While the Nova is all tucked in awaiting the spring, thought I'd throw out some fillers to keep the story line alive.
Hunting season came and went...with three weeks of evenings to hunt leading into the rut, my wife started giving me a hard time about leaving her home with the boys all day by Tuesday of week 1! Granted I had squeezed in a few sits on opening weekend and with some passing cold fronts, but my plan didn't exactly proceed as I would have hoped for. I laid down a decent 8 point 2 days later after having passed on three better bucks since the season began. My boys are 2 and 3, so I've been fortunate enough to get out as much as I do and made the compromise to spend time with the family. They're only little once, and will be sitting in a tree with me before I know it. Hit a little high and stuck an arrow in the spine, and had to send a 2nd through the vitals. Probably the smallest buck I've ever arrowed with my bow, but it's mine, and the venison is in the freezer. One deer limit this year in the area I hunt in MN, so that concluded my season.
I was fortunate enough to spend the opening weekend of the firearms season in northern MN with some of my good friends and was able to wrap my hands around a spectacular set of horns. The buck was shot by the 17 year old son of one of my good hunting partners, and was his second deer ever. I've spent many hours in a tree where this buck called home and never saw anything quite his caliber.
Now it's on to ice fishing and spring turkeys!!