Few things are more exciting than achieving a goal, and when a friend does it, it’s equally rewarding. Evan is a great hunter. Good instincts, great turkey caller, and a quick wit that makes him a blast to head into the woods with. He’s killed turkeys all over but hasn’t started killing deer until we started hunting together in Tennessee. He’s just one of those guys that everyone loves and at 6’4”, 250 lbs, he is lovingly intimidating. I was lucky enough to be the one who was along with him when he killed his first deer. I stuck him in one of my favorite public land honey holes and he made quick work of a doe at 30 yards with his bow. He has since killed more does on his own, but his first buck has eluded him. I didn’t tell him but I made that one of my main goals of the season. I thought I would have to work harder than I did.
We were texting back and forth about a new area he wanted to hunt and what wind he thought he needed. He’d gotten several pictures of a really nice buck on a trail camera he placed in this spot, and the buck sign that accompanied those pictures was impressive. A quick look at the 3-day forecast revealed that he was going to get the wind he thought he would need that Saturday morning following a cold front. The chips were falling right into his hands. I suggested that I should go in with him to film. Looking back, that wouldn’t have been a good idea. The area was a tight squeeze and we wouldn’t have gotten much footage and we would have doubled the amount of scent. I went to bed that night with high anxiety. I was more nervous for him than I have ever been for myself. He got up and got set and was texting me a play by play of the morning. Finally, at 8:52 am, I got the phone call. “I just shot a big buck!”
It’s on the list of top 10 phone calls I’ve ever received. He was through the roof! I knew I needed to be the voice of reason. All I could think to say was, “Stay calm. I’ll be there in a minute. Sit back and enjoy this moment.”
The story of the track job is short and sweet. He’d made a great shot, with a great blood trail. We high fived and took pictures forever. We even re-walked the short blood trail back to the point of impact. It wasn’t the giant he had pictures of, but that doesn’t matter. It was a great deer, and it was his deer. And I couldn’t be prouder of him. Great Job Turbo! Though, the real “Morale of the story,” if you will, is what I said as I got off the phone.
Enjoy this moment. Hunting is filled with things that could be construed as failures. It’s also given me the 2nd-5th coolest things I’ve ever seen in my life. 1st being my future wife. (Hey honey!) We move so quickly through life. Through the seasons. Through the hours of the day. When something special happens, recognize it and luxuriate in it. Don’t rush through an experience of this magnitude. Some of these moments are planned so there is level mental preparation that can occur. I know December 5, 2020, is going to be a special day. It’s my wedding, and I’ll be able to remind myself to slow down and drink it in. The special days hunting occur by complete surprise.
They can come upon you when you least expect it. You just head out on a random morning and then a few hours later, you are collapsed in emotion next to the biggest buck of your life. You didn’t plan it. You can’t plan it. In those times we are guilty of moving so fast through the process. Not necessarily moving fast based on a watch, but moving fast mentally. The Shot, mark where he was standing, note which way he goes, give him 30 minutes, climb down, gather your things, go to where he was standing, find the arrow, etc, etc, etc… All of this is imperative, but it’s not the point.
Next time you’re in the field, stop and feel the wind on your face. Sure, stay calm, pick a spot, and squeeze and all that. But, when that is done, let your emotions get the best of you. Drop down to your hands and knees. Lay on top of that mountain or in the bottom of that hollow and pray. Doesn’t matter to who specifically. Just say thank you! Relive it all you want, however you want. Just, for the love of all that’s holy, take your time and enjoy the moment.
A Day in the Field 