With the 2020 deer hunting season down to the nubbin', an invitation to join Middleton Hunt Club for their penultimate driven deer hunt was welcome. A cloudy and cool day with temps just below 50-degrees meant that the hunt on Wednesday December 30 would be conducted in ideal conditions. Just enough chill in the air to remind hunters to wear a jacket, and to keep the hounds in good shape as they penetrate the woodlands in search of scent. Two bucks were harvested this day, making the hunt a success for all the horse drivers and the standers deployed by huntmaster Cooper Coker.
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| TRADD FAIN AND CHARLES WARING ARE READY TO DEPLOY |
Charles Waring brought youth hunter Tradd Fain along, hopeful that he might harvest his first deer. While no shooting opportunities arose for this duo, I can attest that the aspiring hunter soaked up the kind of seasoning from this all day hunt that will aid in woodmanship and fellowship. Fain carried his 12-gauge safely and declared that he enjoyed riding in the back of the truck with the other standers. When it came time to clean the deer, his enthusiasm did not diminish at the sight of blood and guts. The anticipation for the day when he harvests a deer will be a motivational factor in his maturation as a hunter.
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| EVERYONE WAS EXCITED TO GO AFIELD |
This hunt began with a safety talk at dawn, which included the protocols of wearing masks to prevent the spread of Covid-19 to members and their guests. We then loaded into the back of five trucks to deploy in the Harry Woods tract, where I was given a stand in a small clearcut where a grand oak was left standing. I clearly heard the horse drivers go through the woods paralleling my position, and soon more hounds were applied to the drive in order to supplement the hunt. Soon the dogs give chase and on the far side of the drive, John Rama was able to harvest a fine 4-point buck towards the end of the morning hunt.
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| TIM FORD MASKED UP AND READY TO HUNT |
After lunch, the afternoon drive lasted two hours, and given the cloudy nature of the day, it would begin getting dark early. A buck was harvested during this drive, but alas it had recently shed its antlers. Bucks begin to shed antlers normally each winter, but each hunting season a few bucks drop their racks just a bit earlier than the rest. The meat from each deer was quartered and a drawing for the venison awarded the meat to the participants, since it takes a group effort for a successful and safe hunt.
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| A NOURISHING LUNCH FUELS THE HUNT |
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