Thomas called to duty; Lani and I continue hunt

This is the second of a three-part series about the 2012 deer-hunting season.

The 2012 modern firearm general deer season, Oct. 13 through Oct. 21 was spent with friends, Lani Schorzman and Thomas Steffens. The Hut, our hunting cabin, was our base camp north of Odessa. Each of us had a regular deer tag and was drawn for a second deer tag, which means we could take a legal buck and an antlerless animal.

We hunt a variety of ways from this building. We may spread out, each going a different direction in the morning and meet back at The Hut at noon. In the afternoon we may conduct a drive or push, with the three of us spread out 50 to 100 yards apart, in an attempt to surprise deer bedded down.

Also we might take the vehicle to a certain spot and drop off one or two hunters.  This allows the hunters to hike back to The Hunt or another spot within the hunt area looking for deer along the way. The vehicle driver may set up a stand at the end of the hunt area.

Sunday evening we discussed what happened during this day's hunt and our intentions to hunt the next at the evening meal. Thomas made a statement during our discussion, which was cause for me and other hunters to pay attention to our surroundings.

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

Indeed there are lichens and moss on the rocks, sagebrush and other plants in the area, all creating a medley of colors and a majestic outdoor painting by Mother Nature, which changes with every step taken. The hunter just needs to pause a second or two to experience and enjoy the view.

Lani hunted alone on Monday, but Thomas and I spent a good deal of the day hunting together. Thomas was scheduled to head home in the afternoon, with a plan to head back up on Friday for a three-day hunt. A phone-call request for him to serve as an on-call surgeon at a Westside hospital on Friday, Saturday and Sunday ended his hunting season for the week.

"Guess I should have shot the doe I saw yesterday," he said halfheartedly.

He would have been more upset if he shot the doe, which appeared within 60 yards, and scared a legal buck out of the area because of the shot. Thomas left the hunt area Monday evening, satisfied with the time he was able to spend in the Great Outdoors.

Tuesday morning was windy with a steady blow of at least 10 mph and gusts a bit more. I remained at The Hut, writing articles while watching deer in a field 600 yards away. Lani, who had hunted a different section of the hunt area earlier, appeared at midmorning.

I pointed out four bucks in the field. They began to move shortly after Lani's arrival. They moved into tall sagebrush on land we were allowed to hunt.

These deer walked to the crest of the next hill, overlooking a small flat valley, and then turned and headed back a few yards toward the field where first sighted. They remained barely visible from time to time in the tall sagebrush and then disappeared. 

"I think they bedded down," Lani said.

He proposed a stalk, heading over the cliff next of The Hut on the Eastside, across the bottom of the valley, up a washed-out water drainage cut, along the fence line of the neighboring property and to the spot where the bucks were positioned.

We gathered equipment and proceeded outdoors to execute what was a great plan. The wind was in our favor, in our face, as we headed to where we thought they were, but they weren't there. Using hand gestures, we headed back toward the highest sagebrush group, which were six or more feet high.  

Suddenly four deer heads appeared, all with antlers.

Next week: Lani and I notch tags.