Thursday, September 17, 2009

Treestand Journal

Tuesday, September 15th - From my treestand in Missouri
I was in my stand by 3:00 this afternoon. It's warm, but not too unbearable since there is a gentle breeze that feels good and makes the leaves applaud God's handiwork. There is some fall color already appearing. The hickory's are turning yellow, but it's mostly green in all directions. The floor of the woods is a brown carpet of last years leaves. I am in a white oak tree, about twenty feet up, and I have a good view of everything out to sixty yards in most directions, and clear shooting lanes out to thirty yards. There are a lot of oaks of all kinds, dropping acorns with a thump, and providing dinner for squirrels and, hopefully, deer. There is some under-growth of smaller trees under the larger canopy of hardwoods and sprinkling of evergreens. It's a great day to be in God's woods.
At 4:00, a buck suddenly appeared behind me, just as I was standing up to stretch. Their stealth for their size is simply amazing. The pretty young buck, a 4x3 in reddish velvet came right under my stand about five yards from my tree. He was legal to shoot, with four points on one side, but he wasn't what I was after. I wish Danny, who is with me but several hundred yards away, could have been in my stand and got his first buck. Still, the thrill of beating any deers incredible nose, eyes, and ears is part of what this is all about.
I am really enjoying the quiet time in the woods after a long summer. What makes this so much fun? It's seeing God's work, enjoying great fellowship, having quiet time to think and pray. All that is huge, but what really gives bowhunting it's driving element is anticipation. Hunting is all about expectations. Every minute on stand is a minute of living expectantly.
Life is supposed to be lived expectantly. We live anticipating eternity with God. Well, at least we should. It sure would change the way we look at the world we live it.

Thursday PS. About two hours later, a huge buck came within twenty-three yards of me, just munching acorns like he was starved to death. He had my knees shaking, my heart pounding, and my breathing barely under control. That's what anticipation does to you. Unfortunately, he never gave me a clear shot, so I didn't try to take one. He trotted off, and, after a short bout of depression, the anticipation started all over again. I just knew he'd return on Wednesday. He didn't. I big momma doe finally came by and got a whiff of where I'd walked in, and she stormed off snorting to all the deer in Missouri to stay away! I know there's another lesson there, somewhere, like persistence, or patience, or maybe don't hunt when it's so hot you leave sweat all over the woods.

2 comments:

Elizabeth said...

Your words make "sitting in the woods" sound much more exciting than I thought! :) Sorry the buck didn't give you a good shot...maybe he'll come back.

Anonymous said...

Hold out for the "big boy"! Cullin' the herd here in WV's early one week season last week.
We SHOULD be in Colorado!!
Hit 'em high Haugh