Looking back on the past 31 years of whitetail deer hunting I’m
reminded of how much the hunting techniques my family uses have changed…and for
good reasons.
The very first time I went deer hunting my stand was a branch
that measured about three inches thick in diameter. It was nailed between two
tree trunks, and the “bench” stood about two feet off the ground. Twenty minutes
into the hunt my skinny butt was already sore, and I couldn’t sit still.
Needless to say, all the fidgeting around prevented a deer, let alone any animal,
coming within a hundred yards of me.
The next year we brought metal folding chairs to sit on. The chairs
were more comfortable, which enabled us to sit still longer, creating more
opportunities to see deer…emphasis on “see”. Sitting on a folding chair on the
ground meant we were at eye level with the deer, which means, if you can see
them, they probably already saw you. In this situation you have about one
second to shoulder your rifle, find your target, and squeeze the trigger. (Think
about it, it probably took you at least three seconds to read that sentence). We
were definitely seeing more deer, but our success rate was still very low. Harvesting
one deer between the six of us was a good year. We clung on to this technique
for way too many years because things were “good.”
One year, my oldest brother took a bold step and used an abandoned
stand that was elevated and deeper in the woods. He immediately had great
results - he could see the deer before they saw him, giving him ample time to
be ready. His success rate sky-rocketed, and within in a few years we all were
hunting from elevated stands. We didn’t shoot every deer we saw, but the hunts
were a lot more enjoyable.
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| This picture doesn't span the entire 31 years...we didn't have many reasons for pictures early on |
Imagine if we allowed ourselves to stay in that comfort zone
of things just being “good.” Thankfully, my brother took the bold step that led not to only enjoyable hunts, but great memories for our family!
2 Corinthians 3:11-12 So if the old way, which has been replaced,
was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever. Since
this new way gives us confidence, we can be very bold.
