This was my second year hunting in Ralls County. After spending opening night in the cab of my truck the year prior, the crew got smart and rented a cabin to make things a little more comfortable this year.....but back to the point.
Last year was absolutely amazing for me. After harvesting a buck with my bow, and 4 antlerless during gun season, to date in '05 I had yet to have the opportunity to draw my bow back on a deer. Needless to say, I was starting to have my doubts that I would have any success this year at all!
I'm mulling this all in my head as we make our way from the cabin to the woods. To top it off, the trusty Remington 30-06 that I had so much success with last year, had a new Marlin 30-30 that wanted a chance at taking his deer slaying title. Again, another factor to this equation for me to over-think.
So if you have ever hunted public land, you are very much aware of the rest of the emotions running through my mind as I make my way through the field with the rest of the group to our proclaimed "spots". "How many other hunters am I going to see this morning? Is someone going to be sitting in my spot....you know the deal. Mark, splits off from the group.....Greg splits off heading towards the finger of woods he has chosen, Jason makes his way down the ridge to hunt the edge of the field.....I'm all alone.
So where do I go, If I head to where I harvested the last two deer I got last year, that is going to be a heck of a hike....but I know the deer are running there...decisions decisions.
I never have been much of a person to make a decision and stick with it, so I turn to head back to the wood line to hunt the ridge on the other side of the rest of my group.
Time was running out, the sun had already began it's journey over the horizon to the point that I no longer needed to use my flashlight. A morning of indecision, and I hadn't even decided where to hunt yet.
This is when I normally do my best work, procrastinate and analyze to the point that I no longer have time, and then go with my gut feeling.
I start making my way across the field to the wood line, about 30 yards out I catch a glimpse of three deer bounding out of the wood line heading into the field I am walking out of....my heart starts pounding...."you have got to be kidding me", "why couldn't these deer wait until I got down in the wood line and then come out?"
I make three short grunts they break left and come to a dead stop. First ones a doe, second one is a buck, third one a doe......Then the buck turns his head to inspect me. The rack that he swung towards me was like none other that I had ever had the opportunity to admire. I'm standing there in awe, this is to good to be true, rifle raised cross hairs pinpointed in the kill zone......the hunt was over before it begun.
Back to reality....I am absolutely ecstatic that I harvested my first big buck, an 8 pointer who by the looks of it was heavy in the rut, a proud fighter with a broken G2 and at least 4 years underneath his belt....He dropped in the same spot he stood as a king just seconds before. Yet at the same time I felt that I missed out on one of the most exciting parts of the hunt.
Hearing the first Squirrel in the morning, scrambling through the leaves searching for his breakfast....having two hoot owls call to each other in stereo on each side of you...6:30 A.M. and I am getting my knife out to begin field dressing.....The perfect hunt, or not.....?
The rest, of the rest of the story.... I sent this journal to my brother Mike, and was sent a response that I felt by all means was the perfect ending to this story. Enjoy......
Were you hunting for perfection
or were you hunting deer? Did you have a
clear definition of "perfection" before you set out? If we wait
until
we get something before defining perfection, we'll almost always find
something that keeps it from being perfect as a whole. If we are wise,
we recognize and enjoy perfection as fragments of larger objects.
Perfection is hearing the first
Squirrel in the morning.
Perfection is hoot owls calling to each other in stereo.
Perfection is the new Marlin 30-30.
Perfection is three deer bounding toward you 'cross open field.
Perfection is your pounding heart.
Perfection is the grunts that stopped the dear.
Perfection is the rack like none other you've ever admired.
Perfection is standing in awe.
Perfection is cross hairs pinpointed in the kill zone.
Perfection is overcoming the adrenaline rush and making the shot.
Perfection is field dressing a deer at 6:30 A.M.
Perfection is any of these things and more, but not all these every
time.
Perfection is your story about another, not "The" perfect hunt.
Congratulations! I look forward to hearing more of them.
Love Mike
