I reluctantly cleaned the guns

[deadeye]

I had been putting it off for a while but finally buckled and cleaned, oiled and put away the guns for this year.  I know grouse hunting is still open but I suspect with the snow and holidays, I won't be getting out any more this year.  I was a little sad as I started, but as I handled each gun memories of this years hunts came back to me.  As I worked on a muzzle loader, I remembered taking my first deer with it.  Also, this was the first time I went muzzle loader hunting with my son.  Cleaning the shot guns, I remembered the high flying grouse my brother in laws dog kicked out to me.  Straight overhead at tree tops was a shot never expect to duplicate again.  While putting away the last of the rifles, I realized how great the seasons were.  My son got his biggest ever buck, his nephew got his first ever deer, and I saw numerous bucks including some really nice ones.  Suddenly I realized my sadness over the end of this years seasons had given way to great expectations for next years hunting seasons.  What to plant, where to place new stands, what bucks will still be around, will the grouse numbers be high, what about geese, maybe I'll get a bear license, time to start planing a turkey hunt.  Holy cow, only a few months left to get everything ready.  And so goes the life of the hunter.

[whiteoakbuck]

now that's a outdoorsman 

[Go Big Red!]

Well said Deadeye, well said....   

[Mayfly]

I though this was a great post and a short good read so I gave it front page status. Hope thats OK Deadeye. 

[BBD]

nicely said loved the read.

[beeker]

very nice deadeye...

however I didn't read the part about shooting clays with us? is that the next paragraph/post? 

[Go Big Red!]

very nice deadeye...

however I didn't read the part about shooting clays with us? is that the next paragraph/post? 

Or your brother taking aim without chambering a round first.....   

[FireRanger]

You've just made a grown man cry!    Nicely written.

[deadeye]

Thanks for the nice replies,
Go Big Red, I believe that was me who did the "dry fire", only to swing, jack in a shell and blast one going away.  That was a fun day and I hope we do it again next summer. 
Thanks for pointing out the other activites related to but not involving hunting itself.  For me a few of them included, preparing hides for the hides for habitat program run by the MDHA, watching my grandson win his as he put it "my first ever gun I won in my whole life" (he's four), at our MDHA banquet,  providing a bunch of stuff to help set up my sons nephew with bow hunting equipment, buying a 60 acre patch of land that connected all of the land that myself and my brothers in law own, and taking my 92 year old father on a 4 day fishing trip.  For me it was a great year in the outdoors and outdoor activities and I'm very much looking forward to starting it all over again next year.  Merry Christmas to all.