The Hunt

The cooler weather has the beasts of the world abound. It also has the hunters that prey on the beasts actively pursuing the game.

It has been a long few weeks with constant and consistent work, which, as a freelance writer and photographer is a good thing. However, as someone who enjoys his time in the woods or on the water, it also keeps me away from such activities.

The days worked out and it was time to get up a tree again. My one shot in over two weeks, and the only shot sandwiched between the next set of photo assignments. The evening was cool, overcast, and presented a slight chance of rain. The wind was expected to pick up throughout the day.

In preparation, my lovely wife was kind enough to do a little preparation to my anticipated location over the weekend while I was working. The preparation consisted of dumping some loose corn near the site of the stand,

After doing my home duties throughout the day, including picking up our youngest son from school, I quickly got dressed, grabbed the climbing stand, the bow, the arrows and my small hunting bag.

Finally, I was getting back in the stand.

I knew my time would be tight as with the time change dark comes early. I quickly set the climber around the tree and left my bow and arrows beside the stand. I drove away from the area, roughly a quarter of a mile, parked and began the march back to the stand.

I slipped into my safety harness and slipped into the climbing stand after attaching my bow. Slipped into my climbing stand may not be the best visualization. Perhaps slithered best describes the action. Weaving between straps, up through the top section while trying to maneuver my lower body onto the lower section of the climbing stand, is likely the hardest part of the hunt, especially as the body ages.

In just a few moments, I quickly and safely worked the stand up the tree, standing on the lower section while raising the upper section, then sitting on the upper section while raising the lower section. Twenty-five feet higher than the start of the climb, I had positioned myself for the hunt.

Bringing the bow up to the stand and nocking the arrow, the only thing left for me to do was wait.

And I waited. The rain trickled in just enough to tell that it was a cold rain but not enough to soak anything. The wind caused the tall hardwood to sway back and forth. Sometimes it would sway in a circular motion. For someone who is afraid of heights it would be unnerving. For myself, it felt as if God was gently rocking me to a peaceful rest.

Occasionally the clack and thud of other trees fighting each other in the high breeze would cause a quick turn of the head to see who had won.

No squirrels, no typical animals such as rabbits, ground hogs, or song birds were active. Eventually I heard the coming of traffic. Constant honking of several aerial drivers in a formation that would make the Blue Angels envious blasted through the cloudy, windy sky. With the flight of the Canadian geese, it was as sure a sign as the sun’s setting that dark was coming soon.

The time had come to descend the tree and head back to the truck. No deer had come out.

Nothing is easy. And by that, you can read it two ways. Read one way; nothing is EASY. Meaning it is easy to do nothing, to get no result. The other way; NOTHING is easy, meaning something, as in a desired result, is hard.

To be successful in the endeavor, hunting in this case, time and effort must be put in. Finally, can start putting that time in.