Notes from deer camp 2012

This is the first of a two-part series about the 2012 deer-hunting season.

Looking back, the Oct. 13 through 21 General Modern Firearm deer season was successful in many ways. Deer were downed and tags notched, but this was just part of the achievements.

Writing this column, at least part of it, at deer camp is especially rewarding to this columnist. Writing in this manner is equal to using parts of the birds and animals taken during a hunting season for other outdoor-minded opportunities.

These include using a pheasant rump feather from a bird I shot to tie a sinking fishing fly and then catch a fish using this fly. Or using the hair of an elk I downed to tie an elk-hair caddis, a dry fly, to catch a trout, which takes the fly on the surface of the lake.

Writing a column while seated at the table of our hunting cabin, during the season is just as rewarding.

My plan each year is to head to the cabin after my Saturday morning radio show and stay put until Friday evening.

This year required me to head home on Tuesday, because of a prior commitment. But until then, three and a half days of hunting were ahead of me.

I arrived at the building and settled in, unloading the coolers full of food, sleeping gear, a large spotting scope and tripod, extra clothing, water containers and extra chairs.

Dr. Thomas Steffens' vehicle was parked near the door. He had arrived the night before and was hunting elsewhere in the area when I pulled in.

My hunting plan this year was to spend time at cabin, using it as a hunting blind. The building has a regular house door at the north end and large windows at the east, south and west sides. The view to the south and west are ample, but restricted by the lay-of-the-land. The door has two smallish windows near to top.

The east-facing window offers the best view, with a drop off into a valley 600 yards across. The far side of the oval-shaped valley floor is 250 to 300 yards distance.

It's possible for me to write at the table, located in the middle of the one-room cabin, while watching the wheat stubble in a field at the outermost distance.

When the field has green winter wheat during the odd numbered years as many as 100 mule deer are visible during the daylight hours. This year groups of three to 20 deer were visible in the stubble from time to time.

My computer was placed at the west side of the table, so I could look east and watch the deer as words were put on screen. A 10 X 42 binocular was used to watch the movement, but when animals were spotted, a large 60-power spotting scope, attached to a tall tri-pod, was used to check for antlers and the number of points.

Up to four legal bucks, those with 3-point antlers on one side, would move in and out of the field, eating and sleeping, but also fighting at times.

Thomas walked in, we ate a sandwich for lunch, and headed out separately for an afternoon hunt. The third person in our hunting party, Lani Schorzman, joined us when we were again at the cabin as darkness closed in. We all had a regular deer tag and each was drawn for a second deer tag, which meant we could also take a doe.

Elk backstrap steaks and boiled potatoes provided the evening meal.

The next morning Lani and Thomas split up for a hunt. Later, Thomas reported spotting a doe within 60 yards of his position, but he passed her up because he anticipated other possibilities later in the week.

Lamb chops were the meat of the main evening meal, as we talked, as friends do, about the day's hunt and the anticipation for the next day. Thomas made a statement during the meal, which sounded simple, but was more complex.

"I never realized the different colors that were in this area," he said. "There are greens, browns, yellows, various grays, black, brown, red and much more."

Next week: Thomas is called to duty; Lani and I notch tags.