This year, hunting taught me a lot. I’m not a very patient person, and boy did I have to dig deep. I was determined to shoot a trophy with my bow. 1000s of hours of practicing, and 100s of hours sitting in a tree stand....But it sure paid off. It’s a feeling of accomplishment I cannot explain, and it has truly taught me a lot about myself.
I only started hunting a few years ago and about the same time picked up archery thanks to the influence of a good friend of mine. I spent the first couple years on bad leases never seeing a single deer, so really didn’t count for much. This year I was fortunate thanks to my uncle and two of his friends who came across an amazing place in Mason county. I was lucky enough to be that “fourth guy”. Not sure if my uncle felt sorry for me or just wanted to stop hearing me beg for him to take me hunting. This year is when the real hunting began.
My season started off rough likely for many of us, hot weather, not much rain, over abundance of acorns. I missed three deer, two does, and one buck, but I learned something and studied every time I was in the tree. Every time only drove me harder to achieve this. The other guys on my lease mostly rifle hunt, so it got even harder watching them haul in nice deer, meanwhile I stuck to my bow because this is my passion. Many times hey would even question me, why I was choosing to hunt the hard way.
December 13th my season unfolded in a matter of minutes. That morning i was about to take a shot on a mature doe and she spooked. I was frustrated again. That evening back to the same set and out comes the same button buck with the doe. I didn’t even give her a chance. I saw her coming out from behind a tree line and I was not going to let the morning repeat itself. I drew down on where I could see she would eventually come into the opening.....except it seemed like eternity for her to walk out. She took a couple steps out and I let the arrow fly at 25 yards. Perfect shot! I saw blood as she ran, heard her crash about 40 yards to my left and let out her last breath. I was so excited. This all happened about 5pm. I waited and calmed myself for about 15 minutes. As I was about to start packing up to decend the tree a buck walks out of an opening about 50 yards away. He looked decent so I didn’t get too excited. I’d seen many bucks this year but just not old enough, big enough or just not the right one. This guy continues in so I grab my bow and get ready, still not sure if he is “the one”. Once he stops at 21 yards at the hand corn I had dropped that morning I get a good look at him and decide he is the one.....draw back, let the Halon 32 rip, arrow flung, perfect shot, lungs and heart. He turns to run and I see blood coming out his side. I hear him crash beyond the tree line and the same last breath I’d heard moments earlier from the doe. Of course I’m shaking, I can’t believe what happened and it all felt like I was in a dream. Both deer recovered before dark
I nicknamed him Dorothy because he walked right up my yellow brick road. [emoji23]
Now I’m ready for next year. Thanks Uncle Doug, my wife Nikki, Larry, Alan, and Texas Archery.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I only started hunting a few years ago and about the same time picked up archery thanks to the influence of a good friend of mine. I spent the first couple years on bad leases never seeing a single deer, so really didn’t count for much. This year I was fortunate thanks to my uncle and two of his friends who came across an amazing place in Mason county. I was lucky enough to be that “fourth guy”. Not sure if my uncle felt sorry for me or just wanted to stop hearing me beg for him to take me hunting. This year is when the real hunting began.
My season started off rough likely for many of us, hot weather, not much rain, over abundance of acorns. I missed three deer, two does, and one buck, but I learned something and studied every time I was in the tree. Every time only drove me harder to achieve this. The other guys on my lease mostly rifle hunt, so it got even harder watching them haul in nice deer, meanwhile I stuck to my bow because this is my passion. Many times hey would even question me, why I was choosing to hunt the hard way.
December 13th my season unfolded in a matter of minutes. That morning i was about to take a shot on a mature doe and she spooked. I was frustrated again. That evening back to the same set and out comes the same button buck with the doe. I didn’t even give her a chance. I saw her coming out from behind a tree line and I was not going to let the morning repeat itself. I drew down on where I could see she would eventually come into the opening.....except it seemed like eternity for her to walk out. She took a couple steps out and I let the arrow fly at 25 yards. Perfect shot! I saw blood as she ran, heard her crash about 40 yards to my left and let out her last breath. I was so excited. This all happened about 5pm. I waited and calmed myself for about 15 minutes. As I was about to start packing up to decend the tree a buck walks out of an opening about 50 yards away. He looked decent so I didn’t get too excited. I’d seen many bucks this year but just not old enough, big enough or just not the right one. This guy continues in so I grab my bow and get ready, still not sure if he is “the one”. Once he stops at 21 yards at the hand corn I had dropped that morning I get a good look at him and decide he is the one.....draw back, let the Halon 32 rip, arrow flung, perfect shot, lungs and heart. He turns to run and I see blood coming out his side. I hear him crash beyond the tree line and the same last breath I’d heard moments earlier from the doe. Of course I’m shaking, I can’t believe what happened and it all felt like I was in a dream. Both deer recovered before dark
I nicknamed him Dorothy because he walked right up my yellow brick road. [emoji23]
Now I’m ready for next year. Thanks Uncle Doug, my wife Nikki, Larry, Alan, and Texas Archery.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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