Deer hunting 101

Ryan and I went deer hunting this morning. It was my first deer hunting adventure and I survived it. I am quite a trooper I must say. At 16 weeks pregnant I drug myself out of bed at 6:00 and got my hunting gear on. Ryan laughed at me for having my pants pulled up over my belly button, but in my defense it was the only way the crotch wasn't dragging the ground. I do believe this is when Ryan realized I need my own pants that fit me and actually stated, "I guess we need to get you some pants." He then proceeded to ask if I was going to need a belt when I replied, "No, I figure I can just tighten the straps on the side." Nifty little boogers they were. My growing belly was the perfect size for those pants. We loaded up the backpack with snacks in case a hunger attack hit me (it didn't) and set out for the deer blind.

Here is my favorite hunting buddy:

Us in the blind:

My view for 2 hours:

Adorable:

Now, this being my first deer hunting trip I of course learned a few things. Let me share.

1. When you are getting out of the truck, getting ready to walk to your blind or deer stand, don't shut the door normally. You know, with a little force...instead, close the door ever so lightly as to not startle any deer that may be near. Oops. As soon as I shut my door (without thinking apparently) I just happened to look at Ryan and the look on his face told me what I had done. I opened the back door and said, "I wasn't supposed to do that, huh?" He just smiled and said no, but it's okay. Of course it's okay. There was never a doubt in my mind that it wasn't...Shh.

2. Get ready to walk a good distance. This I was okay with actually. I knew that we would have to walk some distance and I'm still in relatively good shape (thank you 3 miles per day that I am still maintaining!). However, be prepared to trample through hilly terrain which includes branches, mounds, hills, valleys, etc. I was doing okay not only with my bulky clothes but the backpack as well. I'm not sure my dear husband really thought this one out entirely for he ended up carrying the bag and his bow on the way back to the truck. I think he felt a little sorry for me once we got in the blind and I was breathing a little harder than normal. I reassured him I was fine and that bulky clothes, a bag, and the extra blood that is pumping through my body for the baby, was nothing I couldn't handle.

3. Be prepared. This means, bring a beanie for your ears. At 27 degrees I could have lasted a lot longer if I was with this important piece of gear. Oh, that a bigger bladder. Which takes me to point number 4.

4. Going while you are pregnant may not have been the brightest idea, but only in the sense that I have to pee at least every two hours. By 9:00 I was about to bust and we decided to load up and head home.

5. It can get very, very boring. I knew that deer hunting was different. I mean, you have to wait unti the deer come to you and where Ryan hunts there is a ton of land. This can make for a long boring time. Luckily, this time my husband was in great company. We laughed, talked, gave sugars, and sat in silence. I didn't realize how much of nothing is going on while deer hunting until today.

6. Be aware that you have the chance of seeing a little deer die. Sad!! I told Ryan that he wasn't going to be shooting any deer with me there. But, in reality, if the opportunity had come, I really wouldn't have minded.

7. Have things to entertain you. For me? It was Ryan's range finder. For those who don't know, it's a little binnocular thing that tells you how far something is. Yes, I measured the truck's distance, a few trees, the bushes, the grass line, and tried to do Ryan that was sitting right next to me. He simply, said I was too close. Crap. This will entertain you for probably a total of 10 minutes, so come prepared...it was my iPhone and for Ryan a game of Bubble Breaker. (No wonder he always has the high scores and always does better than me! He has logged hours and hours of play sitting in those woods!)

8. Deer are the cutest little creatures!! We saw 6 does and 1 buck and it was awesome! They reminded me of little (big) Marleys how they walked around, bounded, played, and just moved in general. They were so pretty to watch and it will make you wonder how someone can kill them! I've been duck hunting before and even told Ryan today that I don't mind killing ducks but I think deer would hurt my heart.

9. Don't over-analyze the killing of a deer. Just accept it. Don't, like I did, argue the fact that they do suffer...

10. Treasure the time you are spending with your spouse. That one is self-explainatory.

I had a great time hunting with Bunney!!! I can't wait until we go again.