My plan for this bow season was pretty simple. I hoped for a shot or two at a doe in early October to work out the kinks before the big bucks started moving later this month.
So much for plans.
At 6:30 p.m. Saturday evening this big six-point buck walked in to 15 yards. Over the past five years I've passed on a number of smaller bucks and am proud of this deer, the first buck I’ve killed with my bow.
But this isn’t going to be about the hunt, which lasted maybe 45 seconds once I saw the buck.
This is about the two guys pictured with me.
On the left is Freddy McGuire of Goodview. On the right is David Levine of Stewartsville. These guys are more than hunting buddies. They are good friends who were willing to give up a huge chunk of their Sunday to help a friend.
That 15-yard shot was a gimme, but not when an arrow clips even a tiny branch. Thrown off course, the arrow hit the buck in the paunch.
I was sick. I knew better than try to go after the buck so I left the stand and headed for the truck. I stopped by David’s house. He wasn’t back from hunting. I told his wife what happened.
During my drive home my cell phone rang. It was David. He immediately said he’d help me look for the buck in the morning.
I called Freddy.
“Need help tracking one?” he asked immediately.
He gets those calls a lot because he’s such a good tracker and, frankly, because he never says, “no.”
I told him the situation.
“We’ll find him,” he said. “Try to get some sleep tonight.”
I didn’t get much sleep, but we still found him just after sunrise, about 150 yards from the stand.
And that’s when the real work got started.
David went to retrieve a vehicle to help us haul the deer.
Freddy helped me field-dress the deer and lug it up to where we could pick it up.
We probably didn’t have to drag the thing more than 100 yards, but the buck weighed 145 pounds (dressed) and the steep uphill drag nearly killed me.
By the time we got the deer in my truck (after pictures, of course) it was well after 10 a.m.
Then Freddy suggested we take the thing to his house, and skin and quarter it (so I could age it in my extra fridge). When we finished, his wife, Amy, had hot biscuits and gravy waiting for us.
I couldn’t help thinking, “What have I done to deserve friends like this?”
And then I thought of something. The other afternoon I spent about three hours helping another hunting buddy take down a big, bulky ladder stand and replace it with a small hang-on. I did it for no other reason than because he asked.
And, really, this kind of thing happens all the time. This is cheesy, but hunters really are part of a brotherhood, and part of our code is helping each other out.
I’ll be there for Freddy, David or my other buddies next time they need me. Just like they’ll be there for me.
Comments
[October 11, 2006 5:20 PM]
David BrughGreat job on a beautiful deer. Your story is a familiar one. Freddy helped me track my first buck too! Good job to all involved.
[October 12, 2006 10:10 AM]
Ellen HornAwesome kill Mark
[October 12, 2006 1:24 PM]
Dean MillerMark, Great story and kill. It refreshing to know that there are friends that are willing to assit in anyway at any time, I have a few myself and value their friendship greatly. As a side note, I really enjoy your blog. Dean