Chasing the Adventure
I've been hunting for three years. My father wasn't/isn't a hunter. I didn't grow up around hunting but a few years ago, I decided that I wanted to pursue this. I feel most alive when I am outdoors and so I set out to take up deer hunting. A good friend and mentor is an avid hunter and he took me under his wing and helped me buy my deer rifle. He showed me which scope to buy and even mounted the scope and got my gun ready. A neighbor is an avid hunter and I mentioned to him my desire to hunt and he let me join a great hunting lease. We lease 1,100 acres in Harris County - a beautiful tract of land with ridges, creek bottoms, planted pines and hardwood drains. I've seen some amazing things hunting - bobcats, raccoons, owls, hawks. I've seen a buck track a doe in heat like a hound dog. He ran by my stand with his nose to the ground and my yelling didn't distract him. I've seen another buck come in and watch a doe feed. He was so captivated by her that he lay down and watched her not knowing that death was looking right at him. I moved my stand to a hardwood area in between a food plot and a creek bottom. I've seen great activity in this stand including a huge buck last year that I hesitated before shooting. I wanted a better shot and waited for him to emerge from behind a tree. He never emerged, he turned and went away from me keeping the tree between him and me.

My friends have helped me and taught me along the way. When I let this big buck go, my mentor said, "Richard you have been watching too much TV where these guys watch deer for a minute or two before shooting - you usually get about 3 seconds to take your shot". Others have taught me about keeping both eyes open when scoping a deer, breathing slowly when shooting and squeezing the trigger slowly. I've learned a lot by listening - learning about the Rut, learning how deer move, learning about Trail cameras, scrapes and rubs. I've learned the importance of White Oaks. It has been an adventure.

This year has been frustrating. I bought two trail cameras and caught some really nice dear on the cameras but in the stand, I was being skunked. So most mornings this fall, I'd get down out of my stand about 9am and start to scout. I have walked miles and miles up and down creek drains. I've found deer paths, scrapes and rubs all over the place. I've found shed antlers from last year. I've savored my times in the woods on foot. I feel most alive hunting when I am on foot crossing streams, looking for signs and scouting new hunting locations. Think about it - Indians didn't hunt deer from a tree stand! They did it on foot! I make sure I stay alive by wearing orange when I do this and knowing where my buddies are at all times!

Last Saturday, I got down and found a great "bowl" in the creek behind me where it curves around a huge white oak. In fact, there are 5 big white oaks around there. I set up a ground blind and hunted it last weekend. I heard a big buck grunt (never heard that before) down in the creek. A small 4 point came out and the big buck passed back up in the woods so I couldn't see him.

This Saturday, I hunted my stand in the morning and got down to scout behind the White Oak bowl. I found a new deer trail and there were three huge deer rubs along this trail. Here is a picture of one...

This was a big tree and the deer flat out tore it up. The rub was very fresh. My blood started pumping. Just when I was about to give up (not really), God throws me a softball with these rubs..."He is there...stay patient."

So Sunday afternoon, I hunted the White Oak Bowl....nothing. I got frustrated and cold and about 5:15, I got down and headed back by my stand. I contemplated going home but something in me said, "What the heck, stay in the stand for another 30 minutes and just see..." I left my gear on the ground and climbed up with my gun and antlers.

I sat down and started rattling the horns. Immediately (about 2 minutes after I got in the stand), a 4 point emerged from my left. I scoped him and realized he wasn't a shooter and then I heard rustling to my right. I am left eye dominant so shooting left handed to my right is ideal. I swung the gun around and caught a monster coming out of the thick scrub. I knew immediately, this was THE one. I scoped him immediately and grunted at him (My mentor taught me this too - you make a MMMMMMMARK sound and deer will typically stop to figure out where the sound is coming from). He didn't stop. So, I grunted again. He didn't stop. There is a good chance this is the same deer I let go last year and I wasn't about to hesitate again. I slowly squeezed the trigger and he jumped and took off down toward the creek. He ran about 50-75 yards and stopped to look around. I thought I had missed him. Then he fell over, got up, ran to the left another 25 yards or so and fell again.

When I walked up on him, I could not believe my eyes. I had waited three years and never fired a shot. I had let a number of smaller bucks go. I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever get a deer. The enemy was beginning to whisper, "You see, you are a hack...you'll never match up..." and God was gently telling me all along, "Be patient, you are learning, you have done this..."

The deer scored 142 inches and weighed 237 pounds. For a first deer - he is amazing. Forgive the next pictures, they are kind of messy.







It has been quite an adventure and I am blessed beyond words by being so fortunate to have this as my first deer. So many things went into making this possible. The generosity of the land owner, the time my mentors put into educating me, the patience of my hunting buddies, my sweet wife's support as I left before sunup on many a Saturday, Rich for having a 4-Wheeler and being willing to help me bring the deer out of the woods, being in the right place at the exact right time and patience...lots of patience.

God met me in the woods these past three years. If you can't hear God around the noise and busyness of this life, get alone with Him. The woods are a great place for me to feel God. Crystal clear blue skies, golden leaves, the majesty of His nature, quiet and cool breezes. In this sanctuary, I've had great time alone with God and (And this will offend someone) - God was sweet to me yesterday afternoon. He kept telling me "Be patient" and then conspired events to collide this beast with me in a perfect setting.

Soar!