Halloween -
an albino deer comes
to the bait pile

smoked duck -
shot at sunrise and
cooked for lunch

hunting season -
fast food breakfast wrappers
on the truck floor

long morning
the mojo duck battery
winding down

frost melting
in early morning sun
hunting boots
left outside overnight
still mud-caked and frozen

teal
on the water
legs up

comeuppance -
a game pouch full of
empty shells

fighting
the absence of the beast -
one . . .
.....more . . .
..........hour . . .

after long hours
of waiting for ducks -
bucket butt

field hunt
the thumps of ducks
falling

calm morning
from across the water a hint of
cigar smoke

duck opener
gathering before dawn
over coffee

deep
in the thicket
an old well

cracking
early morning ice -
flooded cow prints

in wet leaves
a woodcock probes for worms . . .
autumn pasture

cars and trucks
parked on road shoulders -
bow season

cold afternoon
yesterday's woodcock
all gone

sunset
dirty and exhausted
and foot sore
we follow our flagging tape
out of the forest

blustery day -
tall tales
from hunting camp

blustery day -
the dead woodcock's bill
still muddy

from field
to frying pan -
rare duck

With apologies to, and inspiration from, Cagey.

bluebird day
the glare of the sun
off the water

holiday haibun

Well, as it turns out I won't be making the multi-state grouse odyssey this year. Numerous factors have converged to keep me from making the extended trip: namely the price of gas but also the condition of my setter, who is slowly recovering from knee surgery. Be that as it may, I am taking the long weekend to go up and join my hunting haiku brethren on a combined northern zone duck opener and grouse hunt. We'll be at Black Lake, north of Watertown. I should be back in haiku land sometime next Tuesday or Wednesday. While Cagey, Dr. Dirt, Mr. Bill, Frank Zappai, and I are all off playing, I leave Hunting Haiku Daily in the capable hands of the Texas Haijin and Mr. Mike. Have fun.


the note
on the office door -
Gone Fishing

bags under my eyes -
packing
for a hunting trip

browse line -
deer hunters break
for lunch

first snow -
grouse tracks darken
in a low spot

grouse opener -
looking for my bird knife
with the gut hook