The Breakthrough

Photobucket Your first deer is always special, especially in my case. I hunted, with a bow, for over ten years without putting anything in the freezer. It wasn’t that I was a bad shot, as I took my share of trophies at local archery shoots. The problem was “buck fever!” If the target was made of Styrofoam or paper, no problem, but as soon as a living breathing one appeared, my knees quaked and my hands wouldn’t hold still. You’d think I would of taken the hint, and given up at some time, during those “deerless years!”

I got my friend Bob Baltrip and my brother Darryl started into archery and hunting, and guess what? They both killed deer years before I brought down the doe in the picture. Now that was pretty humiliating, but my hunting heritage would not let me walk away. Even this big dry doe played a part in breaking the jinx of “Old no shooting Mike!” (A name tag from my dad) I was hunting our old stomping grounds in Lewiston Michigan when this doe presented me with a shot. She caught me in mid-draw, and proceeded to do the head down head up thing, trashing my confidence! I finally was able to come to full draw, but she knew I wasn’t a porcupine sitting in that tree, and she was nervous. As I let the arrow go she ducked, or “jumped the string,” as we archers say, but low and behold she ducked just right! The arrow caught her in the spine, and down she went. I fumbled for another arrow, drooping one, before I got one on the string again. The second arrow was a heart shot, and the “monkey” was off my back.

I was by myself on this hunt, and had to drag the deer to my truck by myself, but it was the most satisfying drag of my life. I was elated! I could now proudly wear my Fred Bear Sportsman’s Club patch, as an offical big game hunter. Why I could even tell stories, with the rest of the guy’s, about my prowess as a deer slaying machine. You would not believe what that first deer did to boast my confidence in the field. Not to say I never missed again, but the pressure I put on myself was gone, and I could truly enjoy myself weather I filled my tag or not.

I’m glad I stuck it out, as the hunting fraternity is a great group of guys and gals. Sure there are slob hunters out there, but they are not the norm. The people I have had the privilege to blog with are an example of honesty and integrity when it comes to hunting. Even though this year has been one of those “empty freezer” years; I have been the recipient of some fond memories. I guess the moral of this story is “don’t give up.” You may be on the brink of a life changing breakthrough!

Mike