holzy
11-10-2004, 08:52 AM
Thought it would be appropriate to post this again
As the sun creeps over the horizon, a certain sense of nervousness and urgency makes its way through each and every portion of my motionless body.
For myself, as well as many other hunters, this time of the year is more exciting than waking up Christmas morning as a youngster.
By now the leaves have found their new home on mother natures forest floor, ferns that once stood waist high have wilted and created a brown blanket covering the once green filled ground.
Summer feeding patterns have completly diminished and the once curious whitetail has turned into a lethargic, 200 pound moving radar.
The aroma that is filling my nose is one of a kind, it may be the lingering aroma of the Tinks 69 slowly making it's way from my scent dripper, or it may be that mysterious musky earth smell that cleanses every hunters soul.
The sun is no longer creeping above the horizon, it's in clear view now, with it's rising, the once quiet and motionless woods begins to become alive. My heart begins pumping as the first sound of rustling leaves echoes throughout the oak grove, only to find that first squirrel of the day gathering for the ever fastly approaching winter.
What can possibly be better than this? This very question is embedded in my brain as I sit, waiting for the opportunity to cash in on all the off season work and preparation, months of shooting, scouting, fine tuning, and videoing.........ut-oh, I think my chance at fame has just appeared at no more than 100 yards.
His dominance and beauty are next to breath taking. Am I sighted in, is the wind right, did I use the right lure, should I try a grunt...all questions that enter my mind with every passing second through my intense and focused mind.
His every step appears to be in slow motion, I think he got wind of me......no, that's just the way a mature buck acts, he didn't get that big by being stupid.
The size of his neck tells me that some popple or pine tree was the unlucky target of his main frame 8 point rack, he has to prepare himself for war somehow.
We are both on a quest, his is to find that hot doe, mine is to find him.....that's why it's hunting and not catching.
Tension is growing stronger with his every step, the moment of truth is here and now, it boils down to this, did I prepare myself for this encounter?
Ok, 30 yards, I feel comfortable, he turned his head, go ahead and draw, nice and smooth....perfect, he's broadside, touch the release, don't pull it, keep my head down........CRACK!!!!!!!!! An explosion of 200 pound brute force exploding though the home range he has roamed for a couple years now.....hopefully another buck finds that hot doe, because he didn't.
This only happens once a year, a chance to finally outsmart these unbelievably wise animals.......The Rut, an absolute hunters paradise.
As the sun creeps over the horizon, a certain sense of nervousness and urgency makes its way through each and every portion of my motionless body.
For myself, as well as many other hunters, this time of the year is more exciting than waking up Christmas morning as a youngster.
By now the leaves have found their new home on mother natures forest floor, ferns that once stood waist high have wilted and created a brown blanket covering the once green filled ground.
Summer feeding patterns have completly diminished and the once curious whitetail has turned into a lethargic, 200 pound moving radar.
The aroma that is filling my nose is one of a kind, it may be the lingering aroma of the Tinks 69 slowly making it's way from my scent dripper, or it may be that mysterious musky earth smell that cleanses every hunters soul.
The sun is no longer creeping above the horizon, it's in clear view now, with it's rising, the once quiet and motionless woods begins to become alive. My heart begins pumping as the first sound of rustling leaves echoes throughout the oak grove, only to find that first squirrel of the day gathering for the ever fastly approaching winter.
What can possibly be better than this? This very question is embedded in my brain as I sit, waiting for the opportunity to cash in on all the off season work and preparation, months of shooting, scouting, fine tuning, and videoing.........ut-oh, I think my chance at fame has just appeared at no more than 100 yards.
His dominance and beauty are next to breath taking. Am I sighted in, is the wind right, did I use the right lure, should I try a grunt...all questions that enter my mind with every passing second through my intense and focused mind.
His every step appears to be in slow motion, I think he got wind of me......no, that's just the way a mature buck acts, he didn't get that big by being stupid.
The size of his neck tells me that some popple or pine tree was the unlucky target of his main frame 8 point rack, he has to prepare himself for war somehow.
We are both on a quest, his is to find that hot doe, mine is to find him.....that's why it's hunting and not catching.
Tension is growing stronger with his every step, the moment of truth is here and now, it boils down to this, did I prepare myself for this encounter?
Ok, 30 yards, I feel comfortable, he turned his head, go ahead and draw, nice and smooth....perfect, he's broadside, touch the release, don't pull it, keep my head down........CRACK!!!!!!!!! An explosion of 200 pound brute force exploding though the home range he has roamed for a couple years now.....hopefully another buck finds that hot doe, because he didn't.
This only happens once a year, a chance to finally outsmart these unbelievably wise animals.......The Rut, an absolute hunters paradise.