I started off this year with the intention of hunting public land exclusively here at home. Throughout August and September i did a ton of camera work, a lo of glassing, and a LOT of boot work to find what I thought would be my best bets for the season opener.I had one spot that kept my interest very high due to the tracks I was seeing ans where I was finding the beds. I knew I could access a nice bench stand I had found without spooking many/any deer. That is where I decided to spend my opening day of bow season. I got set up that morning a little later than I wanted to but got a nice hunt in none the less, at about 4 pm I shot a coyote that was trying to sneak through and get some hunting in of his own...needless to say he didnt make it. Around 6 o'clock that evening the deer started to move and I had a decent show of 4 bucks that night, the last of which I decided to shoot. I am pretty sure he is 4 1/2 and I knew he would be a great start to the season. He stopped broadside at about 17 yards and took a Rage Hypodermic to the lungs. He made it about 60 yards and piled up.
I hunted a few more days during the early part of October but didnt really put to much effort into hunting and spent most of my time scouting, waiting for the later part of the month to get serious about finding another mature target to focus on.
That is when this season and my life took a big turn that left me with a new feeling and one I did not care for one bit.
It was 7 am October 17th when my phone rand and on the other end was my step dad and he was obviously troubled...he struggled to get the words out that I can hear this second as clear as I heard them that morning, He said, "I dont really know how to say this but your mother has passed away, I'm sorry but she is gone"
That moment seem to stand still for quite some time. it took me a week or 2 before I really could force myself to try hunting again. I just couldnt seem to force myself to go, mostly because every night after hunting my Mom was the first person I would call to tell about the hunt and to let her know I made it down and to my truck safely...she was such a worry wart. For 20 years...she was always the first person I talked to every night after finishing my hunt.
Eventually I did force myself out and got back into hunting and it really helped to get my thoughts together. Sometimes time spent alone is the best way to really get your mind to come to grips with big change.
When we got home I decided to give a new spot a try that was deep in the timber where I figured little pressure had been put on the deer. I put my stand and pack on my back and off I went. I found some great sign, I saw some great territory, I found exactly where I wanted to sit and watch for the rest of the day. I was on a steep but fairly short ridge side that was one of five fingers that formed a star shaped ravine hub that was littered with rubs and scrapes. I set up and climbed the tree and settled in for the hunt...it was 11:15 am. I sat alone, without any animal movement until 4 pm when a little spike came down the valley from the south scraping and rubbing his fool head off and I thought I had screwed up on judging the sign and this little turd was the one creating all of it. I sat anyway because its November and you never know what can happen. shortly after the spike had wandered off in search of trouble I caught movement coming down the same valley. I put my Binos on him and saw a good size body and an ok set of antlers. I had a good 15 minutes to watch him and by the time he got in close I decided that if he got under 10 yards I was going to take him. He began to make a scrape 6 yards to my right and left himself wide open to a lung shot. I took that shot and the Rage Hypo swallowed him up, he made it about 40 yards and piled up. Now the fun begins...I am alone, a slid 3/4 mile in the timber where it is not flat at all...ridge/ravine...over and over until the final 300 yards to the road.
It took me a good while to drag that deer out of the timber. I have never had such a bad/good/great/terrible drag in all of my time
I went through everything on that drag. I laughed, I cried, I sweated, I froze, I got scratches and bruises....and I finally got PEACE.
In the few hours I spent in those woods that night I thought long and hard about my Mom, the time we spent together, the time we wont get to spend together now. In the end, I made it to the road and got the deer loaded into my truck. On the drive home I picked up my phone and dialed my moms cell phone...one last time I wanted to hear her voice...at the end of her greeting I left a message as best I could that I know she would want to hear....I simply said Mom, I made it safe and sound back to my truck. I killed a decent 8 point tonight. I love you! I hung up the phone, drove the last 15 miles home in silence and called it a season.
[b][glow=red]What I take away from this season is that seasons come and seasons go. We never know when it is the last time we get to say Hi, or I love you, or good bye to our loved ones...dont let those moments slip by. Enjoy life, enjoy your family, respect the time we are given...it comes to a halt way to quickly.
R.I.P Mom (Vicki Paulus) 6/24/1954-10/17/2015[/glow][/b]
