Hunting with Naomi. Nov20, 2021 Naomi&Richard

At 530am I was walking around collecting gun, clothing, binoculars, tags, and the like before departure.  Naomi came over from Artas at 545 and asked if there was time for a bowl of cereal.  So as I finished packing and she had a quick breakfast we finally drove down to south Calgary to collect our last hunting partner and start moving quickly down to Longview.

After arriving on the hill, about 645am, we were just catching the full sunrise so I brought Naomi right to the hill that I like to be on for sunrise.  While there, I changed plans and said we'll go up to where I hunt as we were both able to continue up the hill, steep though it is.

I don't know who taught Naomi to hold binoculars like that, but it's totally how I would do it.  Very comfortable and easy to keep steady and keep your eyes on the area that you're scanning.

After getting up into the main space that I like to sit in, we lay there waiting till 8:45 for deer to show on the west side of the valley.  I looked back to Naomi to say something..... and there were three mulie within 10 feet of us.  We let them run past and I said that this has never happened to me.  Fun to see a little herd pass by so closely.  While continuing to wait a few little birds kept flying overhead.  I'm sure that they were curious about us.

Finally, unable to see anymore movement we walked along the top most area of the valley and over into a small watering pond to have a sandwich.  Usually we don't see much over at this lake and I don't always walk up into this area but it worked out as a good path back to the truck.

This was a long hike.  We were both (I at least) exhausted so now it was time to do some truck hunting.  We drove past the Blades, met a new farmer named Will for next years permissions, went up to the huterites and back.  We drove this circle at least twice looking for the best of the best.  While passing the blades property we saw two white tail deer grazing and all thought how interesting that the first doe was light yellow/brown while the second white tail was grey grey grey like a mulie.  Not all rules about coloring and what something should look like are followed.

Chris had the good idea to go back to a special place on the gardners that we like to hunt at for the end of the day.  We are only on the Sarah's property three weekends this year.  So this was a good weekend to try and catch something on that ranch. 

As we walked into the area together, Naomi and I, I told her about how this was the place that I shot my first deer ever.  She's now been into a couple of areas that I've never taken anyone else.  We walked one hill past where I had shot my first deer and low and behold, another beautiful deer to shoot.  

Naomi stayed back with her binoculars and I walked slow up one hill, and then another hill, trying to get closer to that deer.  It had been rubbing it's horns in the willows and I thought that it had bedded down in those willows.  Once I got to the closest hill that I thought might give me a view into the willows I say there glassing those willows.  The sun was just above the horizon and all I could see was sun in my binoculars and rifle scope.  I was getting tired and frustrated of not being able to see so I looked back to where I'd come from to see what Naomi was doing.  Later on Naomi would tell me that I was climbing that third hill and the deer and snuck around me and followed ME up the hill checking me out, and had then turned back and was just walking and feeding in between mine and Naomi's hills.  

It was maybe the closest and easiest shot on a white tail that I've ever had.  

Now, we were at least one and a half sections (1.5miles) away from the road.  After shooting this deer I asked Naomi if she'd help me drag.  I had two drags in my bag for some reason.  If I put one rope around the head it means that the horns are going to get dug into the dirt.  So one rope on one horn, one on the other, and the head was held up nicely for the dragging.

I don't want to belabor the point but dragging that deer 1.5 miles even together was one of the hardest drags that I've ever done.  I couldn't have done it if Naomi hadn't been side by side with me dragging that deer.

On the drive to Nanton to meet up with Leo.  We got to see the sunset which showed us about 20 minutes of blood mood.  Quickly after I had gotten one photo of the red moon it had already switched over to a dark grey moon behind some neat clouds.

And thus concludes our hunting experience.  Naomi and Chris and I.  November 20, 2021.  If you've come all the way through here, then here is a picture of Naomis deer from 2020, a photo of Naomi and my mother in law Joan, and lastly a photo of Naomi at our wedding.

Also... Woops!  Moiya had an open and empty blog post started.  I noticed that before I began.  It seems like I opened that empty blog post and wrote this submission.  So this isn't Moiya... it's Richard.  Sorry for the confusion.