This morning was my last hunt with my family, on my family's property, for at least this year. This is not your ordinary property in my eyes, it's sacred ground. It's where I had my very first contact with a whitetail buck, where I harvested my very first deer with a bow, where my father first took me hunting, (squirrels with my 410 gauge), a place of healing during my difficult times, where I camped as a kid with my brothers, where I taken one of my nicest bucks to date and where several bucks out smarted me as well as my family to the point where we was clinically declared insane!! LOL.
This land has been in my family since the middle of the 1700's and my family has countless stories handed down through generations. It is funny because several places on my family's property carries remnants of those very stories, like my Great Grand-parents named carved in one of the huge sycamore trees that are on our property. Something just feels immoral about leaving this parcel of land, especially during the pre-rut!!
This morning did not start like the other countless mornings. As usual my brothers & I started with coffee & breakfast at my dads around 4 AM. But we spoke more about old hunting trips, lucky and unlucky ones. We laughed about certain hunting events that just left my father shaking his head at his three sons. It was a solemn morning that had its laughs. As we was heading out the door together my dad just said, "lets make it a good one" and remember that we're a family of bowhunters, no matter where we decide to lay our heads. Then off we went as we did countless times before.
About 7:15 AM a mature doe made her way down to the stream side, soon to be followed by her 2 fawns. She was about 18 yards away but I passed. For me, today wasn't about trying to harvesting a animal. It was about just being in a place that brought me countless smiles and made me who I am today as well as spending quality time with my family. My one brother text me about 8AM and said, "A buck just came off the ridge where dad was". He wasn't in any hurry so Pop is either asleep again or gave him a pass. LOL. When we all met up around 10:30AM my dad just said he will be bigger next year. Then we notice that my one of my brothers arrows was a lot shorter then the rest of his arrows?? He said he rather not talk about it,,LOL. We may not have harvested a deer today but it was another great day with my family.
My wife and I have decided to move to Madison County Iowa. The people have accepted our offer on a house that sits on 12 acres of land that sits several miles back off a dirt road. We are truly excited but at the same time, sad to leave a parcel of land that has taught me so much about nature and brought me so much happiness!! I will be driving back out to Iowa to start my new job and finalize everything with the house. Still a lot to do though.
Thanks for reading and letting me share a Blessed day!!
Topic: Last hunt on my family's property,,(for this year at least). (Read 678 times)
