Eye problems kicking up

Deer moved in with cold temperatures and some snow.

Guess what I did tonight? I sat out in a deer stand in a blustery little snow storm.

No bow, no rifle, no muzzleloader. Just me, the cold winter weather and the deer. I've been preaching cold weather and storms for as long as I can remember as the key ingredient to successful deer hunting.

The philosophy is that a cold snap, combined with a change in weather (a snow storm was moving through) will make deer move. Well, tonight proved what I've known for years. The deer did move because I had them within 20 yards of me.

Mind you, there weren't many deer but I was happy o see a spike, doe and fawn.

OK, I know which question is coming. What was I doing sitting out in a deer stand on a cold winter evening in mid-January, two weeks after the hunting season had ended?

It's said there is no such thing as a silly or stupid question. The quick and easy answer was I was there on purpose. I wanted to prove my theory that cold weather and snow makes deer move.

There was another reason I was there. I practicing seeing in the woods through snow, hoping to spot deer. It was difficult seeing deer toward the end of the 2010 season. and it's still difficult. I see movement fairly well but my vision isn't keen in my right eye, and I have no perceptible vision in my left eye..

There are two major problems. My left eye sees only some shades of light and dark, and my left-eye vision is measured by "finger movement at six inches." That is what I see at that distance. The other problem is the left eye had seven surgeries for glaucoma, and my vision is gone and the doctor and a glaucoma specialist had a meeting with me two months ago.

The bottom line here is deciding whether further surgery on my right eye will perk up my vision or not. So far, I've had 19 eye surgeries since I was found to have glaucoma more than 30 years ago. Each surgery seens to help for awhile, and then my vision decreases.

Another eye surgery is still up in the air.

The gist of a three-way conversation between me and the doctors was this would probably be a tricky surgery with no guarantees. The eye is fragile, and anyone of a number of bad things could happen. It is something much different than that with a person who doesn't have good eyes. All of those surgeries means even more scar tissue to contend with and there are no guarantees it will help.

They will do their best when the surgery date rolls around, and I will do my best to be a good patient, but one always wonders. I've been through so many other eye surgeries, and I've always been optimistic about the outcome. of each one. I refusee to be pessimistic.

I'm optimistic now even though little niggling thoughts pop into my mind on rare occasions. Nice thoughts like "What will you do if the operation doesn't solve the problem?" Such thoughts are negative, and a detriment to a positive thinking person.

Such thoughts are counter-productive. It's easier to believe the surgery, if one does takes place, will be a success again.

Some of you may have seen a slight decrease in my output over the past two months. The reason is simple: it's not that I'm getting lazy, although at 71, I could claim that right quite easily.

The truth is my vision has worsened dramatically over the past two months. Seeing anything clearly with my right eye has been difficult. As a result I've had to cut back on my writing. It's not a case of wanting to but more a matter of having to.

I should know for certain within three week, perhaps less. Bear with me.

Soon they will tell me when, or  if, the surgery will take place. That leads to a periodic spate of unanswerable questions. I refuse to wallow on the pity-pot, and feel sorry for myself. More than anything, I want the surgery over and done with, as soon as possible, and let me get on with my life.

That's where tonight's setting out to watch deer came into play. We visited a friend who owns some land, and he has quite a few deer on his property. The air was cold, the wind from the northwest, and snow was being driven ahead of it.

At 4:45 p.m., eight does and fawns stepped out of the thick brush and moved past me. Two minutes later a small buck, moved past. It was a spike, a young deer with his first tiny antlers.


And as suddenly as the deer movement began, and started to blow the cobwebs from my brain, the deer movement ended. A buddy sat a half-mile away, and experienced similar deer movements and sightings.

The sit gave me a memory I'll never forget, and what will likely occur when they administer the anesthetic before surgery, I'll be dreaming about a windswept night when a small buck and tw0 does treated me to a thrill that will never disappear from my memory.

I shall keep you posted as everything plays out, and it's likely I may be off the computer for a few days as my eye heals. Just remember this one thing: I write these daily blogs for two parties -- you and me.

I need to write it as much as you need to read it.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors