Outdoors

OUTDOORS by Brandon Butler, bbutler@driftwoodoutdoors.com

Memories of past trips

Before I had my driver’s While waiting on him to license, I took my arrive at the Billings airport, parent’s car for a joy I reflected on some of the ride. They were supgreat times my uncle and I had posed to be gone overnight. shared over the years; canoeBut when the bag phone rang ing the Buffalo River in Arkanand I saw my home number as sas, fishing Reelfoot Lake in the caller, I knew I was in deep Tennessee, learning how to ski trouble. It was early June. I behind his boat, not to menstayed grounded for the rest of tion all the breakfast feasts the summer. Work and football. he’d prepare after our morning That was it. Right now, I feel like deer hunts. I was determined I am living that summer over to make this hunt special for again. This is like adult onset him. grounding. The first couple of eve

Restlessness is really startnings, we basically hunted the ing to get me. My job heavily same stands. In the mornings involves traveling to conferwe’d explore other areas. ences, tradeshows and conThe Milk River is loaded with ventions to represent my company. Everything has Pic: Tom Butler and Brandon to the Milk River in Montana. Butler on a bow hunting trip whitetails, and while the excitement of just encountering been canceled. I am displaced so many deer is enough to in my professional duties. South Africa, Iceland, California, keep any hunter interested, sooner or later you start to get West Virginia, Northern Michigan, Nashville; all destinatrigger happy. We knew our time would come, as each aftions I was headed to. All canceled. Every time I get off a ternoon we were getting closer and closer to perfecting our video conference, I swear I can’t do one more. Then I restrategy. member I have another one in an hour. With so many deer on the Milk River, one would think

Relief is on the way. Deer season opens in less than a their timidity would have waned, but that couldn’t be furmonth. Dove season is in only a couple of weeks. The temther from the truth. These deer are by far the most skittish peratures will become cooler and fish will get busy putting I have ever been around. One slight whiff of scent, one on weight for the winter. Fall has always been my favorite caught movement, one sound out of place, and your hunt is season, but this year, it can’t get here soon enough. seriously fouled.

Thankfully, I have a lot of great memories to draw on. My moment came on the last night. A buck stepped out One of the best trips I ever took was to the Milk River to of a cattail bog and began to close the distance. Within bowhunt for whitetails with my Uncle Tom. I was living in seconds, my arrow was off its rest. The quick flight ended Montana at the time and the Milk River Region was part of with a loud thump. The buck spun and trotted 50 yards. He my sales territory, giving me ample opportunity to explore stopped briefly before disappearing into the thick cattail the river bottoms. Outdoor television had recently brought bog. The buck’s wobbly legs gave me confidence. whitetail fame to this desolate land. I was able to scout It was a beautiful 10- pointer. Not quite as big as I had regularly, to develop our plans for a camping and bowhuntoriginally thought, but I still mounted him. He hangs in my ing trip. office. We took photos, then loaded the deer onto the top

Uncle Tom had never hunted in the West before. I was of my camper and headed back to town. Tom may not have excited to bring him out, somewhat as a repayment for all shot one, but together, my uncle and I got a deer. More imthe years he took me hunting. The original plan included portant than that, we created memories that are making me comfortable accommodations in my fancy camper. Air consmile 15 years later. ditioned, fully contained, a couch and two large beds made See you down the trail… this baby plush. I enjoyed relaxing inside its upscale walls. A strong windstorm and a large cottonwood tree changed For more Driftwood Outdoors, check out the podcast those plans. Tom refused to tent camp and I didn’t want to on www.driftwoodoutdoors.com or anywhere podcasts are stay in a hotel, so I bought an old a 1979 pop-up for $950. streamed.