there is more to the story than I told by the way and it has to do with my wife. She went back with me to get the deer and she got her first experience with anything in the mountains.
So, when we easing back in I was showing her the bloodtrail leading up the ridge and over. Well, when we was getting ready to just get to the top of the ridge I hear a dog barking. First thought through my mind was that it probably pushed my deer into the next state. But, it was coming right at us and I heard the deer coming right for us. I quickly nocked an arrow and told her to get down and you could see the excitement come over her face. Sure, enough that old dog pushed one within 25 yards of us, a little doe, and she got to see her first deer in the wild. After it passed she said "Jeff, I think there is one over behind us too!" We didn't see anything behind us and we watched the old dog go on by wailing at that little doe. If he would have been in range I had something other than a broadhead for him. Anyway, after all that, she was tore up. She said that all of us a sudden her heart started pounding and nearly beat out of her chest when the deer come on us. this was pretty interesting to me since this is someone who has no interest in the woods or hunting and just seeing a deer that close did that to her.
She didn't know it but she was in for a roller coaster of emotions on her first trip into the woods to get an animal. Like I said, when I found him he was barely breathing and I wanted to end it sooner for him. When I eased into position for the kill shot I told her to look away, she did but as soon as the arrow hit the deer she looked around to see the blood and the deer hit two trees and go down. Thats when the crying started. She said "oh my gosh, I just don't think I can handle this." I wnet over to her and explained that basically what she witness was just fight or flight and the deer was basically dead since he didn't even get up when I approached him. I told her that I did the most humane thing I could do at that point and that it completed the kill. She said that she had never seen an animal killed or lose its life and it was a shock to her. We sat down and I told her just to take in everything around her a bit and see all the beauty in it. Of all things, she says "you know, God made it like this, a bow and arrow was what he gave us to take food with. Its just like it says in the Lion King movie, it all part of the circle of life." I said yeah, it sure is, just like us and all the trees here and all the animals that live here. She then asked me how I felt, since I wasn't up celebrating like she has seen on TV shows. I told her that I just didn't feel that way and most of that is just for television. I had just taken an animals life and that I was quietly happy and thankful that I was able to take him and was looking forward to eating some tenderloins.
When we got down to the deer and I was getting ready to dress him out she said I don't think I can watch you do this but I am going to make myself. She sat there and was amazed rather than getting sick like she thought she would. She asked a hundred questions and I answered what I could while trying to do a good job dressing the deer out. After I was done she said she never realized what our not so distant ancestors had to do just to get food to feed themselves and their families.
In the end I think it gave a non hunter a greater appreciation for what hunting is and is not. I am proud of her for the way she handled a bunch of different emotions. She was definitely a trooper for me Saturday. Maybe I can get a bow in her hands soon!
Just wanted to share what really was just as important as the kill story to me.
Topic: 1st with my Howatt Hunter (Read 516 times)
