I awoke this morning at 0430. I got myself out of the warm soft bed. Only to be frieghtened by the bone chilling cold air in the room. I slowly got dressed in my camo clothes. Thinking this will be another great day in the woods. I cooked up some breakfast. As the eggs sizzled and the bacon fried I inventoried my pack making sure I have everything needed for the day's hunt. As my breakfast was done cooking filling the room with an aroma that would awaken a bear out of hibernation. I quickly eat so I can get out to the stand. As I open the door to the cabin it creaks like an alarm clock to the wildnerness. A warning noise to the deer letting them know I am coming. I step out onto the cold crisp frozen ground. The air was so crisp and fresh with the smell of the forest in it. I start my journey into the darkness of the morning. Hoping I see that big buck from last evenings hunt again. I make my way to the stand hearing the ripple of the water in the stream near by. I finally get to my stand under the cover of darkness. I climb up the tree to my stand. Finding the seat cold from the crisp air of the night. I strap in just like always. Prepare myself to see the big buck from the night before. As I sit in my stand thinking to myself the time has to be around 0630 as I start see the red glare along the horizon to the east giving me warning that daylight will surely be here soon. I start begin to see shadows of movement. I hear the rustle of leaves on the ground being barely able to see the movement of a squirrel. I prepare myself knowing that the time is coming. As the sun starts to brighten the forest and thaw things out. I start to go through my mind. Thinking of all the hunts that have past. My first hunt with dad and grandpa. How proud they were when I got that little spike back when I was 12. How the years gone by seeing grandpa pass on leaving me with the knowledge of the great outdoors. Seeing dad get old and teach me the ways of life. Remembering my brother who only got to hunt with me one time before going off to war. But he never returned to hunt with me again. As I sat there in my early day dreams and thoughts. I was startled by a loud cracking of tree branches. I stand up trying to get a better look off into the distance to the east where the noise came from. I strain my eyes looking into the now bright morning sun glare. Trying to see what made that loud crack. What was plowing towards me is it a bear, moose, elk. It surely can not be that big buck. As the noise was to loud to be made by a deer. I keep looking out into the distance. I hear the loud rustling of the leaves. Then I hear the distinctive sound of antlers crashing together. I think this is the monster buck. He is fighting with a little one. I grab the grunt call out of my pack. I grab my bow. Knocking an arrow prepare myself for the meeting I am about to be in. I give out a good grunt from the call. The crashing of antlers stops for a moment of silence. I then hear the sound of hooves tramping the forest floor. Soon enough this monster buck comes busting out of the brush in front of me. I bring my bow up before he can see me, before he smells me, before I am detected. My heart is beating so fast I think it is going to explode. All of a sudden I feel a cold chill come through me. As this monster gives me an open quartering shot to me. It is like he is telling me to take the shot. The cold chill gets cold and I become frozen with my bow drawn back. It is like someone or something is holding me frozen not allowing me to release the arrow. I think to myself is it grandpa is it my brother. What power would give me this perfect oppurtunity to take such a trophy but not allow me to release the shot. Then all of a sudden, my arrow starts flight through the air. Hitting the monster right where it counts. I expect the monster to jump kick fearlessly and run off. But no he just drops right in his tracks. At first I was excited but all of a sudden I am relaxed, I sit back down in my stand. Looking at my trophy clearly on the ground. Then I get this cold chill again, as if something or someone is leaving me, I wonder to myself was it my grandpa, was it my brother who I only got to hunt with once. Which was years ago. What person, what power, had just left me. I gather my equipment still unbelieving my hunt, my success, my trophy laying on the ground. I unstrap myself from the tree and climb down the tree. Thinking thank you grandpa, thank you brother, then my cell phone rings, only to be given word from my loving wife. That she received a call that my dad has had a massive heartattack and didn't make it. Now I know what power it was who that person was that helped me on this hunt. The one that raised me from a kid into a man.

I start to think about how it is now compared to when I was a kid. I wonder what kind of life will my son live or have. As I get my emotions together long enough to drag this deer this trophy out of the woods. Only stopping every couple hundred feet to weep in sorrow. I think about how my dad reacted when my brother left for the war in the east. How he reacted when I told him I was going to the Marines, how he reacted when I got the called to war to the east. How he reacted when my grandpa passed. Only knowing that he would be happy for me right now, for taking such a great trophy by using the skills he taught me. Knowing that he would want me out here in the woods on this day.

Disclaimer, this is a fictional story. It is to remind us of how we became what we are today. To remember the ones that taught us what we know today and in memory for those we have lost. Our best hunting partner, our best friend, the ones we love.

 

Wow... reminds me of being out in the woods with my grandpa shooting rifles and fishing and such.

 

wow cool story.Im taking my son out to get his first buck this week........ thats where memories are made from......... deep......made my heart skip a few beats. I do believe in spirits and ghosts too.........

 

Bag one for me too Jenn!

 

YEAH NO KIDDING, this is the first year ill be away from the farm, spent the best 22 years of my life there, dad gave me my first 6 shot revolver at 6, went hunting all over that 650 acres, now im here in florida with nothing to kill, there hunting regs are so backwards

 

what is there to shoot in florida?
Canadians are the only thing i know that flock south for the winter........

 

Logan, theres plenty of dove to shoot down there and the bass fishin, ofcourse, is awesome. Deer on the other hand, not so good.

 

Or you can just do like everyone else and move to Texas...........there's plenty to do down here

 

just bought a Compound bow a few months ago.. Ive been praticing ... Can't wait to give it a try and see if I can get my first wild animal..

A friend at work goes every year... Guess I am going next season!!!

 

Got a muzzleloader tag this year---early season is over but I get 2 1/2 weeks in December.