By Glen Wunderlich
Record low temperatures have a way of reminding us why we prepare. No longer do we old timers have reason to exclaim our superior toughness for fighting off the effects of some forgotten winter of yesteryear; anyone reading this has now been there. Cold is still cold.
When the founder of the Boys Scouts of America, Robert Baden-Powell, was asked about its motto, “Be prepared,” the question was “for what?” The answer was “anything.”
Obviously, that covers a lot of territory but the bitterness of this season’s seemingly perpetual clippers has either demonstrated one’s readiness or lack thereof. Those “could-haves” and “should-haves” become as obvious as winter itself. For the late-season deer hunter, being prepared has its rewards, however.
Having equipment that performs in extreme conditions can mean the difference between filling the freezer and explaining away an unfilled tag. Using too much or the wrong type of oil on a gun’s action can cause failure in the cold, for example.
Muzzleloaders being brought in from the cold into warmer confines can spell misfires, unless powder charges and primers are refreshed. Heck, why are you saving these components anyway? They don’t store well from season to season anyway.
Stand hunting has become popular ever since the rules were changed to permit elevated blinds. And, this is when they’ll pay off. I mean who’s going to plunk their tailbone onto a bucket without some type of shelter? Even a portable shelter can get the job done, as long as it isn’t neglected and subsequently collapses under the weight of snow.
Hunters that prepared by planting food plots will now experience the fruit of their labor. Turnips or beets are readily available for deer now requiring more fuel than ever before in their relatively short lives. They will come now with daylight to spare – many from afar. They too must prepare for an endurance test heretofore unknown to them.
Preventing a deer from freezing after field dressing is also a necessity under most circumstances. It must be cooled but not frozen before processing, and that’ll take some forethought, as well; to do otherwise is to contribute to these oft spoken words: “I don’t like venison!”
And, so the time has come for the Boy Scout/hunter to earn his hunting merit badge. Very few will bear the brunt of Mother Nature’s extreme cruelness in these final two days of Michigan’s late antlerless firearms deer season but those prepared have another chance – a chance to test wills and skills.
