Yesterday's WI opener was a beautiful crisp, clear afternoon near Madison, and my Grandson and I were in our carefully chosen trees. He in a pine at 15' overlooking a small waterhole, and I, 20 ' up in the Triple Cherry at the edge of a small soybean food plot. We were about 600 yards apart.
I wanted Luke to have another opportunity at his first archery deer. His 15 year old enthusiasm was at an all time high, but victory had eluded him on three attempts last year due to classic "Buck Fever". He did manage to harvest a turkey...that was a thrill.
As it turns out, today we were both just observers.
I do not have a traditional whitetail bow kill to my credit as of yet. I've shot quite a few hogs, (wounded some too) and have been carefully working my way up the skills and confidence ladder to the point where I now feel I can take an ethical shot and not worry about wounding a nice tasty deer.
So...soon a hen turkey upped my awareness, and I let her pass. Then as often happens...I look behind me (the tree is between me and the food plot), peer around the tree and silently, there are two of Wisconsin's most gorgeous females, filling up on the soybeans.
Interestingly enough, they were no longer devouring the forage of the green leaf as Summer scouting trips had proven, but now were going for the dried stalk and actual bean even though the shaded half of the plot still offered the tender greens.
Doe fawns they were, with ribs showing...and I think, "Yes, I could easily make this 15 yard shot." But, having shot many whitetails for meat with my previous (unmentionable) archery weapon, and still in freezer possession of almost two complete deer from last year, I'm thinking these two deserve to just keep on feeding and enjoying their afternoon as much as I am.
So I take out the cell phone and shoot them...several times, till I'm sure they are well shot.
After 30 minutes of chowing down, they amble off and I am satisfied my scent control program is working as I watch them traverse my inbound trail.
They head for Luke and shortly he texts that he saw them through the trees, but could not get a shot.
It's now 6:40 PM, and anotheer field check reveals Momma Doe, a much larger, well fed girl, greyish, proud, relaxed, but also hungry.
When she poses for me, well within my effective range, I'm still not in kill mode, although here is my most perfect chance at my first trad whitetail harvest.
SO...HERE'S MY QUESTIONS.
Do I deserve to go deerless this year?
Did I just commit the most unspeakable sin?
Should I have been a "MAN" and shot her just to say I did, and earn the bragging rights with "passage"?
Am I getting soft to just wanting simply to reflect on all our hard work in property management that earned Luke and I these memories?
For those of you who will chastise me, I apologize sincerely.
I'm sure however, that at least a few of you might have "been there...done that", and to those of you I thank you for not judging me.
I know I perhaps wasted my best harvest opportunity.
I know that we may now have laid down some human scent, noise, or intrusion making our next adventure a little tougher, but I'm very grateful and pleased that the Good Lord has granted us this peaceful and rewarding day to be in the woods with his creatures.
Our ending score totals one hen turkey, 6 does and one decent buck. He was seen from a long way off.
Thanks for listening...probably not as exciting as relating a regular hunting harvest, but I wanted to share with you, none-the-less.
Irv Eichorst
www.truesouthadventures.com