Years ago, a bunch of us were commiserating about the unfairness of Christmas for deer hunters. You get something neat for Christmas, and then you usually have to wait a almost a whole year to be able to use it. I suggested the Feast of Saint Hubert as an alternative. If folks would give their hunting related gifts on November 3, then there would be time to enjoy them. I forget who all was in on this. However, I started talking it up. KYHillChick ended up conspiring with some of the campers to buy me a Rem 7600 in 35 Whelen for the occasion. The idea stuck around our house. I was just wondering if anyone else has kept to this tradition.
This year, I'm buying everyone socks. I got a deal on wool socks, and I noticed back in Muzzleloader Season, most of the Shamanic Dream Team was not well kitted down there. Last year, I bought everyone USB-rechargeable handwarmers. If you take one and stick it in the center pocket of your bibs, it throws out enough heat that it saves a layer of clothing.
The story of Saint Hubert is that he went hunting on Good Friday and got the DTs out in the woods and had a vision of seeing the Jagermester Logo in between the antlers of a great Stag. It scared him so much he swore off Jaeger Bombs and was rewarded by making him a bishop.
For years, KYHillChick, Angus, and I would don our gay apparel and go parading up and down the driveway. I would wear my lederhosen and Tyrol, shoulder the Whelenizer, and carry my boar speer bedecked in laurel. KYHillChick would dress in her dirndl and throw rose petals in front me. Angus would head the procession with his Dudelsak wailing. Our neighbors were mostly Jewish, so they took it all wrong. We recently moved out of that house for good. The new one just doesn't have the same ambiance, and Angus says they won't let him take off work for an unrecognized religious observance.
