This is the last week of the rifle season and still no deer in the freezer. The snow began to fall this week, making it a little easier to find tracks, and the dropping temperatures should send the bucks into a deeper rut I am told. The bucks begin to make poor decisions when chasing does—sounds familiar?
I have high hopes that next week I will be able to write about my first Minnesota deer, but you never know.
Hunting deer on the Gunflint Trail is every bit as challenging as being a fishing guide on Saganaga Lake. The lack of competition is the biggest advantage to both scenarios, but you also have to be prepared for failure. Some days you win and some days you lose. I love a good challenge but if I cannot bag a deer on the Gunflint Trail this year I will be joining the masses on the North Shore next year.
The holiday season is approaching. Last year I vowed to no longer be traveling. I was wrong. Next year we will stay home for sure… maybe. How is that for putting my foot down?
We are having Bo baptized over Thanksgiving and it is easier for my family from Iowa to attend if we drive to Minneapolis, so this year we will travel. I was once told that the key to a happy marriage is learning two simple words, “Yes Dear.”
Christmas and Thanksgiving are all about tradition and driving 10 hours one-way to Des Moines, Iowa is not a very exciting tradition for us anymore. The distance between our families makes the holiday season especially trying. The long hours spent in the car inevitably ruin the spirit that is supposed to make it special in the first place. If you try to please everyone you typically end up disappointing everyone.
The Gunflint Trail is our home and that is where we should be. I remember waking up and opening presents at my childhood house and I think our kids deserve the same. Trying to please everyone in the family is no longer realistic and they are certainly welcome to come up here if they don’t like it. I can talk tough because I am pretty sure they do not read my column.
Transitioning from a child to a parent can be difficult. Before we had children our “voices” held little authority, but not anymore. They used to tell us where we would be for the holidays, and now they ask us. See—not everything about growing older is bad.
Cory Christianson has worked as a fishing guide on the Gunflint Trail since 2000. If you have any fishing or wildlife reports or stories to share, send an email to: christiansoncory@hotmail.com or call 218- 388-0315. You can also visit Cory’s website at Gunflintfishingguide.com.
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