THA4
A Few Steps Ahead Of You
Endless Anticipation
By Thomas Allen
The transition has finally taken place. The soy beans have changed from lush green to a bright gold, and then faded to an amber brown. From the inside out, trees at every corner begin to display their ultimate beauty. The blue skies are ablaze with reds, browns and yellows that seem to take your breath away. Not much can compare to the refreshment gathered when gulping in the cool crisp fall air. The shorter days of autumn have arrived and it is easy to see how he can dominate all of our thoughts.
Spring is wonderful and favored by many. The warmer weather finally provides an antidote for that cabin fever we have endured for several months. The entire world seems to fill with life and signifies the approach of a very active summer. The anticipation makes the impatient dog days of summer pass by before we know it. But there is something magical about fall that awakens and rejuvenates us in a manner no other season is capable of.
Another Midwestern fall is upon us and it is our reward for enduring a steamy summer. Kids head back to school and many times we join them on Friday nights under the lights of temporary heroism. What a great feeling it is to put on your favorite hoody sweatshirt, blue jeans and stocking hat to enjoy a high school football game. Lows hover around the forty degree mark, the bleachers are cold but the anticipation is warming, knowing you are only days and few miles from your best tree stand.
Can you see him?
Thrashed saplings begin to appear with shreds of decaying velvet at the base, and we know it’s only a matter of time before he puts us on that emotional roller coaster that keeps us up for many sleepless nights.
There he is!
Were all those hours worth it? At the beginning of the summer you take a trip to the timber once every other week to just check things out. Outings once a week became common. Then you were there at least three times a week checking the trail camera. You studied aerial photos and plotted promising ambush locations. Stands were hung and you spent the cooling nights sitting on the tailgate of your pickup glassing fields and hoping for one more glimpse of that monster that haunts your dreams.
Of course it’s worth it. Being hunters you risk failure time and time again simply to combat Mother Nature and put tasty fare on the table for your family. Just the experience in itself is why we pursue these beautiful yet elusive creatures. It’s no secret that whitetails win more often than not.
So why try? Why spend our hard-earned money attempting to outfit ourselves with the necessities? The answer is simply to immerse ourselves in the beauty of creation with as little disturbance as possible. When that wise old buck catches an unfamiliar scent and tells the whole world about it, we are disappointed. But not at ourselves, rather at the situation, because there is sense of satisfaction gained when we have successfully fooled nature. When something has been detected, we worry that we have thrown off the daily habit of a mature contender. In the deer world that’s life. Don’t worry too much, that isn’t the first time it has happened, he didn’t get that big on accident.
A few weeks have passed and given way to that time of deer season that you long for all year. On the way to your stand in the brisk pre-dawn atmosphere, the smell of freshly cut ground fills your nostrils. The darkness is beginning to turn to a lighter hue of pink as the new day is presenting itself. The hike is short but seems to take hours, and the breeze reminds you of the anxious stroll that was taken with the dog last evening. The sound of the fallen leaves dancing down the avenue kept you up all night imagining you were hearing the same sound in the autumn woods. And finally it has arrived. A gentle northwest wind comforts you as you ponder the stand choice for the morning.
As that giant orange fire ball ascends into the heavens and your body is warmed, it is very clear why you do this. No word in any dialect could possibly describe the beauty of this moment; nor does any phrase accurately depict the passion that drives us out from the blanket of comfort we live under. But this is it, and there is no question in your mind why this pursuit dominates us.
Did you hear that?
A gentle crunching of dry, dead leaves catches your attention. It’s a familiar crunching, too heavy to be a squirrel. You slowly turn to see what is roaming behind you. Your heart stops with the sight of majesty, and instantly begins to pound out of your chest. Carefully you position yourself, preparing for the shot of a life time. Cautiously, the monarch carrying ten long, white and pointed tines approaches a shooting lane that was cleared months ago.
Suddenly, out of no where, a doe breaks in and takes a trail that does not offer a shot. The monster follows his instincts and begins his relentless pursuit. She disappears taking him with her and away from your existence. The disappointment is overshadowed by the intensity of the moment. It happened so fast, yet seemed to last forever, but there was hardly time to react. All you can do is sit back down, grin and pray for another opportunity. That was absolutely awesome!
After you regain your composure you enjoy a pop-tart wondering if there was something you could have done differently to change the outcome. Everything was done right, rest assured. Next time you will be ready. The day will be considered a success, even though he got away. It is good to know the location was picked properly.
The frost has burned off and lunch is rapidly approaching. It would be a good time to head home and catch a nap and a football game. Then to have the never ending argument with yourself about which stand would be best to sit this evening. You will probably check the weather a dozen times to confirm the prevailing wind direction.
You have a plan, its time to start packing things up and get down from your morning hunt.
What’s that?
You hear crunching like before, yet faster. You glance around the tree and once again your heart begins beating in your throat. He’s back and coming quickly! In one fluid motion you turn to grab your bow, clip on your release and draw. A few more steps are all he needs to take to fulfill your ultimate whitetail fantasy. One foot up and down, one more and he’s yours. All that can be heard is the sound of your bow limbs relaxing as it thrusts the arrow towards the brute. Were all the weekends of practice enough? Was the time sacrificed and money spent sufficiently? The flight of the arrow over a distance of only twelve yards seems to take an eternity. You then see the red and white fletches disappear into his side.
And you know.
Autumn is here. Don’t let it pass you by.
Live it up…… Can you see him?
(Courtesy of The Iowa Sportsman, October 2006 The Iowa Sportsman )
By Thomas Allen
The transition has finally taken place. The soy beans have changed from lush green to a bright gold, and then faded to an amber brown. From the inside out, trees at every corner begin to display their ultimate beauty. The blue skies are ablaze with reds, browns and yellows that seem to take your breath away. Not much can compare to the refreshment gathered when gulping in the cool crisp fall air. The shorter days of autumn have arrived and it is easy to see how he can dominate all of our thoughts.
Spring is wonderful and favored by many. The warmer weather finally provides an antidote for that cabin fever we have endured for several months. The entire world seems to fill with life and signifies the approach of a very active summer. The anticipation makes the impatient dog days of summer pass by before we know it. But there is something magical about fall that awakens and rejuvenates us in a manner no other season is capable of.
Another Midwestern fall is upon us and it is our reward for enduring a steamy summer. Kids head back to school and many times we join them on Friday nights under the lights of temporary heroism. What a great feeling it is to put on your favorite hoody sweatshirt, blue jeans and stocking hat to enjoy a high school football game. Lows hover around the forty degree mark, the bleachers are cold but the anticipation is warming, knowing you are only days and few miles from your best tree stand.
Can you see him?
Thrashed saplings begin to appear with shreds of decaying velvet at the base, and we know it’s only a matter of time before he puts us on that emotional roller coaster that keeps us up for many sleepless nights.
There he is!
Were all those hours worth it? At the beginning of the summer you take a trip to the timber once every other week to just check things out. Outings once a week became common. Then you were there at least three times a week checking the trail camera. You studied aerial photos and plotted promising ambush locations. Stands were hung and you spent the cooling nights sitting on the tailgate of your pickup glassing fields and hoping for one more glimpse of that monster that haunts your dreams.
Of course it’s worth it. Being hunters you risk failure time and time again simply to combat Mother Nature and put tasty fare on the table for your family. Just the experience in itself is why we pursue these beautiful yet elusive creatures. It’s no secret that whitetails win more often than not.
So why try? Why spend our hard-earned money attempting to outfit ourselves with the necessities? The answer is simply to immerse ourselves in the beauty of creation with as little disturbance as possible. When that wise old buck catches an unfamiliar scent and tells the whole world about it, we are disappointed. But not at ourselves, rather at the situation, because there is sense of satisfaction gained when we have successfully fooled nature. When something has been detected, we worry that we have thrown off the daily habit of a mature contender. In the deer world that’s life. Don’t worry too much, that isn’t the first time it has happened, he didn’t get that big on accident.
A few weeks have passed and given way to that time of deer season that you long for all year. On the way to your stand in the brisk pre-dawn atmosphere, the smell of freshly cut ground fills your nostrils. The darkness is beginning to turn to a lighter hue of pink as the new day is presenting itself. The hike is short but seems to take hours, and the breeze reminds you of the anxious stroll that was taken with the dog last evening. The sound of the fallen leaves dancing down the avenue kept you up all night imagining you were hearing the same sound in the autumn woods. And finally it has arrived. A gentle northwest wind comforts you as you ponder the stand choice for the morning.
As that giant orange fire ball ascends into the heavens and your body is warmed, it is very clear why you do this. No word in any dialect could possibly describe the beauty of this moment; nor does any phrase accurately depict the passion that drives us out from the blanket of comfort we live under. But this is it, and there is no question in your mind why this pursuit dominates us.
Did you hear that?
A gentle crunching of dry, dead leaves catches your attention. It’s a familiar crunching, too heavy to be a squirrel. You slowly turn to see what is roaming behind you. Your heart stops with the sight of majesty, and instantly begins to pound out of your chest. Carefully you position yourself, preparing for the shot of a life time. Cautiously, the monarch carrying ten long, white and pointed tines approaches a shooting lane that was cleared months ago.
Suddenly, out of no where, a doe breaks in and takes a trail that does not offer a shot. The monster follows his instincts and begins his relentless pursuit. She disappears taking him with her and away from your existence. The disappointment is overshadowed by the intensity of the moment. It happened so fast, yet seemed to last forever, but there was hardly time to react. All you can do is sit back down, grin and pray for another opportunity. That was absolutely awesome!
After you regain your composure you enjoy a pop-tart wondering if there was something you could have done differently to change the outcome. Everything was done right, rest assured. Next time you will be ready. The day will be considered a success, even though he got away. It is good to know the location was picked properly.
The frost has burned off and lunch is rapidly approaching. It would be a good time to head home and catch a nap and a football game. Then to have the never ending argument with yourself about which stand would be best to sit this evening. You will probably check the weather a dozen times to confirm the prevailing wind direction.
You have a plan, its time to start packing things up and get down from your morning hunt.
What’s that?
You hear crunching like before, yet faster. You glance around the tree and once again your heart begins beating in your throat. He’s back and coming quickly! In one fluid motion you turn to grab your bow, clip on your release and draw. A few more steps are all he needs to take to fulfill your ultimate whitetail fantasy. One foot up and down, one more and he’s yours. All that can be heard is the sound of your bow limbs relaxing as it thrusts the arrow towards the brute. Were all the weekends of practice enough? Was the time sacrificed and money spent sufficiently? The flight of the arrow over a distance of only twelve yards seems to take an eternity. You then see the red and white fletches disappear into his side.
And you know.
Autumn is here. Don’t let it pass you by.
Live it up…… Can you see him?
(Courtesy of The Iowa Sportsman, October 2006 The Iowa Sportsman )