Hunting in Fog

[Bowriter]

Fog.

The two mile drive to the gate took 10-minutes. The two minute walk to my stand took 10-minutes. Even at close range, the bright eyes were hard to see. I missed one and took some time finding it. The ten-foot climb to my stand seat was like ascension into a cloud. It took forever to get daylight and an eternity from then until I could see the ground.

Hunting in thick fog is both eerie and usually non-productive. It can also be wonderfull.

I enjoyed yesterday morning. Not because I killed or even saw a deer but because I enjoyed watching objects take shape. As the fog slowly burned off, I watched the big stump that always looks like a bear in dim light, take shape. I heard geese that I could not see take flight and turkeys I could not see complain as only a turkey can. They too were limb-locked by the fog and not pleased, either. Sometimes I wish I had never gotten hearing aids. They will drive you nuts in the fog and you can't take them out for fear of dropping them. However, they allow me to hear things I normally would not hear. They are just right for thick fog.

I enjoyed yesterday as I watched the woods and world come to life and emerge from the fog as though from a womb. Several times I wanted to shoot the bush with the large, white leaf that looks very much like a deer's tail. There is even a leaf that is identical to an ear. Fog makes that even better.

When I finally gave in at 10:30, I had gone from fog and darkness to fog and dim light to fog and full light to sunshine and back to fog and drizzle. I enjoyed every minute of it because I know I will not have many such mornings left on this earth.

The morning made me spend money. I went home, made a phone call and booked a hunt I probably cannot afford to take. It gives me something to dream about for a year. It will drastically reduce my emergency fund. My wife said, "Call it an emergency and go hunt." I have a good wife. I may or may not kill something. Either way, I will renew old friendships and relive other hunts.

It is still dark here. I'll not hunt today, it is hot and windy. But I wonder what the morning will bring. I'm thinking a pork chop, two eggs and two perfectly toasted, slices of bread. What I will get is oatmeal, orange juice and a handfull of pills.

I wish it was foggy.

[Woods Walker]

Foggy days have their own charm, especially when you start to realize that you probably have used up a large majority of the days the Lord granted you to be able to hunt. I know that I relish ANY day I can get in the woods. After having missed 3 years of gun hunting now and one year of bow due to the miserable economy I understand how precious hunting time is.

Your post made me recall some duck hunts I did in fog. We had to stand there at port arms on FULL attention because if you SAW any ducks they were right there and in range for a few seconds and then they'd be gone. Fortunately that was back when I could hear, and we'd many times hear them coming and that'd give us a few more seconds to get ready and know the direction they come from. Today it'd be like being completely blind and then having sight for a few seconds!