My senses were very acute and my patience and concentration were at it's max as I followed the heard of four does and three fawns through the woods. The two bucks that I saw were in the distance at an ever close proximity to their harem. I quietly watched and waited and for the most part invisible to them. I got to within 25yards of the biggest doe or so it seemed and then she spotted something in the brush that alarmed her. She stamped her front hoof to warn the others and they all came to a abrupt standstill. We had a stair off for what seemed like an hour. I keeled motionless in the thicket of thorns and brier as she checked me out very carefully. Slowly she then moved to my left to give me a perfect broad side shot to her vitals at 25yds.
Yesterday at around 1400hrs I harvested my first deer. It will be an experience that I will never forget for it's powerful and profound sense of accomplishment and one with nature. I felt at the time of the shot a twinge of guilt and a feeling of excitement knowing that I would feed my family for the days to come. I know now a bit how it must have felt for our early peoples as hunters and gatherers as they provided for their families. Being a catholic and a friend of Jesus I said a prayer of thankfulness for my gift and promised to respect the animal that for which I had just harvested.
No comments:
Post a Comment