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Old January 13, 2000, 08:27 PM   #1
Mikey
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Join Date: November 14, 1998
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 885
What was the best day or most memorable time you ever had hunting? The one you tell everyone about...

Mine was a trip with one of my favorite hunting partners to a dairy farm in Petersburg, Tennessee. The farm was owned by his cousin and hadn't been hunted in years. We had been drawn for doe permits that could be used during buck season and we went with the hope of filling the freezer with a few "meat deer".

Daybreak found me overlooking a hayfield and my buddy was in a stand farther back in the woods. Thirty minutes after daylight I saw a deer crossing the field about 150 yards out. Crosshairs behind the shoulder...squeeeeze...one down!

After my partner came down, without success, we went to the local "gas and grub" to check in my small 4 pointer. I actually thought it was a doe when I shot. The rack was very small and somewhat deformed. We ate breakfast and decided to do some two-man drives in the middle of the day.

I took the ridge and he took the valley. We hadn't gone much over 300-400 yards when I heard him shoot. Then I saw a deer running up the hill opposite mine. I scoped him and confirmed a buck. A quick rest against a tree and I got the crosshairs between his shoulders...he stopped about halfway up...squeeeeze. Another one! When I found my buddy he was field dressing a nice doe. I couldn't wait to tell him about my FIRST 8 POINTER!!!

We went back to the same store to check them in. The owner couldn't believe our luck and several hunters gathered around to look. Ain't nuthin' better than being the center of attention at the check-in station! We sat around swapping stories and ate some lunch. We figured, since we were already here, might as well go back out and hunt from the stands until dark.

About half an hour before dark, a doe came down the hill I was watching. I waited a little while to see if a buck would follow. Then I thought, why am I waiting, I have a doe permit! It was an easy 50 yard shot and she was down. I heard another deer running back toward my partner. A few minutes later he shot too. I field dressed the doe and got her to the truck. Within 10 minutes, my buddy came to the truck too. He was dragging a nice 6 pointer!

As we pulled up in front of the little store, the store owner came out to meet us before we could even get out of the truck! He was hollering at the rest of the hunters who had stopped by, "Hey! C'mere. These guys got 'em stacked up like chord wood over here!"

We checked the last two in and headed home. I still grin real big every time I think about that day. I had the 8 pointer mounted to always remind me of that hunt. He isn't all that big but sometimes a trophy has nothing to do with size.

We filled both our freezers and donated the rest to "Hunters for the Hungry".

Oh, yeah...we took pictures the next morning!



Mikey

[This message has been edited by Mikey (edited January 13, 2000).]
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Old January 13, 2000, 11:47 PM   #2
Art Eatman
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Join Date: November 13, 1998
Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA
Posts: 24,798
I have a bunch of horns nailed up in the garage, and I can describe the hunt for almost all of them.

What stands out the most, though, is not the deer themselves. It's the camaraderie of walking-hunting with a bunch of guys you like and respect--and trust. The BS around the campfire, and the divvying up of camp chores. It's the sunrises and sunsets. The weather that's too hot to walk or gut a deer, or too blamed cold to just sit in a stand--but it makes for a lot of joke-bitchin' in camp.

I remember afternoons and evenings sitting around a tank, waiting for doves and the laughing at each other over how many shells it took to get a limit. Or bailing out of my truck, chasing blue quail through cactus, catclaw and lecheguilla--cussin' that metamorphosis that happens when you shoot a blue: He turns into a rock and becomes invisible, and you can hunt for him for half-an-hour. "But wasn't that a pretty shot!"

I almost feel sorry for folks who don't hunt, and won't ever experience that warm satisfaction we lucky ones know.

, Art
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Old January 14, 2000, 10:56 PM   #3
muleshoe
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Join Date: January 3, 2000
Location: Mills County, IA
Posts: 410
Art is exactly right. Each and every hunt should be memorable. If not for the camaraderie of being out with good friends, then just the fact that we are able to these things. I can remember an overcast day sitting on a high ridge overlooking a couple of meadows. I was waiting for elk but was overwhelmed by the sight of a bald eagle circling through the mist and clouds below me. I don't remember if I killed anything that hunt, but the 15 minutes of watching that eagle will be with me the rest of my life. We may have a lot of complaints about our government and we need to keep those nuts in order, but you should thank God that you live in The Greatest country on his earth. Whoa kinda got to rambling, sorry guys. Bottom line, any hunt you walk away from is a good hunt.

[This message has been edited by muleshoe (edited January 14, 2000).]
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