A Six Year Wait

     On the evening of November 26th, 2016, it was chilly and windy.  I was in my stand at 4pm, and planned to be there until around dark.  Once I got settled in, I prayed "Lord, please let me get a deer tonight.  I would love a buck. Please Lord, let me get one.  I've never gotten a big buck.  I've had so many close calls, so many hunts, so many times seeing big bucks on camera and never in person.  Please Lord.  Amen."
     After sitting in the stand for close to an hour, I heard something almost directly behind me to my left side.  My stand is positioned on the edge of a field, the field being on my right side, I have a funnel directly in front, and the woods on my left. At first, I thought it was a squirrel, but it sounded too heavy. When I looked back, I spotted a small doe. I looked to my right, and saw a head sticking out out the brush at the edge of the field.  It stepped out, and it was a small buck.  The doe I spotted came out the same spot soon after. Then I heard more rustling.  Another doe came out.  All of these deer were too small to shoot.  "Well," I thought, "at least they'll be fun to watch."  Then I looked back where they had come out.  I saw a much larger body through the brush.  Then some antlers.  Big antlers.  This was a nice buck, one I had never seen before, not even on camera.  No matter, I was going to take him. I slowly swung my gun around and "bing!" My gun barrel had hit the metal of the stand.  My heart sank.  I knew I had just blown my first chance at a big buck.  There was now no way they would not be able to look in the direction of the sound, spot me, and run, and me having to watch this majestic animal bound away.  The deer all looked around, but thankfully, none of them seemed too alarmed.  I breathed a sigh of relief as the smaller ones went back to eating.  But the buck still stayed put, he wasn't coming out until he was sure it was safe.  After taking another look, he thought everything was ok and stepped out.  I aimed, the shot rang out.
     I've been hunting since I was 12.  I started with squirrel hunting, and even did a little deer hunting. Since then I've taken multiple deer and a couple small bucks, but no buck of decent size.  I've seen nice bucks on camera, sometimes seeing fair ones in the field, but no big ones.  This has been the case for 6 years.  Seeing plenty of does, maybe a couple of bucks, if any during some years, and never getting a shot at a nice one.  For 6 years.
   Finally, the 6 year wait and longing for a great buck ended in an instant.  He dropped.  God had answered my prayer.  With a nice tall tined 8 point.  And you know what?  To celebrate, it's headed to the wall.

November Double Stike

Since my last post, things have been roughly the same, cold and some wind thrown in.  I have seen deer, just none close enough.  Two does came close, but then walked away.  It's gun season, so they we're in range, but it was a risky shot.  Then Tuesday, Nov 22, came.  I went out to the stand at a normal time of 4 o' clock.  I prayed that God would grant me a deer tonight after so many close calls.  Around 5, there was a doe behind me in a field.  It wasn't a great posture to shoot from, with the tree stand harness restricting some movement, not to mention my stand is on the edge, so branches still block some shooting lanes.  But she came closer.  I waited.  She looked back, and another doe entered the field.  Their feeding led them in my direction, I told myself I would take whichever one gave me the first shot.  One stepped to where she gave a good view "Bang!"  She dropped.  I quickly cocked my Winchester for another shot if needed, while the second doe ran to the other side of the field. She stopped and took a look at what had just happened "Bang!"  She dropped as well.  2 shots, 2 deer, no trailing needed.  After the shot, I was shaking all over, not from cold, but from excitement!  God had answered, not with one, but two great does (one may have been the biggest I've ever shot).

What makes it worth the trouble, sometimes not seeing deer, other times not getting a shot, or when cutting up the deer, doing all the work to get the meat processed?  Good question.  I'm not sure of the answer. Other than the experience of the whole endeavor.  The expectation of a deer showing up out of thin air.  The adrenaline rush before and after the shot.  Holding steady aim when you're shaking all over.  The blast of the shot.  The reward of success.

What's next for me?  Well, I hope to get another one before the season's over!  And a certain buck I'm getting pictures of is on the list of "next ups" as well.