Several months ago I posted a tribute to my friend Mark Harris who passed away this spring.
http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=114971;p=1 As the summer progressed I was given one of his bows by his widow Ann. I did some work to it over the summer with the help of my friends Charlie Lamb, Andrew Kinslow, and Tom Porter. My plans where to keep the memory of our friend alive by hunting with is bow. After I am done with it I'm going to give it to Andrew and Charlie and let them take an animal with it as well.
I had the first chance to take a doe with it early in September but I didn't get the job done. Finally this Friday evening fate gave me a second chance. I had a doe walk out of the woods and present a shot on the logging road I was sitting over. I was able to make a clean kill and she made a loop in front of my stand and went down within 40 yards of my stand. The whole incounter took less than 10 seconds from start to finish.
I felt an unique sense of emotion that I haven't felt with another kill. I was proud to have made the shot and take my first deer of the year. But I also felt a connection to Mark and his memory. I miss BS'ing with Mark and talking hunting with him. Mark enabled everything I have done on his farm. The land, the habitate improvement, and the access to hunt it was provided by him. His wife Ann has continued to extend that generous offer. I wish Mark was still here with us but I feel proud that I took a piece of him with me on another hunt. In some ways he was with me in that stand. I wish I could shake his hand one last time and say thanks for bringing another wonderful memory to my life.
I shot her at 5:50 and continued to sit in hopes another deer might come out. About 6:25 I heard something in the same area where my doe had gone down. I couldn't see through some cedars that blocked my view. I figured it was a squirrel. After I heard it the second time I decided to get down early and check it out. This is what I found.
Pretty bold coyote. He was on her quick. I joked that those Simmon's Treesharks sure do make a huge hole!
Here is a few more pics of the deer, the bow, and my friends Andrew and Tom.
Topic: Doe with a tribute bow (Read 637 times)
