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“The Mountains” On Seeing Deer

“And I don’t see how you can ever bear to shoot them.”

An Illustration from the book, “The Mountains” by Stewart Edward White“Don’t you?” said I. “Well; suppose you’ve been climbing a mountain late in the afternoon when the sun is on the other side of it. It is a mountain of big boulders, loose little stones, thorny bushes. The slightest misstep would send pebbles rattling, brush rustling; but you have gone all the way without making that misstep. This is quite a feat. It means that you’ve known all about every footstep you’ve taken. That would be business enough for most people, wouldn’t it? But in addition you’ve managed to see everything on that side of the mountain - especially patches of brown. You’ve seen lots of patches of brown, and you’ve examined each one of them. Besides that, you’ve heard lots of little rustlings, and you’ve identified each one of them. To do all these things well keys your nerves to a high tension, doesn’t it? And then near the top you look up from your last noiseless step to see in the brush a very dim patch of brown. If you hadn’t been looking so hard, you surely wouldn’t have made it out. Perhaps, if you’re not humble-minded, you may reflect that most people wouldn’t have seen it at all. You whistle once sharply. The patch of brown defines itself. Your heart gives one big jump. You know that you have but the briefest moment, the tiniest fraction of time, to hold the white bead of your rifle motionless and to press the trigger. It has to be done very steadily, at that distance, - and you’re out of breath, with your nerves keyed high in the tension of such caution.”

“The reason I can bear to kill deer is because, to kill deer, you must accomplish a skillful elimination of the obvious.”

Now of course she did not see. Nobody could see the force of that last remark without the grace of further explanation, and yet in the elimination of the obvious rests the whole secret of seeing deer in the woods.

In traveling the trail you will notice two things: that a tenderfoot will habitually contemplate the horn of his saddle or the trail a few yards ahead of the horse’s nose, with occasionally a look about at the landscape; and the old-timer will be constantly searching the prospect with keen understanding eyes. Now in the occasional glances the tenderfoot takes, his perceptions have room for just so many impressions. When the number is filled out he sees nothing more. Naturally the obvious features of the landscape supply the basis for these impressions. He sees the configuration of the mountains, the nature of their covering, the course of their ravines, first of all. Then if he looks more closely, there catches his eye an odd-shaped rock, a burned black stub, a flowering bush, or some such matter. Anything less striking in its appeal to the attention actually has not room for its recognition. In other words, supposing that a man has the natural ability to receive “x” visual impressions, the tenderfoot fills out his full capacity with the striking features of his surroundings. To be able to see anything more obscure in form or color, he must naturally put aside from his attention some one of another of these obvious features. He can, for example, look for a particular kind of flower on a side hill only by refusing to see other kinds.

If this is plain, then, go one step further in the logic of that reasoning. Put yourself in the mental attitude of a man looking for deer. His eye sweeps rapidly over a side hill; so rapidly that you cannot understand how he can have gathered the main features of that hill, let alone concentrate and refine his attention to the seeing of an animal under a bush. As a matter of fact he pays no attention to the main features. He has trained his eye, not so much to see things, as to leave things out. The odd-shaped rock, the charred stub, the bright flowering bush do not exist for him. His eye passes over them as unseeing as yours over the patch of brown or gray that represents his quarry. His attention stops on the unusual, just as does yours; only in his case the unusual is not the obvious. He has succeeded by long training in eliminating that. Therefore he sees deer where you do not. As soon as you can forget the naturally obvious and construct an artificially obvious, then you too will see deer.

You will see many deer thus from the trail, - in fact, we kept up our meat supply from the saddle, as one might say, - but to enjoy the finer savor of seeing deer, you should start out definitely with that object in view. Thus you have opportunity for the display of a certain finer woodcraft. You must know where the objects of your search are likely to be found, and that depends on the time of year, the time of day, their age, their sex, a hundred little things.

Perversely enough the times when you did not see deer are more apt to remain vivid in your memory than the times when you did. I can still see distinctly sundry wide jump-marks where the animal I was tracking had evidently caught sight of me and lit out before I came up to him. Equally, sundry little thin disappearing clouds of dust; cracklings of brush, growing ever more distant; the tops of bushes waving to the steady passage of something remaining persistently concealed, - these are the chief ingredients often repeated which make up deer-stalking memory. When I think of seeing deer, these things automatically rise.

One morning, happening to walk over a slashing of many years before in which had grown a strong thicket of white popples, I jumped a band of nine deer. I shall never forget the bewildering impression made by the glancing, dodging, bouncing white of those nine snowy tails and rumps.

But most wonderful of all was a great buck, of I should be afraid to say how many points, that stood silhouetted on the extreme end of a ridge high above our camp. The time was just after twilight, and as we watched, the sky lightened behind him in prophecy of the moon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ramblings and thoughts of a modern-day hunter? Surely I think not but it could be although a rare find.

My good friend and chief photographer for Skinny Moose Media, Milt Inman, discovered a book in a pile of what looked more like trash than treasure while browsing a yard sale not that long ago and came upon a book looking old, faded and frail. The book had a friend and found a new home.

“The Mountains” by Stewart Edward White just might be a modern-day treasure looking for a reading deer hunter to inspire. White is the author of other books; “The Blazed Trail”, “Silent Places”, “The Forest” and others. “The Mountains” is illustrated by Fernand Lungren and was published by McClure, Phillips & Company of New York in 1904.

Over one hundred years have passed since White moved about the trail looking for deer. What has changed? That really depends upon who might be reading the book. For me, it could have very well be written today, with the exception of the use of certain words and terminology of its day. For others the tactics described would be ancient history, something that happened in an era long ago passed by.

I think not! You see, I’ve never been one to hide out in a ground blind or sit uneasily in a tree stand. For those who do, the accounts described above could just as easily been written in ancient Greek. It would have as much meaning.

All too often in the so-called modern era of deer hunting, nearly every article written or hunting tip given focuses on blinds, tree stands, scents, lures, calls and about every assorted gimmick and gadget ever invented and those yet to come. The art of tracking doesn’t seem to be practiced as readily as it did once but I can attest that it’s not dead.

I discussed this book some with Milt before I confiscated it and he brought to my attention that much of what White writes about in this book is similar to what a family of big buck deer hunters from Vermont talks about and spends time each year trying to teach to other hunters.

The Benoit Brothers - Lanny, Shane and LaneThe Benoits all grew up in Vermont. There’s Larry the father and sons Lanny, Lane and Shane. They love to deer hunt and their passion is tracking down big bucks. As they say, the proof is in the pudding and if you look at the success these guys have had, you cannot deny that they must know more about the art of tracking than the average deer hunter.

A couple years ago, Milt and I traveled to the far reaches of Northern Maine to a small town called Allagash to attend a Benoit Brothers’ Big Buck Tracking School. I wanted to cover the event as a writer and I took Milt along to take pictures and to use his perspective on issues.

There were two things the Benoits emphasized all during their instruction - shooting and tracking. Shooting is obvious. As Lanny pointed out and as White points out in his book over a hundred years ago, you have a very brief moment to “hold the white bead on your target” and shoot. But, Lanny further points out that if you have been successful enough to “eliminate the obvious”, as White describes it, you’ll have perhaps as much as a split second to react and shoot. If you can’t shoot, the hard work leading up to the shot is all for not.

The second aspect is the one White writes about in knowing the obvious and removing it from what the mind takes in and sees. If you can accomplish such, you will see deer. The Benoits often talk about learning what a big buck will do. This begins with an understanding of where to find the big deer, taking into consideration all factors. You pick up a track and follow it. You have to learn and know your area, the terrain, escape routes, etc. and you have to recognize from the track what the deer is thinking, know his habits and use this to eliminate the obvious.

There will be mistakes. That’s how we learn, that is if we are willing to learn from our mistakes and apply them to the next outing. The more seasoned we become the more we will be able to remove from our visual all the obvious things - the rock, the tree, the flowering shrub, etc.. Then, once our minds are trained to know what to look for and how to apply all the information being processed, our success rate will go up. We will turn seeing no deer into seeing deer and in turn taking deer.

I agree with Milt, now that I’ve read that section of the book. Almost every aspect of what Stewart Edward White wrote about over one hundred years ago still applies today and accurately describes the Benoits methods they employ in tracking down monster bucks.

Tom Remington

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Posted on Monday, February 11th, 2008
Under: Deer Hunting, Hunting Education, Hunting Tips, Book Reviews | 26 Comments »

“If You Didn’t Bring Jerky, What Did I Just Eat”

I just finished reading Bill Heavey’s new book, “If You Didn’t Bring Jerky, What Did I Just Eat?” - Misadventures in Hunting, Fishing, and the Wilds of Suburbia. This book should be available and in stock this week and I recommend it highly.

If You Didn’t Bring Jerky, What Did I Just Eat?: Misadventures in Hunting, Fishing, and the Wilds of Suburbia

Bill Heavey, for those who don’t know, has written the back-page column for Field & Stream for nearly a decade and is regarded as a leading outdoor writer in this industry.

I’m not sure how many books, stories and articles I’ve read over the years but it’s quite easy to find as many stories as can make a man nauseous about the “perfect” shot, the “exact” presentation of a fly for the trophy trout or recreating an incredible duplicate sound to call in a monster whitetail. These guys never make a mistake, or you never read about them. You won’t get any of that with Bill Heavey. When you read his stories, many of them are about you and most are the stories you were too ashamed to tell anyone about.

Bill Heavey’s stories are real. There’s no doubt about that. Short on pride and a lack of bravado, you might think him to be a bumbling fool. I’ve hunted and fished with this type before and if you aren’t careful, you can easily be duped by that fool leaving you to wonder who really is the fool.

The bulk of the book is a compilation of some of Heavey’s best stories, the likes of which will leave you snickering, snorting, belly laughing and succumbing to uncontrolled outbursts. Mixed in there, I will warn you, are a few stories that might leave you heading for the back room so nobody will notice the tear in your eye.

I thought I would take a few minutes and share two parts of the book that I found the most enjoyable but may not accurately represent the entire make up of his book. The first is my favorite story. On page 97 begins “The Lion Dogs”. Bill hooks up with guides Jonathon Kibler and Wally Kostelnik in the rough deserts of the Southwest hunting mountain lions. Heavey’s recount of the events during this particular hunt, draw you in, placing you on the scene with dust on your boots, participating in the hunt.

The story rips at you as you discover the commitment of the guides and their dogs. It is incredible. This obviously is the kind of hunt for the hardy and the adventure seeker. What is portrayed as a group of tough guys overcoming the challenges of a mountain lion hunt, ends in a way that will leave you to close the book and ponder for some time.

On the other end of a broad spectrum that Heavey will take you through, you’ll find this piece of journalistic genius. From a story titled, “The Middle Ground”, beginning on page 34, Bill writes:

Then I made the mistake of asking if he ever used spinning rods. “Hell, no,” he growled. “I call those fairy wands.”

Now call it dumb luck or call it fate, but on that particular day the biggest bass, a 4-1/2 pounder, fell to a pumpkin tube on a 1/8-ounce slip sinker cast by yours truly, Tinkerbell. With his fairy wand.

At the other end of the scale are my yuppie friends who have taken up fly fishing with all the gaiety of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Where did these people come from? I think what happens is this: If you make over $80,000 a year and drive a Saab, somebody from the Fly Fishing Bureau of Indoctrination shows up at your house and teaches you to false cast in your living room. If you also wear steel-rimmed glasses and have an untrained golden retriever with a red bandana tied around its neck, they immediately present you with a Tonkin bamboo rod (two tips), a brain surgeon’s headlamp, and a leather leader wallet embossed with Izaak Walton’s profile.

Click on the link above and order your copy today. I know you’ll be glad you did.

Tom Remington

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Posted on Tuesday, December 18th, 2007
Under: Book Reviews | 3 Comments »

My First Deer Hunt

My First Deer HuntMy First Deer Hunt is a brand new children’s book written and photographed by Curtis and Michael Waguespack - brothers. The book is published by Country Kid Publishing LLC. You can find more information and place your order by visiting the website at MyFirstDeerHunt.

I just received my complimentary copy in the mail less than 2 hours ago and thought that I would give it a review, even though I wasn’t asked to.

As is explained at the website and also within a press release about the book, Michael Waguespack, a co-author and elementary school teacher, discovered there were no children’s books available about hunting. He and his brother decided that with the difficulties states are having to recruit new hunters, including the kids, and no books out there to help them out, this was their entrepreneurial opportunity.

First let me say that the book is of the highest quality printing material. High gloss paper loaded with some great photography is sure to open wide the eyes of a lot of kids. I wouldn’t want to say too much here but in all honesty, some of the pictures will gape an eye or two of some seasoned hunters.

The story is simple and should be exceptionally easy for kids, whose parents deem them ready, to grasp and get excited about. The story plot takes a Dad and his young son on a hunt. The kid is introduced to camouflage clothing and hunter orange. While father and son are spending together time, Dad teaches his son about several aspects of hunting, including the discovery of tracks and droppings, rubs and how the wind needs to be used to one’s advantage.

While walking to a favorite sitting spot, both father and son see other wildlife around them. After sitting awhile, the son spots deer and points them out to Dad, learning that such movements will frighten the deer away. When the young boy later on spots a beauty of a buck, Dad misses out. I’ll let you discover why.

I really have only one issue with the book but it is one I will not get too hung up on. Nowhere in any of the photos is there a gun of any kind pictured. It’s a bit odd and even in the photos, the Dad looks a bit uncomfortable with his hands most often tucked into his pockets.

In a press release, Michael is quoted as saying, “We didn’t want to do a how-to instructional book. We wanted to create a real children’s book that captured the imagination.” I think that they succeeded in doing that as I think any kid who isn’t already tainted in their thinking about hunting would certainly enjoy the photos and the sights and sounds awaiting them according to the book.

The explanation given by the authors as to why no gun, the same press release says, “The authors chose to leave out the weapons to keep the story appropriate for all school environments.”

As a parent, you’ll have to decide if the book is too politically correct by leaving out any pictures of a gun or any reference to guns in the story.

I suppose the bottom line is whether or not I would buy the book and share it with my grandkids, as my own children are adults now. The answer is yes but with an explanation. As a parent, it is my decision what I teach my kid. I can present them with a book like this and then introduce them to the use of guns as I deem appropriate. This is certainly a tool I could use in getting my kids excited about hunting, especially in cases where hunting is not a long-time family tradition.

If this is what it takes to get a few more kids interested in hunting and all the experiences that go with it, I’m for it. There is a program underway right now where you can order a book for yourself and pay to have another shipped to a school or library. It is my belief that the authors of this book may see some opposition from anti-hunting groups and animal rights groups but they would no matter what they did. If this book can get placed in a few schools and library’s and pique the curiosity of a handful of kids, then that’s a handful of kids that might not discover the greatness the rest of us have.

You should consider this could make a great Christmas gift.

Tom Remington

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Posted on Monday, November 19th, 2007
Under: Deer Hunting, Commentary/Opinion, Products / Reviews, Book Reviews | 3 Comments »