November 14, 2013
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One Shot One Kill
Saturday is opening day of deer season (shotgun) where I hunt. I have been in the woods at sunrise on opening day religiously every year since 1979. I love to be afield in the autumn. I let the stress and worries of the previous summer's work load fall off my shoulders, like the shower of yellow maple leaves on the autumn breeze.
I will wake up long before dawn, eat a big breakfast, dress warm and head out into the breaking daylight. Walking slowly and as silently as possible to my prized hunting blind, a cozy spot with a nice view. I will settle in and wait, counting the shots fired before legal shooting time, usually they start a half hour early, mostly hunters who spook deer while walking into the woods, mostly shots fired wildly in overwrought excitement.
I will count the shots fired off in the distance echoing up the valley. There will very likely be birds and squirrels investigating me, chirping and squawking at me. I will smile and wave at them. they will flitter and scurry away. I might see an owl or a porcupine. They are pretty common in these woods.
Last year I had a very handsome buck come within 30 feet of me, 7 minutes after sunrise, the legal shooting time. I watched him for a few minutes as he sauntered off to the west. Sometimes I just enjoy sitting and relaxing. If I had shot him I would have had to dress him and drag him back to camp. It was too early for that. Unfortunately for me it was the only buck I saw all season. Still I do not regret my decision.
I prefer to shoot a small deer, one least likely to survive a harsh winter. I try not to shoot healthy does, unless I am seeing too many of them. Then as a matter of conservation it must be done. I rarely shoot big bucks. Not that I don't want to but there aren't that many in our area, and the few I have taken, the meat isn't really the finest.
I hunt with a Hawkins side lock muzzle loading rifle. I only get one shot. I make it count. One shot, One kill. That is the rule.
Saturday morning at sunrise I will be sitting quietly in the woods, waiting for something to entice me, but mostly I will be resting my mind, my spirit and my soul. It is the way of the hunter. It is as it has been since the dawn of man.
Comments (23)
John, it looks like you are a poet and hunter, embracing voraciously charming Nature.
In friendship
Michel
So did you survive?
Or did the deer survive?
HUGS!!!
this saturday is opening day here but I don't think I'm going to go
The trouble with one shot is that if it doesn't kill the deer but only greatly wounds it, then the deer will run off to suffer a grueling demise. Unless you are so sure of yourself that you can never miss the kill shot, better to have some backup to confer a more merciful death for a wounded animal.
I know some people don't like to see deer killed but there is a fact that if there was not a hunting season we would be over run with deer I live not far from town and I had 12 in my yard this morning I guess they know they are safe here from hunters they were camped out for about an hour it was interesting just sitting on the deck with the pups watching them my pups are so use to these guys they don't even bark often
Whoohooo! It's mountain man time!!! Good luck!
I have never hunted - it just never worked out and I had not planned for it. My son-in-law is a pretty good archer, but so far he hasn't gotten a deer this year. Now that it is gun season, he may do OK. They live in the NC mountains where there should be plenty of them... Living off the land can be rather tough at times, but it is the life they want.
Enjoy--I like that you leave the healthy ones and the bigger bucks b/c there aren't that many of them. I love deer meat and have hunted in the past and enjoyed it.
It sounds like a peaceful, quiet (except for the gunshots) time. I can just imagine it, because I always loved fall when we lived in the Midwest. We drove over to the Mississippi every fall where there are hills and bluff which would be covered with all the colors of fire.
In many places, deer are a pest now. It's nice to have wildlife return---up to a point.
Years ago, my brother and I were disposing of a dead, sick animal. We were burying it in the field near our woods. We saw the most beautiful buck just strut out into the field. Neither of us said a word. We were just in awe at the sheer size of this guy. After he walked back into the woods, I asked my brother if it was deer season, if he could have shot that buck. Neither one of us thought we would have been able to. (Not to mention, he had to be quite old and not very good meat. And I refuse to trophy hunt.)
Enjoy your hunting.....My husband used to hunt, until the wasting disease hit here, which was about 17 years ago....Dears are healthy now, but he just doesn't hunt anymore....
Yeah mom! Watch out Bambi!
One shot -one kill. Perfect. My friend (who has promised me the 2nd deer he takes this year) was chosen in 2 lotteries this year. In one he can take upto 5 deer and the other is a 7 deer limit. I like his mantra "You can't eat antlers" besides the does and little ones are tastier and more tender...Happy hunting!
I like your idea of letting the first one go -- I would be very disturbed by those who "jump the gun" and start shooting before it's legal. There's something very refreshing about just being in the woods.
I saw a sign on an eating place here today that says,"a vegetarian is someone who's not a good hunter." of course it's a hamburger and BBQ place. LOL
RYC: I enjoyed reading about how hunting was/is a bonding and good time with the hunters in your family, especially your Dad.
Oh...and now that I know how to enlarge font, I will be doing it in my next post!
I don't know what to say. I feel VERY sad when deer are killed. I have so many friends who are hunters, and they will be hunting now too.
Enjoy your stay in the woods.
Bambi beware!!
2 of my grand-sons-in-law hunt at the back of our yard. We have 17 acres, a lot of it in woods. My husband used to hunt, but that was many years ago. One year, I hit 2 deer with my car. The car survived. The deer didn't. They were does, so the meat was good. We're allowed to keep them here, as long as we report to the sheriff and get a tag.
I'm in the running to win a prize for The Longest Comment! I hope I win!!!
So you went on your first deer hunt the year you were born!?!?
I'm not a hunter, but I grew up with hunters.
You've described beautifully how refreshing it is to be out in nature! When I am outdoors (even for just a walk in my neighborhood)I smile and wave and talk to the animals...oh, and to the human-bean, too!
So, I got a question...So, it's about nature for men who hunt?! And not about a day away from the little woman?!
Sorry, I'm being smart-alecky today!
I hope Saturday is a beautiful, enjoyable, renewing day for you! Let us know how it goes!
HUGS!!!
PS...I commented back to your comments on my site just now.
I like the way you describe this. I love nature too. I hope the weather is cooperative.
I appreciate the attitude you have about it all ~ I love being in the woods ~ the quiet, yet with nature singing all around ~
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