whitney kelly photography

I am a hunting season widow.

November brings many things such as my birthday, my dad's birthday, Thanksgiving, and now the most important in my household.....deer season. Oddly enough Matt finished harvesting soybeans at 10:30 PM on Friday, November 7....how timely since deer season opened the morning of Saturday, November 8....and he was definitely up at 4:30 with all his scent-free gear on ready to kill that big buck. Oh and I didn't mention that we had to celebrate my birthday on Thursday, November 6...no time for bday celebrations during opening weekend! Also hunting... his best friend, the best dressed hunter I've ever seen, my dad, and my father-in-law. They were decked out in camo, orange vests and hats, and their muck boots with a backpack on their back with all their hunting goodies they would need and their shotgun on their shoulder. Sadly enough no big buck came that weekend. "They just weren't moving" they all claimed. And my father-in-law "missed the biggest buck!"...he said that last year too.

Matt showed up to the shop on that next Wednesday morning and backed up to the front doors. He let down his tailgate and lo and behold what lay in the back of his truck, but a 13-point deer, his first kill of the season. That certainly got the three other deerless fired up and sure enough Friday brought the hunters back - this time with all kinds of hunting gadgets like electronic calls and deer incense...the smell was supposed to attract the deer...after smelling it I think it would do quite the opposite. Saturday morning as I am laying in bed at 7 AM my phone rings and it's Dad. He got a 12-point...on his birthday. Mom thought it was a weird looking deer, wasn't a mantle deer...she soon learned you NEVER tell a man is deer is ugly. That crushes them.

So, I guess I'm telling this since Matt just got his second deer of the season...a 9 point, but "a big deer...points doesn't matter"....so he says. I asked him since he's killed his two bucks for the season does that mean he is done hunting....he said no....of course, did I expect him to say yes?