Skip to main content

26 Acres and a Pair of Rifles: Hunting in Redgranite

As we mentioned in the last post, Mr. Mike asked me to come along hunting this year. I couldn't actually hunt (no gun or license), but I could stay overnight at the little Cabin in the woods and document a day in the life of hunters. 

After picking up Brooke's cousin Hayden in Eureka we made our way through the snow to Redgranite.

When we arrived it was already warm in the cabin. I asked them why. Brooke's grandpa had started the heat for us. Too bad he couldn't make it out to the hunt this year. I love his stories.

We spent the first half-hour lighting the lamp, bringing in our packs and generally getting situated.

The gun rack was put to good use. The cabin was built in 70s by Grandpa Lungwitz with a helping hand from Mr. Mike. I'd been here once before, but never got to stay the night.

My grandpa had also dug out a pond. When I was very little we would go to the cabin to swim. 

The Thanksgiving eve cabin stay is a tradition amongst the men and Chelsea. Typically Brooke and I are already in Eureka when they arrive with news of a hunt gone good or bad.

They had some problems with the kerosene lantern, but eventually we had light.

Hayden talked at length about his study abroad experience in northern Sweden. He's going to school at Madison for forest management.


Thanks for the scotheroos, Chelsea. They were great. 

After a few beers a piece we hit the bunks and crawled into our sleeping bags. Chelsea had warned me that the top bunk would be hot. She wasn't kidding.

In the morning (and when I say morning, I'm talking 5:30 am) we grudgingly got out of our bunks. Mr. Mike told us that he had just started dreaming. I think we all felt that way.

Mike made pancakes to fill our stomachs for next six hours.



I love going to the cottage, but there's something special about an honest-to-god Cabin.

It was still dark as we put on layers of pants, long johns and blaze orange paraphernalia.

The sun had barely lit the morning sky as we walked out into the crisp snow-crunched trail. Having hardly hit double-digits we went our separate ways to our respective blinds.

I followed Hayden until a fork in the road.

I wasn't sure where it was, but Hayden had pointed down the path. My eyes were still adjusting the morning light when I spied the blind.

Typically if you go hunting you have a gun. Instead I had to keep my focus away from the cold and fogging glasses by finding interesting images out of the mundane. The shell casings were the first thing to grab my attention.

Looking out I wouldn't see or hear anything for long periods time.

Two hours into the hunt the temperature had barely crept above 20 degrees.

Early on I had realized that the blaze orange gloves wouldn't work with a camera. Good thing I brought my smokers gloves with.

The woods around the acreage are dense with brush and trees. 




The little things like the hole in the cloth door on the blind kept me from going stir crazy.


Everything stayed warm throughout the morning apart from my knees. Despite having four layers on, my knees would get cold every time I sat down.

The roof of the blind was looking at me by this time.



I was startled out of my stare by one shot and then two. In the thicket of trees and brush I spotted four or five deer.

This was first time that I noticed Hayden. He had stayed quiet and still enough that I hadn't noticed his blaze orange likeness in the distance. 

Hayden didn’t get a clean kill.  

He was shaken, but had to put the four point buck down.

Afterward we went and got Mr. Mike.



Meanwhile Meadow and Blake were playing with all her toys. 

Hayden tagged the deer before gutting the animal.

We had to get the cliche pose with the four pointer.

Mr. Mike stepped Hayden through the process of removing the innards.


WARNING: this may be too graphic for certain folks.


It was quite real to see how an animal turns into meat.


At first Mike and Hayden dragged the buck through the forest.

I took over as we passed the creek bridge.

As fast as we had arrived we had to leave.


This experience has readied me for hunting. Next year I’ll need to get a license. I’d rather get meat through effort and sacrifice, however small that might be. 


After registering the deer at nearby bar we shot the shit with some hunters. We then went on our way to the Thanksgiving dinner. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Hike Trip with the Kids to Nerstrand State Park

Meadow and I had so much fun hiking and geocaching last weekend, we decided to do it again. I was busy photographing for a project in Lake City. Our state park pass expires at the end of the month so we decided on Nerstrand State Park. A short drive from Minneapolis I'd always wanted to go.  I love that they had this natural playground. First we wanted to see the waterfall. Little hiker. The waterfall was a lot smaller than I expected but it was open for free play. I let the kids play for awhile. Then we found another area to play. Mr Independent had to hike back himself. That's my stubborn little guy. We took a lunch break before geocaching.  Meadow didn't believe me she had smoothie on her face. Theo either. We finished our day by hiking almost the whole park to find the cache. Too bad Scott couldn't have joined us. 

Chelsea and the Boys Visit Minneapolis

  I told Chelsea earlier this year she was the only one who hasn't seen our house yet. She said she would visit this summer. She texted me earlier this week asking when she could come. Looking at our calendar I said, this weekend or the weekend after Labor Day.  When they arrived Theo gave her a tour of our house.  I told her we had plans to go blueberry picking and she agreed to go along too. They had never gone before.  Hoo, boy. Was I glad that I got out of blueberry picking this year. I spent the day painting back at home. I don't know why, but I do enjoy berry picking.  Afterwards we picked up food from the co-op and had lunch in Stillwater.  Then we went swimming at the St Croix River Boom Site.  We parked our towels right next to the natural spring that flows into the river.  Blake... The sunny skies soon turned to clouds and then it started raining. The kids just kept on playing.  I couldn't believe they were still out in Stillwater. Then we went over to Teddy Bear

A Twin Cities Mississippi River Summer Weekend

Two summer weekends in Minneapolis? Yeah, it's true. We followed Scott again on one of his jobs, which brought us to Maplewood Mall. I had heard there was a double decker carousel there and had always wanted to check it out.  There is a weight limit on the horses so Scott and I had to sit on the swinging bench.  Brooke and I must've had empty stomaches. We were both so dizzy after getting off the carousel. Or we're getting old. Scott always complains we never do things in our own city. Since we were going to be near St Paul, I had been wanting to take the kids to the Mississippi River National Recreation Area Visitor Center to get a junior ranger badge.  St. Paul is one of Twin Cities, so it's OK to have fun just across the border. It's those suburbs I loathe (though honestly sometimes enjoy). Downtown St. Paul maybe sleepy, but it's very charming. The Mississippi River National Recreation Area Visitor Center is in the Science Museum lobby. Somehow we had never