From The World Of Parks & Recreation
By Doug Comer
On Thanksgiving morning at 4:30 am, I slowly crept out of bed and hobbled my way down stairs as best as my body would allow (tough getting old). After making it downstairs, I went through the process of putting my layers of hunting clothes on while my truck was warming up. I was suffering from “Buck Fever” and I was ready to challenge what the day had in store for me.
There are many hunting strategies out there. For me, I like to work my way through the property and see what pops up. At “The Farm” in Barbour County, there were many signs of male deer in the area. Plenty of tree rubs and other various giveaways helped me narrow my area down to a quarter-mile square area. So, now I sit and wait….and wait….and wait.
Needless to say, the weather was not as cooperative as I had hoped, and unfortunately I came home empty handed. But there was always Friday.
A good friend of mine, Anthony DeMary, wanted to experience his first harvest of a deer. Obviously, new to the sport, DeMary went through the hunter safety course and became certified to officially hunt. For me, this is an opportunity to pass down the knowledge I learned from my Dad and others to a beginner.
When hunting in pairs or groups, the hunt can be exciting because you can move the deer around more as compared to hunting on property alone. So, we set up at a couple spots where we could have the best advantage to getting that first deer. And the hunt was harder than expected.
We fought snow and wind for nearly nine hours, which kept the deer bedded down. We saw many. However, the shot would have been almost impossible.
On our way home, the only advice I could give my frustrated friend was this. “It’s not about the kill, it’s about the hunt itself.” I emphasized how difficult the hunt was today and yet, we were able to see deer. I have had days where I did not see one deer and I am sure many readers can agree to that. But, it was a great day and a good test.
Don’t worry “Shakes” (his nickname), there are plenty days ahead for us.
Now, here are some work related items.
Registration for the Youth Basketball League closed on November 24th and Event Coordinator Jeff Wetzel has rosters ready for the winter youth league as he explains.
“Registration is closed and rosters have been chosen. And after our coach’s meeting in the coming weeks, parents and guardians will be notified as to practice schedules with games to follow. We expect to have games a couple of times a week for each age category and wrap up sometime at the end of March.”
Games will be played at North View Elementary School and all children who registered will be contacted by their respective coach in January for a practice schedule. The league is open to all children from Kindergarten to 5th Grade.
The high and middle School hoops leagues open registration in the coming weeks. This league is open to all kids in in middle and high school that do not play for their respective schools. The high school season starts with a Holiday Tourney starting on the 29th of December and will conclude on the 31st.
“We have had anywhere from eight to ten teams from the County participate in our league,” related Director Mike Book. “And this is a fun, yet competitive league for those who play. Most of the players use this as a way to get exercise during the winter and prep for spring baseball or other sports.”
Any teams interested in participating this year should contact the Harrison County Parks and Recreation or stop by and pick up a registration form for the league. Registration opens on December 15th and all games will be played at North View Elementary as well. Barring a mild winter, we hope to get in 20 games before the season is complete in late February.
