OUTDOOR Adventures

By Brian G. Schommer

Give or take a few days, the Minnesota Firearms Opener for Deer will be here soon. For those who demand specific facts and errorless reporting, Saturday, November 6th, 2021 marks the date. As a reminder for those same people, “Outdoor Adventures” is a special interest column and not an article or story, so if this is where you come for specific facts and errorless reporting, you just might be in the wrong part of the paper. If you are simply looking for some light reading that may or may not tickle your funny bone, create some time for reflection on occasion and provide a little break from the status quo humdrum of our world, you might be in the right place.

For those dedicated readers that have been on board the last almost 15 months, you may remember the amount of preparation this columnist put into deer hunting last season. From getting out to the range to sight in the rifles, washing the blaze orange in special detergent that would eliminate human scent, watching a few hunting videos to generate a little extra deer hunting energy, it was done. There was no way that deer hunting 2020 was going to end without venison in the freezer. Poet Robert Burns is credited for the quote, “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry,” while musician Neil Young said, “the devil fools with the best laid plans.” As for all the preparation in 2020, Burns and Young called it as not only was I skunked again, but the only deer I saw other than those my hunting buddies harvested were out way to far to even consider taking a shot at. 2020, you are in the rearview mirror and this guy is once again creating a new plan that is sure to produce a freezer full of venison sausage, sticks, burger and of course, the coveted “backstraps.”

In addition to all the 2020 preparations, the ante is being upped for 2021. Trail cameras have been posted in numerous locations within the happy hunting grounds that have been illustrating sightings of both bucks and does alike. The time stamps on the pictures are helping monitor the patterns which should help us develop a plan of time periods to be “on point and ready.” We will continue to utilize some of the age-old trickery such as “doe-inheat” scents, buck bombs, and such to bring those rutting bucks in. This can’t miss plan is as surefire as any has ever been, which brings me this reality check.

There is no such thing as can’t miss when it comes to hunting… for anyone. It would be a flat out lie to say I have never missed a shot. As a matter of fact, if you were to look at the nearly 43 years that I have been hunting, the hit-to-miss ratio might lean towards the miss side. We have all had our share of misses during the “rookie” years no matter what game we are trying to bag. If you are on the north side of 50 and honest, the eyes are not what they used to be. While most of us trudge to our stands long before sunrise with hopes for a successful hunt (meaning bagging a nice buck), just the ability to get out and enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of the woods on a crisp fall morning makes the hunt a success. Spending time with people who are family, even if not related by blood, makes the hunt a success. Sharing in the successes and occasionally, missed opportunities with your hunting party and of course, lunch at the local café, makes the hunt a success.

It would also be a flat out lie if I were to say that should I be blessed with the opportunity to harvest a nice deer this year, that I won’t be sharing the story, photos and maybe a bit of braggadocio will land in the confines of “Outdoor Adventures.” Should success for me include using my tag, I will try to keep the boastful behavior to a minimum. I cannot promise success at this effort as honestly, it has been a long time since my freezer has been filled by my efforts. Success happens in all forms when it comes to hunting and I have not been without venison in the freezer for years. Maybe this year is my time? No matter what, in a few weeks, I am sure to have success during the “Outdoor Adventures” that are made while deer hunting. Get Out and Enjoy the Great Outdoors.