Deer season and Christmas traditions
“This is bigger than Christmas for us.” I quoted a hunter friend of mine in early December talking about his feelings on Gun Deer Season. This is not the first time I have heard someone say this. The first time was about 20 years ago from a friend whose family and friends still hunt all nine days.
Even my better half had to ask: “really?”
So I started talking to hunters I know as to what gun deer season means to them. The responses I got told me this is much bigger than one column. But how can it be bigger than Christmas?
The latter hunter from the nine day camp, and we all know there are few of those left, told me, “Everyone makes it almost every year, not everyone can hunt all nine days, but at least six day.”
“Our wives, young kids, and even grandkids come to the camp for Thanksgiving dinner. That’s a big deal.”
“Our wives’ families have first dibs on Christmas celebrations,” he continued.
My friend whose quote started all this told me that his family that lives outside the area all travel home for hunting so they are together already. “Some of my brother’s wives families live out of the area or out of the region. I’m lucky in that my wife’s family is from the same place as mine, but it’s still a lot of juggling to make schedules work for Christmas.”
“It’s not that Christmas time isn’t important, we just enjoy the family time that goes with hunting. Helping someone drag a deer, driving deer, and butchering deer creates bonds and memories that last forever. The Thanksgiving feast the ladies and a couple of the guys that don’t hunt cook up and the fresh venison feast other nights just bring us together in ways that nothing else does.”
“We can’t all make it back for Christmas. Some of us have to be other places. So there is a practical reason for this, kind of like having a gathering for Christmas the weekend before or after Christmas. We are lucky that the deer hunt brings us all together every year.” Another friend told me that in his family you knew you were coming of age when you were allowed to go deer hunting. You were looked at differently. You sat at the table with the adults at family gatherings and not at the “kids” table. You got the biggest gifts of your life for Christmas and your birthday the year before you were allowed to hunt. Those gifts were your first hunting rifle and shotgun. “When my youngest brother started hunting I was surprise because my mom went hunting with us,” he said. “She used to tell us that she hunted, but that didn’t really sink in until she dug out an old rifle and hunting knife, went to the woods with us, and shot the first buck that year.”
“It was the only time of the year that wasn’t hectic. My dad owned his own logging company, so there was work to be done all year. But during deer season the only thing we did was hunt and he was happy. We were doing things together as a family that just brought us together in a fun way.”
“It’s not that it’s more important than Christmas. It isn’t. Deer season’s about our family. It’s when we all get together, because we can. I feel fortunate that we are a hunting family. It’s a gift. Until you asked I hadn’t thought about this so it’s hard to put this into words. I guess the gun deer season is a “bigger deal” but Christmas is more important, if that makes sense.”
That was a common theme that all of them and the others I talked to about this told me. “It’s too hard to put into words.”
My brothers, nephews, and I get together for our deer camp just like every other year since we started hunting deer. I can’t say the gun season is more important to us but we have more time together because schedules permit. For that, I too feel lucky to be a hunter.
There is this excitement that fills hunters as the gun season approaches. But there is a feeling that fills the air at Christmas that everyone feels and everyone knows is special. It’s here right now.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas filled with good cheer!
Through a
Decoy’s
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