Christie: Out in the woods

Sometimes it’s so cool to just go sit in the tree and tune out everything else.

I skinned the first deer of the season a few nights ago. Actually, I helped. I had taken a couple of out-of-town guests hunting Monday night and one of the guys shot a doe, so I showed them how to skin it.

This is the time of year I really look forward to, but deer season hasn’t started off too well. On a scale of 1-10 I’d rank it a 0.

But I’m not complaining; it’s just a couple of natural factors that have made it difficult. For one thing, it’s been really hot lately in Oklahoma.

The good news is that it’s supposed to cool down this week. I can’t wait because I’m getting pretty sick of sitting in a tree and not seeing anything.

I run several trail cameras and for every 100 deer pictures I get, 96 are nighttime and four are during the day.

We also have a full moon coming up next week, so that will get the deer moving. It’s going to be the perfect storm – like the bass spawn.

You can have several days of cool weather and then you get that nice warm up and the fish run to the bank. I think that’s what’s going to happen this year when we get some real fall weather and we get that full moon.

Now, the other thing that’s going on is that we’ve had the biggest crop of acorns I’ve seen in a long time. I mean, if you’re walking down a hill, it’s like walking on marbles.

That’s also making it tough because the deer don’t have to move around. They have all that food right in front of them. This is a big deal because I don’t live in agricultural land. I live in acres and acres of red oaks and these deer like those acorns.

Comparing this to fishing again, the acorn crop is like high water in a lake. If the water’s high in the spring, it’s usually not great for fishing. But it gives the fish a break and it lets them have a good spawn.

I think this big acorn crop is like that. It’s making it tough right now, but in the long run, it’s good for the deer.

While the local scene is coming together, I’ll make my annual trip to Kansas next week. With the days getting shorter, those bucks are getting fired up. I think that perfect storm of cooler weather and the full moon will give us some great conditions.

The thing about going to Kansas is that when I hunt at home I hunt with the kids and sometimes my wife. I definitely love spending time with them, but when I go to Kansas, I can get a little more serious.

It’s just me, my uncle and this year, my dad. For Father’s Day, I bought him a Kansas tag.

This year’s going to be special because my dad recently retired, so he has time to hunt now. Before he retired, he didn’t like to miss days, so with him working a lot and me gone a lot, we haven’t been able to do these things together for a while.

Whether we kill a giant one or not, it’s going to be a great time.

We’ll definitely be putting ourselves in position for a big opportunity. As far as the quality, Kansas has got ‘em.

Of course, it’s all relative to where you’re hunting. If you go to Okeechobee, a 5-pounder isn’t a big deal, but on the Ohio River, a 5-pounder is a giant.

Where I live we have some nice deer, but not many real giants. So, when I kill a 130-140, that’s a good one. When I go to Kansas, I won’t shoot a 130.

Whatever the next several weeks offer, I know this: I’ll enjoy this much-needed down time. There’s something very relaxing and restful about sitting in the woods watching squirrels and raccoons go by as you keep watch for something worth shooting.

After a stressful year on tour, this is my necessary time of unwinding and getting myself mentally ready for next season.

I’ll be honest with you, since the deer hunting has been kind of slow so far, I’ve gotten some things done, but as far as fishing, I haven’t thought about it. I have been thinking about contracts, new baits I’m working on and things like that.

But sometimes it’s so cool to just go sit in the tree and tune out everything else.

My daughter Jaslyn said it best. We were out hunting one afternoon and I was commenting on how slow it was. She said, “Dad it’s not about killing one, it’s about being out here in the woods.”

She’s right.