Sports : A Hunting Story

By Zach Parmater, Ranger, Hannen Park

 

As we sat on the frozen ground firing 20 gauge slugs at a Shoot-N-See Targets from 50 yards, the thought of what would come the following morning kept me warm. The fifteen year old kid that was shooting beside me was going to experience his first deer hunt on what would be the coldest day of opening season that I have ever experienced in my fifteen years of hunting. All of his rounds were within a few inches of the bulls-eye and his closest was within a quarter of an inch. I was satisfied that this young man would undoubtedly place a good shot and quickly and ethically harvest his first deer the following morning.

 

As I lay in bed restlessly staring at the clock until two in the morning, I couldn’t help but think if my hunting partner was doing the same. Morning couldn’t come soon enough. My alarm sounded at five by six I had picked the eager young lad up at his house. I had a quick chat with him and his father and we were headed off for the timber. The temperature on the dash of my truck read -7 Degrees Fahrenheit. BRRRRRR.

 

We arrived at our hunting grounds at 6:30am. The cold temperatures and wind seemed to chill one clear to the bone. The young man’s excitement was evident and as we headed off across the corn field to the timber and he and I forgot all about being cold. With the rising sun there was hope that it would warm; we couldn’t be so lucky. Knowing what the forecast was and how cold it would stay all day there was little hope. The first deer I heard was running through the timber, coming towards us on the edge of the field. The deer entered the field and stood for just a few seconds before trotting off. I looked at my partner noticing the smile on his face, but also the slight disappointment of lost opportunity. I reassured him there would be other deer.

 

As the morning went on, we had four other deer within fifty yards, and each time I said “get ready, get on him, and take it when you’re ready”. Each time the deer either saw movement and ran, or just wouldn’t slow down long enough for the young man to take aim. I was proud of him for not taking the shot. “Never take the shot unless you can quickly and ethically harvest an animal.” My statement to him the night before while target practicing seemed to have stuck with him. A wounded animal that is not retrieved is definitely something to lose sleep over in my book.

 

Although the deer were few, the sights and sounds of nature were abundant. There were turkeys calling in the timber. A Grey squirrel barking at us letting the world know that we were there, or the cackle of a rooster pheasant that is all too unfamiliar these days, flocks of Canada Geese flying overhead, undoubtedly building a massive feed in a nearby corn field. Blue Jays, Cardinals, Red Headed Woodpeckers flying in and out of the tree above us. All of these things make you forget that your toes are freezing and that you can’t feel your fingers.

 

The morning came to a close around noon. My toes, fingers, nose and ears were all but frozen. We sat in the truck for fifteen minutes with our hands in front of the heater vents before I was warm enough to drive. Some might say that his first hunt was unsuccessful, but it was quite the opposite in my eyes and I think his as well. We saw deer, we didn’t lose any fingers or toes to the cold and we shared a few hours in the woods watching many animals doing what they do to survive the harsh elements that nature throws at them. As I dropped him off at home he thanked me and told me he had a good time. We made plans to go squirrel hunting after deer season and turkey hunting in the spring.

 

 

TV, video games, and texting are things that the youth of America do all too often. The days of playing in the dirt and mud seem to be a thing of the past. One kid, one day, one hunt and they could be hooked for life and have a little more respect and understanding for nature and why it’s so important. Kids are our future, so let’s make sure they know and understand nature better than we do, so that they protect it even more than us.