Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Why technology isn't always a good thing


Deer hunting is not my favorite thing to do out-of-doors.  Knowing that a decent sized doe will nearly pack my available freezer space and last well into the new year, I do it as much for sustenance as enjoyment.  If I manage to bag one on my first hunt of the season it might end up being the last hunt of the season; I just don't have much interest after that. Then I have years like 2010 when I get pretty mad at it and go half a dozen times or more, miss the one deer I shoot at (I still can't believe I whiffed it), and don't put a thing in the freezer.

I hunted a couple of times early this season and didn't shoot.  Again, not being a fanatic about it I don't actively seek opportunities to sit in a stand, don't drive long distances to do so, and don't get too upset if it doesn't happen.  I'd just about put the season behind me when I was invited to skip out of work last Wednesday afternoon and figured why not, it's a pretty day and I could sure use some fresh air.  About five minutes before sunset a nice big doe walked into the food plot and by the end of the week she'll be in my freezer.

But the story doesn't quite end there.  The deer made it about twenty yards into some of the thickest, nastiest brush in the county before expiring and took a while to extract.  Being the incredibly responsible spouse that I am, about halfway through the process I snapped a picture of the deer and sent it along with a text to my wife telling her that I might be a little late getting home.  Later that night I walked by the computer and saw a photo of a deer that looked eerily familiar.  On Facebook.  With my name under it.  Thanks honey.

I'm pretty sure she still doesn't understand why I'd rather not be seen advertising the trophy doe that I shot.  I tried explaining that around here, crowing about shooting a doe is like bragging that you got a hole in one at putt-putt.  Sure, you give yourself a little pat on the back when you do it, you enjoy the spoils at the table for the next six months, but there's really no need to alert the media.  Especially the social media.

The picture was only online a few hours but the damage was done.  Since last Thursday I've had a dozen guys with a smirk on their faces congratulate me on my deer.

2 comments:

  1. I can't quite gather from your story if it was your wife's Facebook page with "my husband shot this", or if she put that on your page without asking. But I can quite understand her point of view. We've been discussing these issues with my wife as we watch the Outdoor Channel together (she's a hunter too, btw), and from a female point of view shooting an animal for its horns. and comparing who's got bigger horns (pun intended) is both a very guys' and a very stupid thing to do. Filling the freezer with yummi stuff is very different - and, if your husband is capable of literally feeding the family, that's THE manly thing to do, and something to brag about. What's there to be ashamed of, anyway?

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  2. It was her Facebook page, I don't have one. You're right AM, from a purely logical perspective there's nothing to be ashamed of. I will say, though, that shooting a trophy buck is much more difficult than shooting a doe partly due to their relative rarity and partly due to their inherent wariness. That's how they get to be big bucks, right?

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