"Ten Dollar Buck" by Randy Grider "Ten Dollar Buck" by Randy Grider
The little 7 pointer carelessly strolled up the path, heading
unconcerned to the alfalfa field for an evening dine. three other young
bucks of the approximate same caliber were in the area, close, so close
that my attempts to maneuver for a shot unseen, was difficult to say the
least. A 6 pointer, as I said, looking like a litter mate to my target
was studying intensely the 185 pound odd looking squirrel just 15 foot
up the side of the tree. Not breathing, moving, and peering through
squinted eyes for 10 minutes was taking its toll on a guy who's
preferred stance is laying twisted on the sofa with head and knees
propped up, couch potato style. Eventually the adolescent loses
interest, as all adolescents do, and meandered around a few bushes to
nibble some leaves, then survey the lush green field with a drool.
meanwhile buck number one takes a course straight down the path the 185
pound squirrel with the crick in his neck is overlooking. pausing at 10
yards broadside, the tender.., I mean, young buck looks in the opposite
direction, checking a sound, maybe another deer. the perfect time has
come. An unhurried draw, while picking the spot, anchor, and the string
slips from my fingers. The familiar deep thump, and a visual of the
arrow protruding from behind the deer’s leg, tell me,” he’s done".
He tears off, blowing loudly, as the woods erupt with deer in all
directions. He runs 30 yards, the hits the gravel lane that leads to the
barn in the hay field. Turning down the lane for 10 yards, then back
again into the bushes, then pauses, out of site only because of the
bushes, he's no more than 50 yards from my stand.
I'm pretty sure he's done, but you know how it is "hit a little high?
not perfect? didn't get a pass through, I like pass throughs, easy to
track, should’ve got a pass through? am I not drawing my bow enough ?" all
these thoughts run through my mind after the deed, concern for the
quarry. I get a little remorse from taking a life, but nothing like
wounding one and never knowing the fate.
Little time to second guess myself, for within maybe a minute since the
impact of the arrow, the sounds of three gurgling coughs, and the drop
and thrash confirm, "it was a good arrow, both lungs, a quick, and
relatively painless demise for a beautiful creature that deserves no less.
Down and out, there is no hurry to climb down. The woods are quiet, but
alert, the other deer all eyes and ears, wondering.., what’s the commotion?
Taking special pains to quiet the bow with string silencers, moleskin
on the limb tips, and relatively heavy arrows had paid off. the whisper
quiet of the little recurve had spooked little. The deer begin to move again
" If I can go undetected I may be able to take out a fat doe, two at
one sitting, something I’ve never done"
Now don't think bad of me, I’m not out to kill every deer I see, but
the herd is getting thick, the evidence when cutting the hay 2 weeks
ago. It looked like cattle had been grazing it. Time to thin the herd, a
necessary for the healthy plump deer I’m lucky enough to have.
Alas, I guess it was junior buck night, for no does let their presence
be known, only basket rack bucks, and I’d just used my buck tag for the
year.
Now the work starts.
While gutting, skinning, and processing the deer that evening, I have
time to reflect on my good fortune, how this came to be. This $10 buck.
Now I’m a tightwad, to the point of annoying some people.
You see some 7 months prior I had attended, for the first time ever, a
fundraising banquet of the United Bowhunters of Kentucky, a group of
dedicated bowhunters in that fine state, that basically support each
other, and lobby our wildlife agency for various hunting related
concerns. It was an excellent meal, with several interesting and
entertaining speakers. Several items were auctioned, some raffled. Not
being a big gambler, I refrained. (tightwad, remember) Finally, maybe
due to a guilty conscience, I purchased a ticket for $10, and won a
brand new "Predator" recurve built by the noted bowyer Ron Pittsley.Luck
generally does not shine on me, I usually picture myself as the guy in
lil' abner that walks around with a rain cloud overhead, blocking any
"shine". "Hey, this could be a lucky bow!" well six months later, an elk
hunt in Colorado that turned up meatless sort of, kind of.., well," here
comes that damn rain cloud again!"
Luckily, a month later, the cloud parted long enough for the harvest of
a prime little buck. Maybe not a wall hanger, but definitely a memory of
Pope and Young proportion.
The best part of this whole episode, for a tightwad like me, it just
cost $10 ! Well we all know better than that. Sure, I had other equipment
that was necessary to make it happen, but a lot of it was simply effort,
and hard work.
Pity is all I can feel for those who have never tried the "hard way". So
many now are so success oriented, that its more of a contest for who has
the most money to spend to "get it done". Translation, kill an animal.
Gadgets, gizmos, every trick anyone can think of or try. spare no
expense. Currently my state is in debate over a weapons choice, which i
won't get into, but is very divisive between the technology hunters, and
traditional hunters in our state. its sad.
Did I enjoy harvesting that buck? You bet I did! Would I have drooped
back to the house downtrodden, if I had not? Of course not. Seeing a
total of 5 bucks that evening was reward enough. Having sat in the woods
before and seen nothing, can be very rewarding with the right frame of
mind. No pressure to "outdo "anyone, or "fill a tag".
Reckon I must be pretty secretive, there’s few people that even know
about my methods of hunting, because a lot just don't understand. To
visit a sporting goods store during hunting season is sometimes
difficult for me. To me the "got you're deer yet?" mentality is
disturbing. Years ago a neighbor lady one day in public approached me
with that very question. When hearing my reply that I had not, she was
flabbergasted "you ain't killed a deer with all those deer you have
there?" A weak smile was the best I could do. How could I explain, and
how would she understand, that that year I had committed myself to
hunting with an Osage selfbow that I had made, (a very crude one I might
add)homebuilt cedar arrows, and leather back quiver laboriously crafted
by my own hands. I'm sure blank stares would have been the response. To
end that story, it was the first year in 7 that no deer succumbed to my
efforts. Guess if it was a survival thing, that would have been a huge
failure. But for my purposes it was grand success. I'd passed the test,
slugging along, at great disadvantage to achieve what I thought was a
worthy goal, not throwing in the towel or taking the easy way out. No
guns, compounds, or even glass backed bows. Just the crude tools I had
crafted. Possibly I don't have the patience of a saint, as the next year
i went back to my glass backed bows in the need to taste blood again, but
i had stuck to it the previous year as I had vowed.
Its all about goals to me. The buck was not huge, but bigger than the
other buck I had taken a few years before. Also on my list is to kill an
over hunted, wary deer that inhabit our over hunted public lands. The
primitive harvest still alludes me, but its on my list, and I’ll strive
to achieve it, once that’s done, maybe I’ll go to broadheads of my own
design, maybe self arrows, possibly stone points.., the possibilities are
endless, always a way to up the challenge in this sport.
When its all said and done, I feel like I’ll be able to hold up my
chin, a little higher, because I did challenge myself, pushed my limits,
did not take the easy way.
To sit down, and clear you're mind, and hunt for you're self, and no
other, then things look start to shine.., through that damn rain cloud!
Topic: "Ten Dollar Buck" by Randy Grider (Read 3701 times)
