When the vegetable gardens collapse into compost and the furnace rumbles to life in the wee, cold hours it’s time to prepare for the big game. No, not football, the REAL big game: deer season. No matter where you stand on the issue of hunting [ a bloody sport of Bambi killing or an honorable, survival skill] there are preparations to be made. Store owners stock up on ammo and beer, landowners replace fallen posted signs, woods walkers dig out their old, red jackets and dogs of every shape and size wear blaze-orange collars to distinguish them from tenderloins on the hoof.
The first few years I lived here I was dead set against hunting but the hunters didn’t seem to care a bit.This county is Mecca to deer hunters; my nearest neighbors are the hunting cabins owned by non-residents. Through ignorance or design they tramped these fields and woods shooting at anything that moved. The problem was solved when one good friend was invited to hunt here and run off the “trespassin’ riff-raff.” It’s worked just fine for years; my friend gets a freezer full of venison and I live in relative peace. And I learned something valuable: responsible hunters are nature lovers too! Go Figure!
I’ve been creating a self-published wall calendar ["Sticks"] for 14 years; that’s a lot of deer hunting cartoons! My drawing style has changed a bit but my perspective remains fairly constant. I speak for the deer, whether they like it or not.
“Sticks” calendar 1996
“Sticks” 1999
“Sticks” 1998
“Sticks” 2003
“Sticks” 2004
“Sticks”2006
“Sticks” 2007
Be careful, it’s dangerous out there, no matter what species you happen to be.
October 6th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Hello my friend. i have to agree with you on the hunting season issue. we keep chasing them off our land when they spot light. my poor horses have been blinded so much already.
my only wish is that the deer would stop tearing my horse fence down has they sail over it or should i say tear through it to the next field. and i also wish they would stop pushing their fellow deer out in the road so i can try to see how close i come to hitting them. i think they think it’s a game,” hey listen, here comes that lil blue ford!! wait for it, wait for it, now!! push joey out there , quick!!!!!”
i know i spend to much time by myself here on the hill, lol
between the deer and the coyotes i never get bored!!
take care Francine
October 8th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Hi Francine, can I steal your deer joke? Pretty funny! Too much time up on the hill? Impossible!
M
October 9th, 2008 at 2:22 am
Hello Margaret,
you sure can! on my work this morning they did it again, but this time they did a double whammy! they pushed 2 out there. you’d think they want ed me to stay home today!!
at around one am this morning Mike was running spot lighters off . the one guy told him that he didn’t know that the property belong to the same person and that he didn’t know that there was horses there! we think we are going to get the horses some big sun glasses so that they don’t get blinded much more!! lol!
Francine
October 9th, 2008 at 2:23 am
that should read on my way to work, see i’m still in shock or not awake, lol
francine
October 9th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
I thought it was wild here in NH! Not compared to Friendship, I guess!
Steph
October 10th, 2008 at 6:04 am
Honey, this place is so close to Hootin’ Holler I bump into Snuffy Smith at the grocery store!
But, I love it.
m