Arranged to get most of a full day in the woods today. It was a brisk -20 up where I was. My water bottle was frozen in my quiver pocket after only 90 minutes in the woods. The 12" of snow had that thin crust on top that made every step such a joy (my fellow northern hunters no of what I speak). Tried to take some pics of ways to stay warm and the snow for a couple of other threads on here but alas it was too cold for the digital camera to work. The 40 mph gusts in every direction made playing the wind a little tough too. I loved every minute of it. You see I lost a big chunk of my hunting days this year.
Back in October I had a little virus and a flutter in my chest so my wife made me go to the doctor. Everything looked fine but my EKG was a little different than my base line so I was told I needed a stress test to be safe. So a month later on the Monday before Thanksgiving I was in the Cardiologist office having it done. My blood pressure, blood oxygen and pulse where all fine during the test as was my EKG, but they also take pictures of your heart at these thing right after than a few hours later(the Cardiologist actually asked me why I was even there after the first part of the exam). Well on Tuesday I get called into the office by the top dog who had looked at my pictures. He was very concerned. He said it looked like my heart was 30%+ damaged and asked if I had a major heart attack. Not to my knowledge and I'm pretty sure I would remember something like that and I'd been feeling fine. He wanted me to go north for an immediate heart cath, I said Doc it's hunting season how about we do this next week? He and the wife ganged up on me. So the day before Thanksgiving I was in a hospital two hours north having a heart cath. They found that the artery across my heart was 100% blocked and put two stents in. I made it home on Thanksgiving just in time for dinner.
I passed a lot of does during the early season waiting for a chance at the giant I saw this year. The doctor was glad I did, he wasn't sure I would have lived through a dragging out a deer.
So enjoy every chance you get to hunt, even if you are placed under restrictions(I'm not supposed to do any long hike ins for a little while and to get help with any drag outs). You never know which hunt will be the last so enjoy each and everyone.
Topic: Hunt every chance you get...... (Read 857 times)
