Yep
In the Woodpile Report #560, Ol’ Remus opines
“Guys went hunting in their work clothes, with maybe a vest for ammo and sundries. In cold weather a Woolrich coat was standard.”
Yeah, that takes me back. None of the men of my family ever, to my knowledge, went hunting in camo, more or less spritzing deer whiz on themselves. This included game from squirrel to wild turkey and deer. Given the right weather, I’ve went hunting in blue jeans and a dark t-shirt. Being that this was approximately 1 day before dirt, there was no blaze orange to be found. Of course, we all had this thing about identifying our target drummed into us from birth. We also usually got our game, even though, this being hunting, we didn’t get it every time we went out. Then again, it wasn’t all about busting a cap into Turkey-lurkey or Bambi in front of a video camera back then, either.
I remember my Dad warning me about wearing a bright-colored shirt when trout fishing. Oddly enough, I caught trout back then. Apparently the trout aren’t members of the Fashion Police.
My Dad, who stopped hunting in his early 70s, was absolutely floored when he got cable and started watching hunting shows. Many a Saturday phone call was mostly taken up with him detailing the latest foolishness he had just witnessed, usually around hunting gear.
Sometimes, progress is just silly. Except to all those companies who have persuaded outdoorsmen that they need the latest camo, no-smell spray to mask your human-ness or deer whiz to make you smell like a 10 point trophy buck.
Landlord helped build multiple fancy-schmancy elevated blinds on 150 acres.
Wore de-scented camo and peed in a bottle so the deer wouldn't smell it.
Dumped over half a gallon of urine (long hours, multiple hunters)in the blind.
It spread over the floor and froze into slush.
He said it absolutely reeked.
Surprisingly, he didn't get a deer. Again.
He's gone huntin' again this weekend.
I hesitate to ask him how it went.
Maybe the deer sense desperation? 🙂
Here, we have deer in our yard occasionally, and I've driven up on them with a golf cart in the woods. But the easiest way to see them is walk out in the areas they frequent, sit down and stay still. I've been burning brush piles out back and had them go walking through the field next to where I'm burning.
Of course, I'm not hunting the deer. No need to at this particular time, even though I like the meat. If it came down to it, I'd shoot them for meat, probably from a window of my house.
Someone I know, her father hunts from his front porch. He gets his limit every year, which in NC currently means 6. He lives in an area that is considerably less populated than mine.
I've had friends who regularly deer hunt, spending hundreds if not thousands of dollars per year at it until they gave it up because it was too expensive. They've always told me how wary deer are, how much they notice the smallest thing out of place. Honestly, I've never ran into those intelligent deer. I have, however, nearly ran into them on the road when they dart out in front of me.
Yup. My late roomie hunted ten years. Pretty sure he didn't smell of desperation as he would invariably fall asleep in his blind and wake up to see a deer's muzzle poking through the window. Or wake up falling backwards off his stool. He got one in year eight. Tasted like it was marinated in WD-40. Blech.
I bagged my lifetime limit (I hope) of one-via-car. Stupid deer doubled back at the last moment. Haven't hunted 'em but may try it someday. Without the fancy stuff.
Good luck on "house hunting" if the economy requires it.