I got the jon boat out into the impoundment around 12:15 pm. As usual, it was windy. So, windy, one battery for the trolling motor, I didn't go far. Turns out I didn't have to. I picked a nice straight stretch with a wide enough area and a deep enough bottom, and set my two anchors fore and aft. Threw my turkey neck baits all around the boat, and around 1pm it as game on. For the most part, by the time I got one line in it was time to pull in another. The crabs were really nice, big and heavy, and about a 50/50 male female mix. Not being allowed to keep the females, I kept them aside in a cull basket. The Jimmy basket was about 3/4 full by 3:30, and that was enough.
I took the crabs home the next day and was very happy to have my favorite crab eating buddy help me attempt to demolish them- my 88 year-old neighbor Miss Pat. We put a pretty good dent in them too. We have a great arrangement- I supply the crabs and she brings a few beers.
Fast forward to the following weekend, at which point I started my 17-day vacation. Making a stop at WVU to watch a football game, I headed to Elkview, West Virginia. My buddy from college has welcomed me the last couple of years to come hunt the opening couple of days of deer season on his property. The first morning was cold and crisp, around 28 degrees. As I sat in the stand that morning I was treated to a decent buck cutting across the hillside just in front of me. And fortunately for that buck, I quickly raised my 30-06, got him in the cross-hairs of my scope and without any hesitation pulled the trigger and,..... missed. Unbelievable. It was an inexcusable terrible shot. I rushed it and I did everything wrong. He bolted and I never got another opportunity at that or any other buck in 2016. Luckily, later that day around 4pm I spotted a nice doe far down the hill from my stand. It was a decently long shot (~125 yrds?) and through many tree limbs, but I had killed one there the year before and felt that if I took my time I could repeat the success. Well, time was something I had plenty of with this deer. She kept her body behind a tree for at least 15 minutes, but I knew exactly which was she was headed. She took two more steps which put her lungs directly in my cross-hairs. This time I was plenty ready and very prepared. I pulled the trigger and the shot sailed true. Score- meet for the freezer! The next day was perfect, and colder, but no deer were seen. My time there was over.
After returning home for Thanksgiving, frying the turkey etc, I next departed on the 27th for Deal Island. Plan A was to hunt the week and return home Saturday Dec 3. I saw a small doe on Monday morning but passed on a shot as she was really small. Tuesday and Wednesday were warm, up to 70 degrees Wednesday, and no deer were moving or feeding. I did not see another deer until Thursday morning.. So, Day 4, wanting another deer, when I saw one I immediately took the opportunity for the harvest. If it's brown it's down was my mantra at this point. In hindsight, I wished I had let this one go too. But I didn't, and deer #2 is now in the freezer too. Having to return to work, the family, and the real world, I won't get another chance until the two-day season in January. Until then!
