[diane45]

Thank you all for all of your postings! I have been hunting for 50 years. When I was 4,5,6,7,y/o, I went went my grandmother who actually would park me on a log in the woods, with a sandwich, and tell me to sit there and listen for them to 'POP." She told me that they "squeak" when they come up, and if I was very quiet, I might hear one. Hmmm... I believed her!

Of course, I know now that she was a rabid hunter, and she wanted to keep me in a safe place while she was foraging the woods. A 4 year old can definitely disturb your concentration.

I hear you men speak about the "primal" aspect of hunting these things. I totally understand that and feel that too, even though I am a woman. A serious insanity comes upon me every Spring. Do I really think that I am hunting for food and nutrition for my family? Maybe. Am I out there, because am remembering my grandmother? Maybe.

The fact is that I don't know why I do this. My husband and kids are curious, as I behave curiously, this time of year.

There's just something about the hunt...


Thank you all and good luck!

 

[shroom god]

Diane, during my first outing at age 4, my parents whispered, "Shhhhhhhh....quiet...if you make too much noise you'll scare them back in the ground." Also, this is my 50th season too. It's been a memorable one, too. It's great to hear of your experience and passion for the hunt. I suspect we're all a special breed, the product of strong formative experiences. Hope you had a great season.

 

[diane45]

Shroom god, sounds like your parents played the same tricks on you as my grandmother did on me. (my mother would have nothing to do with natural environments if she could avoid them. Too many snakes and bugs and unknown quantities.)

I did run into a giant bullsnake today who gave me a startle. I heard something in the rustling in the leaves behind me, and I thought it was a person. Because I hunt alone, for lack of knowing any one close who will hunt with me, and because I am relegated to public ground now, I am always on guard for people around me. There are some sketchy characters in the woods sometimes, and some of them are human.

This snake made an extraordinary amount of noise slithering over the crispy leaves, around I tree that I thought looked good for a mushroom. I looked around quickly to make sure I wasn't going to need to do immediate battle with a murderer, over a mushroom -- saw his head and his tongue first, and then he saw me.He stopped dead and eyed me carefully. He was pretty, actually.. But believe me, I backed off and left the tree and gave him his right-of- way.


I know you and others know more about this than I do. But I will give you a report, keeping in mind that I am on heavily hunted public ground in Boone, Polk and Story County. I don't think it's over yet here, at our latitude or North of us, although I only found 2 today. They were small, but fresh yellows. The ground was moist and the temps are still good. I am thinking that people who have private land in central or northern should have a good weekend of hunting!


tr