We have been hunting on my Uncle Greg's cabin ever since our first trip there. I will try to tell my story, but having been about a year, some of the small details have been forgotten, or become fuzzy. Please forgive me. This story represents my best recollection of the events of that weekend.
November 2004
My father-in-law Joe, and I were hunting at Uncle Greg's cabin again this year. This year was not (as I recall) uncomfortably cold. It was a crowded year for hunting. There were at least two other hunters East of Uncle Greg's and we had to be more careful than usual when out in the field.
The morning in question was quiet. I was sitting on the ground near "Oakwood", the tree fort that Bob and I built when we were kids. I spent most of that morning on the top of the south side of the ravine, hunting north. I thought Joe was north east of me on the opposite side of the ravine (which I later discovered was not true). I had been hearing "rustling" off to my right (east) near the slew, but could not tell if it was wildlife, Joe, or another hunter.
As the morning drew on, I was able to determine that it was, in fact, another hunter. It was not long after, that I began hearing some additional rustling coming from the northwest. Convinced it was squirrels, I sat back, closed my eyes, and tried to use my hearing to hone in on the source of the sound. Several minutes went by and I began to notice a white animal, about the size of a dog, thru the trees. I watched as the dog zigzagged its way thru the woods moving in my general direction. This dog appeared to come from the road, and was (after several minutes) still meandering towards me. After several minutes the dog started getting bigger. I was convinced it was a husky that may belong to one of the other hunters in the woods.
I was not sure how this dog would react to me if or when it reached me. I had to weigh my options. Hopefully the dog would be friendly, but if it was going to attack me, I decided I would be willing to defend myself. I was, after all, armed. As the white dog continued to come closer, I noticed it was not alone. There was another brown dog with the white one, and they were both still heading towards me. The closer they got, the less I could believe my eyes. When they arrived at the bottom of the ravine I was finally convinced that what I was seeing was actually what I was seeing. In front of me was two does. One of the does was a full albino! It was completely white. Later it was close enough that I could even see that it's eyes and nose were pinkish.
I was not sure what to do in this situation. My heart beat faster and harder than usual. By now the deer was within 15 yards of me, and at the bottom of the ravine. I put the bead of my site on the brown deer (not knowing about the legality of shooting an albino), but I was so intrigued by the site of this albino that I became almost hypnotized to its presence. Joe was down the ravine from me, and the deer were beginning to climb the north side of the ravine and head towards where Joe was hunting. The albino deer, and my hoping that Joe would get a deer (he has not taken one yet * since we started deer hunting together so many years back) kept me from shooting the brown doe. I then lowered my gun and watched the deer as they crossed my line of site and went off towards where Joe was sitting. I could have kicked myself for not having a camcorder, or a camera with me in the field. (Lesson learned)
I sat and listened to the deer as they left my field of vision. I was hoping that I would here Joe take the brown doe. After several minutes, I could no longer hear the deer, and it was not long after, that I heard the report of a gun. I stayed where I was for several more minutes hoping to hear Joe call out for me to help him. When he never called I started heading towards his direction. It was then that I discovered he had been on my side of the ravine the whole time and that it he was not the hunter who had taken the deer. I stopped and talked to Joe for a few minutes and then went back to where I was sitting. Quite some time later where the ravine drops down (where the two deer originally came from) I saw two hunters pulling the brown doe out through the woods.
Once again, this hunting trip, I found myself intrigued by the awesome beauty of what God had put before me. The captivating beauty of it overpowered any need in me to take these deer. I sometimes wonder if what I am doing in the woods is really "hunting". I am not interested in giving up "hunting" if it means giving up the time I spend in the woods, sitting, relaxing, and enjoying the beauty of all that is around me. I know that if the right circumstance comes up, I would take a deer. I have, after all, taken one in the past. Ultimately, I believe there is a time and place for hunting, and for "hunting". I feel lucky enough to have discovered the difference between the two. My wish for you (reader) and for all hunters is that you are fortunate enough to experience and enjoy both versions of hunting as I have.
No comments:
Post a Comment