Do you Hunt for the
Trophy?
Every hunter has their own unique style in hunting and some
years a hunter may go for that trophy buck to hang on his wall while the next
year leaves the bucks alone bagging a doe instead. What ever your hunting style
is you already know about hunter safety and the buddy system.
Hunting is individual for each and every hunter. I know that many times I have sat in my tree stand and let the big
bucks just pass me by as I watch them, counting their points and thinking
quietly of the big old bucks’ life and history of his escaping ending up on
someone’s dinner table.
I have watched some magnificent bucks come into range and
just haven’t had the heart to shoot them since with their agility and knowledge
is old as they have survived many hunting seasons. These old bucks just amaze me and deserve to
live a long life as they are so elusive.
There is always another deer that will follow behind, as
when you see one there is one not too far behind the other. Patience is a virtue for hunters and hunters
have patience and must have patience to sit out in the cold for hours at a time
barely moving. The thrill of being in
your tree stand waiting, watching
and listening to the woods around you is relaxing and peaceful. Nothing compares to sitting in your tree stand and waiting until your deer
walks into view, the perfect view where you can take aim, keeping your breath
slow and taking your shot.
Dad always taught me one shot one kill, and trust me, you
had better stick to his program when hunting.
We would agree to disagree prior to climbing our tree
stand and setting up. Whose turn was
it to take the trophy was always determined by the flip of the coin. However, more years than not we would leave
the old bucks alone and watch them as they walked beneath us to hopefully live
another year.
Unless we were in a hunting competition for the largest buck
we would generally leave them be. There
is nothing like watching one of these magnificent old ‘men’ of the forest with
a 10 or 12 point rack and wonder how many fights he has won to breed the next
year of does.
I would rather bag a doe or yearling any day for the sweet
tender meat than taking short the life of an old buck that could sit with you
for hours around a fire pit and tell you stories of survival. Maybe I am
showing my age in telling this as when a hunter is young and starting out it is
always the trophy that young hunters want to go for.
Trophy or not, sitting silently in the trees watching and
listening is a special way to become one with nature. Hunters hunt for meat to feed their families
as it should be and waiting for your dinner to walk by and get into your sights
can take hours. However, in the end when
you bring that deer home you know you have provided some healthy food to place
on your table.
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