At this time of year "the first day" can only mean one thing!!! And that is the first day of deer season, or buck season.
The house is a buzz with activity, the blaze orange clothing must be readied, and the contents of the hunter's pack must be set out, checked and rechecked. The lunches must be just right, including the lucky candy bars. Boots are waterproof and guns sighted in. Various soaps and sprays that promise to eliminate human odor and make on invisible to game are set out,ready to be used, as are a variety of other gadgets, including one that uses a puff of chalk like powder to tell the hunter which way the wind in blowing.
At the near by rifle range there is what sounds like war games going on. When in fact it is sighting in rifles, making sure that the the scope is on target. Actually very important as it doesn't take much of a jolt to cause a disparity, and this means that the venison escapes, waving its white tail like a victory flag .
The inevitable 'Big Buck" contests run by local newspapers, some judge the buck on by the number of points on the antlers, and a few by the weight of the field dressed, meaning innards removed, buck, I personally prefer the the weight method, as myself, if i could still hunt. would be hunting for meat.
A steady drone of traffic will fill the silent, snowy air tonight, there will be "tracking snow" still on the ground when the first shots are fired.
