Day 2 Hope Sarrels
I spent the whole day yesterday itching to get back after that buck the night before. I played the scenario in my head a thousand times and each time the arrow stays on Hopes rest. The shot just wasn't there...
Yesterday over lunch my wife and I did what a lot of couples do that work together...we ate lunch
This time though we hurried home and popped up a blind on a ridge at the bottom of the field where the buck encounter was and ate a sammich on the way back. It is just a little 10 acre woods, but deer and turkey seem to love it. My neighbor is a kind soul and understands my affliction, so it was cool! We brushed it in and got it the best we could, knowing that for a couple of weeks the deer (especially long nosed does) will avoid it. Back to work we went...
I run a little rural health clinic and nearly jumped out of my chair when the secretary told me my last patient of day had canceled and I was done. I grabbed my hunting clothes from the tub I keep in the office and headed home. On the way there I get a call reminding me that I have a boy that wants to go with me: I had promised him last week that we would get a hunt in this week. I knew trying to put him in a ghille and ambushing the buck would be tough. With the East wind I had no stand sites for a double, so the blind it was. I knew the odds were low, but what the heck. He wanted to go and I wanted him there. He knew about Hope and was excited. He knows all about St Jude's, too. He is helping me raise money for my marathon team. My fat butt is running a half and we are raising $500 for our team for the St Jude's Marathon in December. So far he has a ton of cans to turn into cash, and as he put it, cans for kids ain't hard to do. I love that big-hearted boy!
So grabbing our gear and getting him situated in the blind took a few minutes. We hadn't even put on our war paint when I heard turkeys clucking in the field. Almost as an afterthought I mouth called a few yelps and HERE THEY CAME! I mean we just sat down, stuff everywhere on the floor of the blind, arrow still in quiver, Hope leaning against the blind...nuts! I look at Seth and he has that wide-eyed look. "Dad, they're coming!"
* Here was our view. 2 windows only.
Instantly I grabbed Hope and found an arrow. Already we could hear leaves crinkling behind us and purrs, yelps and kee-kees. A finger over my lips for quiet and a nod by him and we were good. A few birds slipped past us right but I could hear birds to the left as well. Just then a purr to the right and right in the window steps a fat hen at 12 yards. Draw, anchor, thump from Hope...perfect.
She ran about 20 yards with wings out and I knew we were good. The other birds stood around awhile and despite the urging from my boy, I let them go. I have another tag, but why spoil perfect, right? Here is what we found...
Topic: Hope and Faith Sarrels of 2014 (Read 11485 times)
