i havent cried...but i have found me a nice boulder or stump and sat there and admired my trophy and just reflected...

when i killed my first bow buck this year, my buddy was along with me...i betcha i told him "i did it" 1000x that day..."a deer...with my bow...and it has antlers!" he knows my hunting history...antlers just never came my way much...he just kept sayin "i know man..i know and knew you could do it"


spring i rolled my....3rd longbeard in the spring seasons..could have been number 9+, but i passed countless birds in my short 9 year hunting career...

ive ALWAYS wanted a doubled or multiple bearded bird...said when i got one, THAT was the one id get mounted..and spring season i dont shoot unless i see a longbeard hangin..long story short, i jumped the gun and the bird took a STIFF load of hevi shot right to the wing butt. took me an hour to find him..still alive. we wrestled around and i got to put my tag on him..sure enough, my first double bearded long beard. i hunted that same spot for 9 seasons. in that time i passed many, dad rolled 1...but we NEVER got it done on that point...EVER. i was alone and FINALLY got it right...

kidna bitter sweet moment..after looking at him i knew there was no way to get him mounted. that bad shot led to an unmountable bird...i litterly blew his wing to bits and took probably 25% of his feathers off..he was busted up and butt naked




i sat on this boulder beside him for probably another half hour...just reflecting..thankful for my bird...thankful i FOUND MY bird after making a terrible shot. success on that point after NINE years...and did it solo..thats basically where i learned to turkey hunt, though i never fired a round at a turkey there.

that bird was a tough bird. i managed to put a load of hevishot in his head at 40yds AFTER the bad hit..thought he rolled over right there...i got down there and there was nothing but blood and my pattern..clearly hit him..but guess i didnt strike the spine..

i never really sat there with my trophy like i did that day. i didnt cry, but my mind never stopped. betwee the "first success on that point" and "first double bearded longbeard i always wanted" and "the whole..bad shot, but lucky enough to hold my head on straight and FIND my trophy" and the "fact i couldnt mount him like i felt he deserved"...

that 2 mile walk out of there was more of the same...

me and that boulder have alot of history...if that area is ever anything but gamelands, id love to buy that rock from the game commission lol. ive sat on that hundreds of times. sat on it that morning listening to the birds on the roost...like i did for 8 seasons prior..some times with dad..took my mid morning breaks there...man i love that rock...cant wait for spring...gunna sit my butt right on it and listen to the spring woods awaken for the 10th spring season of my life...