We wait a little bit and then head in to find him. I said he was the one that went to the right so we look
and look and look it’s dark now and still nothing. My heart is sinking I’m starting to second guess maybe I
missed, I hope I didn’t just wound him. All kinds of crazy thoughts. We get the 4 wheeler and turn the lights in
the area I thought he went and still found nothing. We head back to the ranch talk to the ranch hand about it and
decide we will go back out in the morning to look for him. Ironically enough, the outdoor channel was on and it
was about a girl who shot and didn’t find her deer so she had to wait and go back out in the morning. She found
hers so that gave me a little hope.
We go to bed but my mind was racing with all the what if thoughts, so as I drifted off to sleep I prayed that I
either missed or he was dead and we will find him in the morning.
Day 4 Alarm goes off and I am up and ready to go! Not so angry with the alarm this morning. I’m so
anxious to get out there and see what the heck happened. We get out there and I sit back in the spot I was in the
night before and tell them where I shot so we go looking and nothing, no blood, no hair, just nothing! We comb
the area to the right and still nothing. Well now I’m just looking for a hole or shell in a tree. There is nothing to
say I shot a deer with the exception of the thud we heard minutes after the shot.
The guys are not ready to give up (thankfully) Larry says Murphy’s law says lets look in the other
direction. So we do and Andrew finds 1 hair. I’m thinking how in the heck do you see 1 hair in all this!? So we
keep looking we find blood and lung!!!!! In 1 spot and then nothing!?$^7 (This hunting thing can make a gal a
wreck) Larry goes up the way the deer came down, Andrew looks towards the road and I head the opposite
direction. I stand there looking and praying that we find this deer I look to the left nothing I look in front of me
ohhh I think I see something! Nope, just a log… Grrr. I look to the right and cannot believe my eyes, my senses
and my heart is pounding, I found him!!!!!! So grateful that I didn’t just wound an animal and totally excited
that I shot my 1
st
buck! And it was a good shot and he only went about 30 yards from where I shot him.
I can now say I soooo get the hunting thing. All the time put in for that one
moment is worth it for sure! I’m hooked for life. I suppose I should mention
that the next time my Hubby left for a week, I rearranged the house. ALL of
the racks and mounts came out of the little office room and we now have
our mounts all around our living room walls (with my first one right above
the TV) and I even painted a wall size Outdoor scene to finish it off
Ladies, if you haven’t gone hunting, get on it right now!
Debra Dawn Gerads
A Note from the Editor: Getting your entire family into the outdoors expands every part of your life. You spend
more time together, spend far less time in front of the TV and far more time planning, packing and traveling.
Ladies, if you’re the holdup, start slow, try shooting (it is fun) then step into a little hunting with ugly or
acceptable things (like hogs and turkeys). By the time late fall shows up you will understand the hunt and will
be scoping out a spot on your living room wall for your first trophy too!
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