The Fit Heard 'Round the Canyon, and Other Lessons in Hunting

If you follow me on Insta you know I went hunting this weekend for my first rifle deer tag. My husband took me down to southern AZ to see if I couldn't kill a buck.

Breaking news: I didn't kill a buck.

In fact, I never even saw one (insert sad emoji here). 

We saw 30+ does.

Nate killed a coyote at 400+ yards (cause he's kind of a bad @$$).

But me?

Nothin.

Nate found a buck Sunday morning and got me set up on it, but I couldn't find it in my scope before he moved over the top of the next canyon.

And that's about as close as I came to any action.

It's OK though, cause we still had a good time and got to spend the weekend together.

We also learned some more important lessons when it comes to hunting with 

your spouse.

If you remember, back in August when I tried to fill my archery tag, I reported the 

tell-tale signs of how you know you're on a hunt with your wife. 

Folks, the lessons kept on comin' last weekend.

For example, I learned that you shouldn't set your brand new rifle down on the ground cause the barrel will get all scratched and you'll get reprimanded by your husband.

You set your pack down first, then set your rifle on top of that.

Everyone knows that (including me........now).

Nate learned that his wife needs to take pictures of the pretty trees before she can help unload the truck upon arrival.

In my defense, it's the only glimpse of "fall" I've seen in AZ since "fall" began.

Nate also learned that he may need to tell his wife twice when there's a potential shot opportunity.

 "Deer!! Hurry up, get your rifle!!"

"Who ME??"

"You're the only one with a rifle aren't you??"

Right.

I learned that since I'm the only one with a rifle, and a tag too for that matter, that when my husband says "get your rifle," he's talking to me. 

Noted.

Nate however, learned the most important lesson of the weekend:

I hate hiking.

Guys, I'm not talking about just plan ol' hiking. 

I hike. I typically enjoy it.

Nate's version of hiking, if you can even call it that, is other-wordly.

It's scaling the side of a steep mountain, with no established trail, trekking through dead grass and Yucca plants as tall as I am, all while trying to avoid the cacti beneath your feet and trying not to twist your ankle on the lose rocks that you can't even see because of the thick brush.

And then there's really no other way to get back down the mountain except to sit down on your butt and slide down. 

All the way down.

When I tell the story out loud he always interrupts me and tells me I'm being dramatic.

But since this is my blog and he can't chime in, I would just like to say, for the record...I'm not even being dramatic.

I'm so serious that I actually stopped and I threw a fit right there on the side of the mountain.

He thought I was joking at first and started laughing.

Then he looked around and gave me the "shush" signal cause I was gonna scare away all the deer.

Guess what? I didn't even care. I was seeing red.

Questions came out of my mouth like,

"Where the hell are you taking me??"

"How the hell am I supposed to get down from here??"

And I made threats like,

"Don't ever do this to me again!"

"Don't ever take me this way again!"

And guess what? I have no shame.

The fit heard 'round the canyon is totally and completely justified, because that kind of "hiking" is ridiculous.

And my husband is crazy for thinking I'd be down for that.

I've done it twice before, on two javelina hunts, but I just wasn't havin' it this 

time around.

...And then we hiked back to the truck in silence.

And the next day we sat at a water hole for 3 hours.

Sooooo, I mean, I don't endorse throwing fits to get what you want; in fact, fits aren't even really my style (unless of course, it's a first world fit), but it was my hunt, and Nate told me I call the shots...so I'd say the fit heard 'round the canyon was pretty effective.

Score one for me.