This week on Huntin' with Shell

I do realize that today is Wednesday, and I went hunting three and four days ago.

Which should really be a clue as to how my hunting weekend went.

But, before we hear about this weekend's hunt, we need to update you on the previous weekend's hunt...Kev's hunt.

We were going out of town and my goal was to leave Saturday morning around 10 a.m. That would get us to Hutchinson around noon, right in time for Bob's home cooked lunch. But, that was not to be.

Kev just had to go out hunting. He didn't figure he'd see anything, but he had to go out just in case that monster buck came through the draw. He left at 5 a.m. At 7:30, I decided to get into the tub and then get the kids up and ready to go. The phone rang about 10 minutes later. It was Kev. He'd shot a stupid deer.

Now, I'm not upset that he got a deer, but dang, the timing wasn't optimal for me. (and it's all about me.)

Kev needed Andy and I to drive over because he thought his deer had gone down into the draw and he was afraid we'd have to track him, or worse, drag him up out of that draw which is rather deep and steep. So, Andy and I got dressed and ventured out.

It was foggy. Extremely foggy. Since Andy wasn't sure how to get to the ranch, I had to watch the road and give directions. We got there fine and walked the half mile to where Kev was hunting.

Once we got there, Kev said that he saw the buck head down toward the draw, and a few minutes later, saw him come back up to the wheat field. So, Kev was concerned that he didn't die quickly and that we'd have to track. So, we started following the blood trail (and it was a good trail) and quickly found his buck.

He didn't kill the Monster, but got a nice 200 lb. Mule deer--3 x 4 antlers. The deer died quickly, and we decided that the buck Kev saw after shooting was a second buck who heard the commotion and came to investigate. (It was so blasted foggy that you couldn't see 50 yards.) The menfolk gutted the deer, and then we started back for the pickup. Dragging that stupid deer.

Let me tell you...dragging 200 lbs of dead weight, through a wheat field for half a mile isn't fun. It's hard exhausting work. And by the time we saw the pickup appear through the fog, we were three happy exhausted people. It took us a good 30 minutes or more to drag that deer out.

At that time, Kev and I decided that we were buying a 4 wheeler. No ifs, ands, or buts.

We got home, hung the deer up in the shop, and went on our trip. Which brings us back to the real star of the show...ME... (remember, it's all about me!)

Saturday, Kev and I went to the Hill to hunt. I really would like to get a deer at the hill...for me and for Grandpa...

We sat there until 9-9:30. Nothing. We did see three deer about a mile away, but they wouldn't come play with us. Before we left, we walked up around the house and the tree row. Found lots of little trees that have been destroyed by bucks polishing antlers, and we found lots to scraps. So, we know they are there (we've even SEEN them...just not today.)

As we left, Kev asked if I wanted to take the long way home and go up by the farm. Fine with me, so we headed west and then north. And, then we decided to just venture further west and further north to a small town with a Polaris dealership.

And we bagged this....

We got a great deal too. So, we loaded it up, and took it home. It's sitting in the garage (and the cars are outside...we have our priorities....)

Kev's excited, the kids are excited. Me, I'm scared of the darn thing! But, this does mean that I won't have to drag out a 200 lb. deer ever again. And that's exciting.