this time of year.
Happy Hunting to my family and friends out there this week. Stay safe.
p.s. My friend, Bob Norton, explored the topic of hunting in his book The Hunter: Developmental Stages And Ethics.
This is a personal journey. Yes, Bob explores hunting from an academic view point, but you can’t separate the hunter from the study of hunting.
If you’re a hunter, or if you love a hunter, or even if you’re curious about what would drive someone to want to hunt, this is THE book to read. I know you will enjoy it! Click on to buy now.
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As a hiker and cyclist, and when we had a dog.. I always felt nervous seeing hunters. I recognize it’s a sport and wish guns were only used for that purpose and hunters ate what they killed. Good post, guess the only thing hunted in Florida is alligator!
Thanks for stopping by, Lisa. Yeah, we had to stick pretty close to home during deer season. I built a house in the middle of 40 acres when I lived in Wisconsin. One morning during hunting season I was going out to my car to leave for work and here comes this guy in blaze-orange, strolling over the hill toward my house. I waited for him to get to the house and said; “Looks like you’re lost.” “Yup.” I gave him a ride to town and that was that. I do remember during those years in the woods that we could hear gunfire all around us. We laid pretty low. And, yes, the venison was always appreciated in our big family, and still is.
I have a pretty hardcore (and pretty unpopular) view on the gun control laws. The whole ‘right to bear arms’ debate has gotten so far beyond the actual, original intent of the law… so I’ll take it to another level. Why not? I don’t think people should be able to buy guns for any purpose other than hunting. Radical, I know. I grew up with guns in the house. They all had one purpose – to bring meat into the house. I believe a person who legally buys a hunting license can legally buy a hunting rifle. I don’t hunt so I don’t need a gun. I did do some target shooting with hunting friends and family when I was younger and it was fun. But, again, I don’t hunt so why should I have a gun? Radical, right?
But this isn’t a discussion about gun rights. I’ll leave that to the constitutional lawyers. This is just my, in some parts, unpopular opinion.
And, yes, alligator meat just doesn’t compare to venison in my book. 😉
Here in Michigan, Opening Day for Rifle is always November 15th no matter what day of the week that falls on. It is so much of a State holiday that the auto factories made it a Holiday because so many guys would take off anyway. It also happens to be my son’s birthday so at our house those two holidays get mixed together. At 10 he is not of age yet to go out with his Dad and is not so patiently waiting until the birthday that he can. Venison is always welcome in our house but I will admit I’m not a big fan of wild goose or duck. One Thanksgiving I was lucky enough to have wild turkey and I think it was the best I have ever eaten, buckshot and all!
Hi Kate,
Thanks for stopping by to read and for sharing your thoughts. I think deer season is still an excused absence from school, at least in my hometown. I’m not sure anymore how the local paper mill or other businesses handle it, but it’s pretty well accepted if you have a hunting license, you get off work. Even though I never hunted, I definitely did develop a taste for game as I was growing up. So I appreciated any and all deer or birds that came into the house.
Funny you should mention buckshot. I remember if us kids would get some buckshot when we bit into a piece of game, Dad would give us a nickle. To this day, I chew my food without biting down really hard. hahaha!
Thanks again, Kate. Hope your Thanksgiving is filled with wonderful food, family, friends, and moments to remember!