Deer Season Compromises & Plans

I typically loathe interruptions to deer season, but this year has provided agreeable alternatives. Two weekends ago I was at a bachelor party in St. Pete. We did what boys our age do at bachelor parties minus the dancing ladies in pasties. (Honestly.) I actually played golf for the first time in seven years. It will be another seven before I attempt shooting any more pars. But what fun this crew has together.

This weekend is the Big Weekend. It’s all for a long-time, cherished friend – though I’m not sure you can call anyone who gets married, has a baby, or dies during hunting season a “friend.”

This last weekend was the annual Stone Crab Fest. Essentially, you combine all the basic elements of a bachelor party but add wives and a cooler-full of succulent stone crab. Everyone tosses in a wad of cash, and Harris, of Harris Seafood LLC in Orlando, goes to Shelly’s Seafood, one of his suppliers in Homosassa, and buys as many claws as he can. This year it worked out to forty pounds. That’s a lot of crab. And it was awesome, though I will say, eating nothing but will leave you wanting a salad by the event’s end.

So these have been fun distractions, but the business is about to start again. Leaving next week for my first trip to Montana for some waterfowling. Obviously I don’t have to tell you how excited I am to see that beautiful land. I return home from that to a muzzleloading hunt at Duette. Leave directly from there to North Carolina for four days of deer hunting with very close friends. It’ll be a killing up there. This is followed by the start of duck and another muzzleloading trip at Upper Hillsborough. Also have a gobbler I want to whack with a bow and maybe a hog or two.

Anyways, hope everyone is having a wonderful season so far. If you feel the need, leave a comment on how your season is going or what your plans are. Would love for you to share, in fact.

Cheers!