Birthday Present

Waterfowl hunting is well underway; many of my friends and family have enjoyed the sport for many years but this is the first year for me. My interest was peeked when I was invited to tag along on a hunt; I quickly developed an enthusiasm for the sport. I find myself purchasing new items constantly to enlarge my arsenal. It’s completely different from deer hunting, I needed to buy new camouflage clothing, waders, and many more items that I will need to acquire over time. I just celebrated my birthday a little early this Saturday with a party. I was brought to tears when my big brother handed me my birthday present. It was first disguised in a weed whacker box. After pulling the multitudes of tape from the box I was able to pull a beautiful duffle bag from it. Imagine my surprise when I learned my big bro had made it himself. Inside the bag was a brand new stoeger x350 shotgun. Oh my gosh, it’s gorgeous, I couldn’t speak. He told me it had been really hard not telling me he bought the gun for me every time I told him I was going hunting. After purchasing the gun, he tried to buy a case but was unable to find something I could put the gun and all my other stuff in; He then decided to make it himself. It’s unbelievable, he bought this orange, camouflage, canvas material that I had told him I liked and custom formed foam inserts in the bottom to fit the gun, the foam inserts are all wrapped in felt. He put inserts in the bottom and sides to hold its form, and it has a double zipper top like a baseball bag. He even constructed padded orange camouflage straps/handles. He is the most talented person I know, I love him so much. The gun was an awesome gift, I can’t believe he spent that much money on me, and where did he find the time. My brother has a one and a half year old son and works full time as an RN. He is amazing. Well I know who the first person is going to be that I take hunting with my new gun. I’m so excited; it’s great to have my own gun for the sport. I now have several guns of my own, I think I’m well on my way to becoming a gun collector. It’s surprising how much fun it is to just go outback and target practice, or blow up some milk jugs.

                There is much to be said about the solitude of walking through the woods. The denseness of trees blocks the wind and fills the air with fresh smells of pine and moss. We have groomed trails that randomly flow though our thirty five acres of woods, our own little piece of heaven. As I wander through the woods it feels like nothing else exists, like you’re the only one on this earth. Then there’s this eerie feeling that you’re not alone, a feeling that your being watched, then there’s a whistling sound, another human being is up in a tree whistling, almost invisible, dressed completely in camouflage. Well welcome to hunting season, the bounds of privacy have been broken; my personal space has been invaded. Yes, a hunter has taken it upon himself to make his self welcome in the middle of my private oasis. Why he whistled is a puzzling question? I would never have spotted him up there armed with his bow and arrow. Maybe he thought I was aware of a trespasser and was out there scouting the woods for him? I don’t know, I guess I should have expected it though, this happens every year. You purchase land and pay taxes on it twice a year then have several people feel entitled to use it without permission.

 The fact is everyone in my family hunts and we invest a lot of time, money and energy preparing for the season. These intruders potentially ruin the hunting season for my family. Not to mention, that when we go out hunting we know where each other are sitting for safety reasons, the thought that I need to wear orange and carry a weapon just to walk through my own property is irritating. I guess we need to start are own border patrol to secure the success of the season.

In the past we have found tree stands erected on our land, bait piles that exceed legal quantity, and my favorite is what I like to call a condo constructed in a huge tree. Yes I said condo; it was a large wooden platform with two old lazy-boy chairs hoisted up upon them, all the comforts of home. Each year it’s an adventure seeking out what has been placed out there.

 Its only bow season and there has been a whistling hunter with a bow in a tree. To insure a more successful hunt, we have posted orange “no trespassing” signs and are vigilantly scouting the woods. With any luck there is a really big buck out there that the poachers haven’t bagged yet just waiting to cross my path.

Over the last couple months I have enjoyed looking out the south windows of my house to watch a Doe and her twins come out a couple times a day to feast on fallen apples. The twins are three quarters the mothers size but still have visible spots on them. It could be a coincidence, but after the youth hunt one of the twins was no longer present. Then after the early doe hunt the mother is absent also. As I let my dog out the other morning I sadly saw the remaining twin standing near the apple tree where its mother would bring them. What use to be enjoyable entertainment for my family was now just sad. As the young deer watched and listened to me instruct my dog to go outside, it just stood there puzzled, waiting for direction from its absent mother. I wonder if it will survive alone, will it become prey to the many coyote with no mature deer to stomp its feet and warn it to run?

I wish more hunters would take that extra second to see if a doe has a fawn with her, and as for the missing fawn, I don’t even want to express my opinion on that. As a hunter myself I understand the desire to get a deer. At the first sound of snapping branches and crunching leaves, your heart starts pounding and the excitement grows. As with any thing we do in life we have to have self control, and when a bow or gun is involved this can’t be emphasized enough. Come on now; let’s have some common sense out there. First make sure you know what you’re shooting, next make sure you have a good shot. My mom always said, “If you take the shot, you don’t come in until you find it”. She also says, “If you shoot it, you eat it” but that’s another story.When you’re fishing and the fish you caught is not of legal size, you can throw it back, you can’t do that when deer hunting and shoot a young deer born this year.   

Over the years I have seen many pathetic results of non empathetic hunters, deer with arrows shot in their butts, deer wounded by .22 caliber guns during bow season, deer limping though our yard because they were shot in the leg. I would like to take this opportunity to encourage all hunters to make sure their guns are sighted in and their weapons are shooting accurately.