The Never Ending Hunt
by Scott Birchfield
A flicker of movement caught my attention. Was a leaf playing playing tricks with my eyes again, or could it really be a deer? I stopped walking with eager anticipation of what the movement was. If only i hadn't left my binoculars back at the house I would be able to see what was there. After a few agonizing miniutes of seeing nothing I slowly started sneaking in that direction. I saw more movement. What was it? Had my brain blown up from all of the pressures and excitement of still hunting deer. Finally a deer materilized seemingly from right out of the ground. One deer slowly feeding away from me and unaware of my presence, this was going to be easy. With all of the stealth my clumbsy body could muster I cautiously eased forward. I was shaking like i had hypothermia and tried to calm myself to no avail. Would this be the day for my first deer with a longbow?
I carefully closed the distance and discovered that there was five deer instead of one.Dissappointed that there was more than one deer, and thinking that my chances of a shot was hopeless with all those eyes able to wacth for danger. What happened next was breathtakingly awesome.
A young deer was trying to nurse a old doe and she was apparently trying to wean it. She wouldn't stop long enough for it to nurse, and the young deer was becoming extremely aggravated and began making some very pitiful sound bawls while chasing her around the woods. They passed by a couple times at ten yards,but I no longer had a desire to shoot one of those deer. They had given me what is now one of my most treasured memories that has happened while hunting. They put on a show for about 15 minutes. The young deer finally cornered the doe up against a multiflora rose bush and was able to nurse. A few minutes later they walked out of sight. My senses were working overtime and I suddenly was very aware of my surroundings. The smell of the cool October morning was great and the leaves with all their colors wer beautiful. I sat down totally engulfed in the woods around me.
A few minutes later i stood up and noticed a deer walking toward me. Thinking it was either the old or young doe I was going to watch and see how close it would come. The deer turned out to be a buck with a very nice rack. I was caught completly off guard and barely managed to get into position fro a shot. In my excitement I didn't pick a spot, and shot way over his back. To my amazement he din't have a clue I had shot at him and he kept feeding on acorns almost offering me another chance before he walked away.
When I went to retrieve my arrow a fox squirrel started barking at me. As i got closer i expected the squirrel to run, but he just sat there barking [laughing]. I slid an arrow out of the quiver and was going to show him what a mistake he had made for laughing at me. I unleashed three arrows at him and never really getting close to him. I ran out of squirrel arrows and walked home leaving him barking at me. This hunt never ends for me as I think about it everytime I see a squirrel.
Topic: The Never Ending Hunt - by Scott Birchfield (Read 1977 times)
