Final Revision of Life without Parole
This has been a strange year. While everyone was preparing for the bow opener, I was trying to keep my mind off of it. I didn’t have a lease or a clue where I would hunt or even if I would hunt this season. This is Cameron’s first year in college so we pulled in our belts and I cut the budget with our deer lease. It’s been pretty tough but in the long haul well worth it.
On September 27th I was told that our unit would be allowing bow hunts but in order to hunt I had to attend a meeting that was scheduled when I had to work. So after “sweet talking†my Captain he allowed me to burn off and attend. There are 3 stands and the hunts are by drawing only. After the meeting I signed up to hunt and said “I don’t care which stand I huntâ€. The other guys put in for the back of the property and I was happy to hunt the front, heck I was happy just to sit in the woods. We are not allowed to hunt in the morning only afternoon which was disappointing but when you have your hat in your hand you take it. I knew there was tons of deer out there because I had been working in the area for 3 years.
The first night at 6:31 pm the feeder went off and the deer were real skittish. I saw about 8 or 9 deer. One spike and one 6 point and 6 does. I found out later that the feeder had only been up for 4 days. I had a doe walk in about 12 yards away. I was excited feeling that I had an opportunity right now and right here to put one in the freezer. It was a “slam dunk†shot for me and I drew back and needed her to take one step and I would drive a shaft through the doe…….but, my arrow pops off the string. I catch the arrow in my knees and I’m standing there at full draw with 8 deer looking at me and we are playing the stare down game. Finally my knees give out and the arrow drops to the platform and they bolt about 40 yards and hang up not to return. They still didn’t really know what they witnessed and I was scratching my head over the series of events too. It was a complete rookie move and I beat myself up all night about it. Kind of beat myself up like I did if I bucked off a good bull and had it won.
Feeder from the side of pain
The next morning I was home and received a phone call from a guy who shot a nice buck in Olgesby, Texas. Aspen and I head out and meet the people and track their buck. They were great people and when they showed me the picture of the buck I wanted to find it as bad as they did. It was an amazing animal but we spent like 3 hours on hands and knees and came to the conclusion the deer will live to be hunted another day. It was really hot and I was worn out and had about an hour and a half to get showered and in camo and then in my stand at the unit.
The World’s most uncomfortable and extremely noisy deer stand
I make it with a couple minutes to spare after meeting Cara to hand off Aspen. I get ready to put my leafy camo on and it’s not in the truck. I left it conveniently hanging in the laundry room from the previous night of hunting. I ended up finding some camo shorts and a camo T-shirt in my camper and I’m in business, heck I even had a small piece of camo netting and made me a home made hunting mask.. The evening started out slow. I finally saw some movement around 7:20 and the deer hold up under the same oaks about 40 yards away and want nothing to do with the corn or the feeder. I had almost given up when I just sense the presence of something. I never heard it but I looked behind me and there was a buck completely oblivious to my presence. I quickly judge him to be legal due (well over the 13†minimum) to the new county restrictions in our county and a text message session the day earlier from Kevin Breaux.
I drew back and TWACK! I knew it was good hit but the buck jumped the fence onto the neighboring unit. I waited about 3 minutes and then climbed down from my 20 foot high perch. Speaking of which was probably the most uncomfortable stand I have ever sat (stood) in while hunting. I recovered my arrow and got on good blood immediately. I then tracked the buck another 150 yards and participate in my “touchdown in the end zone†dance. I’m all by myself and I drag the deer back to the fence. After close examination of the fence I realize I cannot drag this deer under the fence because it has about 10 strands and the bottom stands are about 4 inches apart. I can’t lift the deer over the fence because I am completely drained from my day of tracking and my 150 dead lift buck drag to the fence. So I call the same Captain who let me attend the meeting to be able to bow hunt and who fortunately I assisted moving a heavy slate pool table in his new house the week earlier.
The new camo fashion for 2007, stylish, fashionable, yet functional
The buck was a 9 point and had some velvet still attached to his head gear which will make an interesting European mount.
It’s great to have friends and its funny how things work themselves out. I had no clue I was hunting until Wednesday before the opener. I had stayed away from anything about bow hunting because I was kind of down in the dumps about not having a lease this year. Then, the night before, my arrow falls off the string on a slam dunk gimme from the hunting God. But life is good! I do miss hunting with my son but we did text message through out the night.
The check out at the prison made a very interesting back drop for my final photo and the ending of a great hunt!
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