Location(s)

Hunting Season has arrived!

I am not a hugh hunter but I enjoy my time every year going out and trying to kill some type of animal that will end up on my dinner plate.  For a hunter here in the great state of Pennsylvania,  Deer is #1 on the food to be eaten chain.  Ive hunted for many things all to which have been very good eating.  Squirrel, Rabbit, Dove, Pheasant, Quail, Grouse, and Deer have been cooked up and delicious. 

I am a semi young hunter that does hunt  every animal for each season.. Some years im out for a deer and some years im out for small game and if i get lucky a deer.  Being a young hunter, I have some flaws in about everything dealing with hunting. (im somewhat inexperienced in the arts and havent taken time to become the great hunting guru that i wise i was).    Take for example today. 

It was a very very nice day out.  I had to work and I finished up everything i needed to get done for today early.  My girlfriend came to the house and thought it would be a good idea to head out hunting for the first time this year.  I am not a bow hunter (way not experienced in the arts of the arrow and bow) and I havent taken the time nor wanted to wake up to go small game hunting.    I havent been real ready to get out in the woods and hunt yet... Its just one of those years where i have enough other stuff going on that Id rather do that instead.   We got everything around took our 22 magnums out behind her house to go squirrel and turkey hunting.  Now picture this!  It was 3pm  probably 80 degrees out, and the area we were hunting was directly up the side of a mountain.   Being the lazy hunter that I am I would have rather found a spot of flat woodlands to hunt but she enjoys the area close to home so away we went.  At 3pm the leaves have been dry for about 6 hours now so hunting Turkey is pretty much looking for the hearing impared turkey that would happen not to see us.   After about half way up the mountain side (legs were wobbling while standing from being tired and im stopping every 3rd step to catch my breath) we picked out a rock and sat down.  Right before we sat down a deer started running up the mountain.  It had been sitting another 30 meters up the mountain.  Then we sat there for about 5 minutes when a fox squirrel went running behind us.  We both pulled up and I told my girlfriend to shoot it.  (Its like understood that if a girl actually goes hunting or  say a father takes his son, the son or girl gets to take the shot. Not all die hard hunters follow this, this is just the way it is in my mind and in a lot of hunters out there)

Now I let the squirrel run about 3 logs and another couple feet towards the edge of an embankment that I can see over when I tell her to shoot it again and then ask her what she is doing.  The squirrel running so far put some trees inbetween itself and us and sometimes was unable to shoot but it keeps stopping where she could shoot the thing and she never pulls the trigger.  Shes scared to pull the trigger because its been so long (not sure when the last thing she shot actually died but.....) since she has had something insite to kill.   I finally shoot this energetic (fox) squirrel, aiming for the neck/head trying not to hit the body seeing that they are so small already, you should always try to preserve as much meat as possible. 

The squirrel died and yes there has been animals hurt in the making of this American Story. :o)

I told her before we went hunting that if we kill something that it is supper.   It has been a while since Ive skinned and cleaned an animal,  Its been so long I forget how to gut a deer, pluck a bird and skin a rabbit or squirrel.   Skinning a squirrel was the freshest in my mind and after um 15 minutes which was probably the longest time ever taken to skin a squirrel it was done.  I asked her if she would like to keep the tail and we were off back down the mountain.  Short enough trip right.  On the way down we sat down one more time and out comes a baby rabbit.  Ok Young adult rabbit.  I couldnt bring myself to shoot but if you only get out there every so often and if you play enough video games.  You just get that urge to shoot the thing. When your out there on the mountain though a couple thoughts come to mind. a) where is the animal? Where will i have to go to get the animal after its dead?  b)  Do i want to skin and clean the animal  c) Do i want to eat this animal. 

Rabbit is a different type of animal, not one you usually eat.  Although Elmer Fudd shoots at them all the time, I dont.  Duck and Bear are others around here that are like yeah you can eat them but do you want to.

I didnt kill the rabbit she was doing the ahhh look its a baby rabbit thing and she probably wanted to take it home as a pet and shoot it, fry it up, and eat it.  We finished walking down the mountain and she had to prepare our feast.  1 Squirrel

And the Lord said there would be days of fasting!

Meat on a squirrel is enough to feed 1 small child.  Im a man, a man of the woods, I eat what I kill.   Where is my feast? 
I looked at it and was thinking that we should have went fishing.  I could have caught a little bluegill and had more meat from it.

Over all the experience was enjoyable and its always good to get out and enjoy nature during the fall when the leaves are turning color and it is beautiful out.

If you notice on my list above of animals on my plate i never mentioned a Turkey.  I have never got one nor do I really  know how to skin one (I have skinned/plucked a pheasant once or twice but its been two or three years since and for a semi young hunter that is a while) but this year Im out to get myself a Turkey and a Deer.   Bad thing is Im not a morning person and if you want to be in the woods that is the best time.

After saying all this... there are some questions for all you hunters out there....

Does anyone have reciepes for squirrel? lol lol we ended up going down to a local resturant because she fulfill her end of the bargin.  She didnt know how to cook it and we forgot that we needed to kill enough for both of us while hunting for tonight's dinner.

Does anyone one have any good tips for hunting turkey in the fall?

I know hunters dont like to give up there spots but does anyone have any general area that would help me get my first Turkey?  Obviously a turkey call helps but anything else would be awesome.

I plan to hunt down around Raystown lake and on Brumbaugh mountain.  I have seen turkey at both places but they are still not the easiest thing to find.

Has anyone seen the video of turkey hunters using a bow and arrow?  There are amazing videos of hunting but I have yet to see a dummies guide to hunting book.  

After today I hope to spend the next few weekends and whatever weekdays i can spare out in the woodland area of PA. 

Hunting is a good time to get out and spend some time with my dad.  Sometimes I dont take enough time out of my day/week to do something with him and although today was not one of those hunting experiences, usually hunting is one of those activities that I get to spend time with my dad.   Maybe next time i get out there Ill have him try to drive Turkey my way.  They dont usually drive like deer but they still dont like to fly much.  Who knows.. Good luck to everyone out there this year.

Ahhhhhh Hunting season is back