Hunting 101

Who would of thought I would be hunting?


With the intent of hunting with Guy this fall a few things had to take place for me to be able to do so.



First buy me a gun.

Second take me out to shoot.
Third find a Hunter safety class.
Fourth buy some cute girly clothes for me. 
Fifth get my license.


Now that all the necessary things are in place it was now just a matter of waiting for the hunting season to come. With much anticipation it finally arrived the weekend after Thanksgiving!


Guy was overjoyed this year knowing that his wife would be right beside him in the cold elements, gun in hand, eyes focused on the landscape ahead, waiting for just one lovely deer to show itself.




If it was so easy!



Guy and I headed out with his friends to a public hunting ground in Maryland, where they have hunted for the past few years and each year it has been successful hunt.


We hiked into the thick area of the woods,green briers poking their poison into our hands, arms and legs as we push past them to get to our "perfect spot."
We decided to sit in a blind. With this being my 1st year out my dear husband wanted to make it as comfortable for me as possible, he even brought a small heater to help keep me warm.
We sat in our blind with our eyes and ears peeled out every which way just HOPING to see something move in the thicket, some sign of life out there. Hours upon hours of sitting and all that graced us that day were birds, squirrels, wild turkeys BUT no deer.


Not a one! I mean zilch,zero, nothing! Our "perfect spot" turned into a dud.



The 12 hours we spent out in the cold sitting was a great way to spend quality time together.


Guy on the other hand didn't think it was all that great. A very skilled & knowledgeable hunter he is wasn't having fun! I on the other hand thought well this is part of hunting, sometimes you have it and sometimes you don't. I knew this wasn't "it" and  I wasn't giving up, it just wasn't our time, even though we pleaded and begged.

It wasn't successful for Guy and myself however our hunting buddies were able to harvest 3 deer. Good for them!




With going back to work I wasn't given much time to hunt after that 1st day.


Our friend Daryl has some land at his home that he said we could hunt, knowing I hadn't gotten anything.


Two days before we went up his nephew had shot 2 deer up there so we knew the deer were moving.


Guy and I head up to the tripod in the early morning cold before the world is waking up just hoping to see something go by us. We snuggled in hoping for just SOMETHING to come across our path. 




Squirrels came across our path 


Foxes came across our path


NO DEER!


So this is two times out and nothing. Frustration is starting to set in just a little bit, but not to much because I am spending some amazing quality time with my spouse who is sharing his love of hunting with me.


Once again out we go to the same spot, up the tripod we go. Evening cold is so much better than morning cold. We sat and talked in a whisper hoping and praying something would come out this way. 


YES!


Finally something did come our way! 


A buck.


Guy says to me "baby, baby there's a deer, oh my gosh there he is." He notices that it's a buck, I can't just shoot him! Guy has to look and see if he is legal to shoot, ( Pa won't let you take anything ) as Guy looks I get my gun ready.


It's LEGAL


As I raise my gun on him I look through my scope and there's NOTHING there.


I mean nothing.


All I see is brush.


I pull my scope away from my eye and take a look with my naked eye to see if the deer is still there. 


YES, he is still there! I look through my scope again and still see nothing. I am starting to get upset thinking this is my one chance and why can't I see him. In the mean time my sweetie and I have the following conversation;


"Sweetie he's right there"


"I can't see him"


"What do you mean you can't see him, he's RIGHT there"


"I CAN'T SEE HIM"


"Oh my gosh he is RIGHT in FRONT of you"


"I know but I can't see him through my scope"


"Ugh give me your gun"




Sure enough as Guy looks through my scope he can't find it either! 


It was that time of night where the sun was going down. The scope wasn't grabbing the light like it should of so needless to say we lost that deer. He was 30 yards away from us. That close!! How do you miss something that close??


As we head home disappointed in this, I tell Guy we will go back tomorrow and pray that this deer follows the same path and this time we will be prepared ( using one of his guns with a better scope.) It rained the next day so we headed out one last time and NOPE nothing.


NO DEER!


As the season closed it was a sad thing to watch my husband feel so bad that we couldn't get anything.


Thank goodness for late rifle!


We went back to our place in Maryland, hoping to find something at the cornfield feeding. But NOTHING again! O.k. maybe I'm not suppose to hunt!! 


Back to the cornfield we go again in the morning. As Guy and I are in our spot we hear voices a mile away. Great! They walked through the field as if nothing was there and no big deal, they RUINED our hunt. With being that disgusted we left. I told Guy I am don't think I'm suppose to hunt or it would of happened by now and I am done. Let's just say that didn't go over to well.




As we left Guy drove over to another piece of property that he has never been to. We got out to scout. Was I very surprised at what I saw. Deer tracks all over the place. It had snowed a few days prior and this area was untouched by humans so all you did see were tracks upon tracks.


We walked about a mile and a half in by the power lines, saw several deer crossings and tracks. I told Guy this is where I want to hunt tonight. He kept going over the hill, I wasn't in the mood to keep going so I just waited there for him.


As Guy walks back to me I tell him that I want to hunt this spot, and I want to be all by myself and he can sit somewhere else. He looked at me with his piercing blue eyes to say sure but you wont shoot anything. I looked at him and said " don't worry hunny I will shoot anything I see."




We came back for the afternoon/evening hunt.


I walked ahead of Guy and Daryl. ( They were scouting more )


I walked to my spot.


Cleared out a shooting lane ( removing some branches and leaves.)


Sat down.


Eyes peeled out to the opening.


Heard something behind me about 20 yards or so.


Stand up to take a closer look and direct my hearing there.


Catch out of the corner of my other eye 3 does, who spotted me as I spotted them. They ran back into the brush. 


Knew I had ruined my hunt.


Sat down and shook my head.



Begged & pleaded that please let something else come out and focus on the field not what is behind me.


I stood up.


Oh my gosh DEER, there's a deer.


Pulled up my gun, looked through the scope couldn't find it.


Aligned my gun with the pole and then straight down.


FOUND IT!


Put my gun on it. 


Took the safety off.


Pulled the trigger.


Shot the deer. He went down. His rear end came up then his front end went down.


Breathe! I got it!


The deer gets up and runs back to the woods.


What do I do? Do I go after it? Wait for Guy??


Wait for Guy, I know he heard me shoot.


Step out, look down the path and here comes Guy. I step all the way out and walk down to meet him. As I walk I see him cheering, raising his arms and a big smile. I spot where the deer had gone down ( thank you snow!) I point to Guy where he went down. As Guy get to me he says with so much excitement "baby you got it!" 


Now it's time to track it.


Guy saw it all unfold as he watched through the scope up the hill. 


He had also seen those 3 does that I didn't shoot at. He wondered why I didn't shoot at them, how could I of not seen them etc....he was heading back to get the cart ( our friend shot one before me) but he felt like he needed to turn around and as he did he saw his wife take this wonderful animal.


Guy tracked it down about 30 yards into the brush, where the deer had come out. Guy told me it was a 3 point buck! 


A BUCK?


What I got a buck? I thought it was a doe.


I just shot, not where I wanted to but close.

My 3point buck

With much hard work this was the pay off!

Over all I think this taught me patience!

All things are in God's time!

There is a time and place for everything!

Guy was so pleased to have his best friend, his wife, snow, a wonderful hunt all underneath the beauty of the stars.

What more could one ask for? 

I for one had such an amazing experience and loved that I was able to be part of something that my dear husband has such a love and passion for.

Thank you sweetheart for teaching me new things!