There is no scientific proof that war is ingrained in human nature, according to a study by Brian Ferguson, professor of anthropology at Rutgers University-Newark.
But I don’t need scientific proof to know that every Fall, as deer season approaches, my husband and late father would get an itch. An itching to get outdoors, feel the change of season, and shoot something.
Roughing It
You would think my father, Ed Krouse (pictured center, above), having been a prisoner of war during WWII, would have had enough of all that. Or that being in the woods with thousands of other gun-toting persons would bring about some form of PTSD, but no. He loved it.
And once my husband, Grady, a city boy, was introduced to the great outdoors (and enabled by my father with hunting equipment) he was hooked.
So, what is it that makes an otherwise sane person want to “rough it” outdoors in the rainy and cold month of November? According to a study by me, it is a lot of things: the communing with nature, the male comradery, the testing of their equipment and preparedness, the getting-away-from-it-all, and the act of domination.
Deer Facts
These are approximations from the Arkansas Game and Fish:
- There are 1 million white tail deer roaming Arkansas.
- Annually 350,000 hunters will try their luck
- Annually over 200,000 deer will be killed by hunters. (WOW, deer are prolific)
- Since 2016 there have been a little over 1,000 deer confirmed to have the Wasting Disease and all found near the Missouri border.
After learning these facts, I am happy to report Grady did his part this year by eliminating one deer from crossing the road in front of you.
It’s Just a Joke, Deer
Since there is nothing to make you laugh or cringe in this blog, I decided to add a joke I just heard. I will go ahead and apologize now for its lameness.
A smart man with an above average IQ has just passed from life and approaches the pearly gates where St. Peters reads his IQ of 118 and says, “I see you were smart on earth. Did you get your MBA?” He replies, “Yes.”
A second deceased man with an even higher IQ approaches the pearly gates where again St. Peters reads his 130-IQ and says, “I see you were very smart on earth. Did you get your PHD?” Again, the answer is Yes.
Upon the third man approaching the pearly gates, St Peters says, “I see you have a low IQ. Did you get your deer?
