Patience: The Deer Hunter's Virtue
by Max August
Recently our deer hunting area was left out of the doe permit areas. We had many discussions about the situation and pondered long and hard about what my response to the years hunting season would be. We had been blessed with several excellent seasons in a row and still had plenty of venison in the freezer. I finally decided to return to the days of old when hunters waited patiently for the big buck to come by and was determined not to shoot the first deer with antlers on his head. I made the statement to the others in my party that I was not going to squint through my scope to find as rack and that I was going to wait until I saw a nice rack.
I began preparing myself mentally before the season started by telling myself over and over to wait. Finally opening day was here. I did everything the same as I have always done except I was very relaxed when opening light arrived. I watched and waited approximately one half of an hour after season opened when a well developed four point crossed my field about 75yds away. An easy kill in past years but not this year. My preparation had paid off and I was able to contain my excitement. I never touched my rifle and let the small deer walk past my stand. Surprisingly I felt good. No disappointment, no anxiety, just a feeling that my patience would pay off. Even if it did not that deer could be back next year and be even bigger.
I continued to wait over the next two days and watched the usual procession of does as they fed in the hay fields on the exposed clover. I thought of the deer I had past on and wondered if I would go without this year due to my preseason decision. Finally I had to go home for work. I had mixed emotions as I traveled home in my empty pick-up truck. I kept telling myself it was the right thing to do. After all I still had the next weekend and all of the Thanksgiving holiday to hunt. The saying, "Good things comes to he who waits." kept coming to mind and what little thoughts of disappointment slowly faded.
I spent the week at work listening to fellow workers who had shot deer. Does, small bucks, there were many stories and they all asked the question. "Did you get one?" Then they would look at me in disbelief when I answered ,"No, I passed on a small one. I am waiting for the big one this year." Usually that was where the conversation ended with the person walking away shaking his head. During the week I continued to tell myself to be patient and wait. Bolstering my own confidence in my decision. Finally, the second weekend of he season arrived.
Once again I went through the routine, I double checked my equipment and was very prepared to shoot a deer. The feeling of relaxation was still there and I was still confident in my decision to wait to shoot the big one. As is usually the case as the season goes on the sightings of deer dropped significantly. I still saw a few does on this weekend including a small spike buck that I did not even look at through my scope. After all I did not shoot the four point earlier, why settle for something smaller.
I began to notice that my whole attitude was slowly changing. I no longer thought of returning to work disappointed that I would not have a story to tell. Instead I marveled at natures beauty. I watched the geese in the distance and listened to the ducks in the swamp. I was even treated to a fly by of a bald eagle. This was indeed what hunting was all about. I once again concluded the weekend with a trip home in an empty pick-up truck, but this time the doubts were gone. I had reached the point where the kill was no longer important to me. I had reached another level in my hunting abilities. I was able not to shoot. I was able to control my emotions when deer entered my line of fire. I continued to tell myself to wait.
The next few days went quickly and Thanksgiving was the next day. My family drove north and marveled at the sights of nature on our trip. I continued to reinforce myself, telling myself to wait and that I still had four days until the end of the season. The weather reports were very favorable and the bad weather was about to break. I was looking forward to the next morning in the blind. The next morning I was in the blind early. I watched the sunrise and the sky was clear and blue. A mist was barely visible above the hay fields that I watched intently. About an hour after sunrise, the first deer of the day walked into the field.
It was very unusual to see a walking deer this late in the season. Even more surprising was the fact that this large doe was being followed by several other deer. I watched through my scope as one by one 12 deer walked several hundred yards across an open hay field. I felt amazed at their lack of concern as the does fed and the fawns ran around and played. Included in the group were the two bucks that I had seen earlier in the season. I watched each deer cross the field until they were all gone. I stepped back in my blind and thought of the sight of all these animals this late in the season walking across an open field in broad daylight.
My quiet no shooting had a side effect that I had not counted on. The deer were no longer frightened by my presence in the blind. Then without warning one more animal stepped into the field right where the others had came from. The antlers glistened in the early morning light. The antlers extended well above his ears and I knew my waiting was about to pay off.
Then something strange occurred, instead of being anxious and excited I became extremely calm. No racing heart, no shaking hands, my breathing remained slow and even. I had total control of my emotions. I checked my distance markers and realized it was going to be a long shot, 400yds give or take a few yards. I thought of the ballistics of my .308win with it`s 150 grain bullet. I carefully raised the cross hairs above the point of impact to compensate for the distance at the given range. I continued to wait until he was at the point closest to me which happened to be just before he would step into the swamp and be gone. I squeezed the trigger and he bolted forward hard at the crack of the gun and I knew I had connected. The Buck was mine.
I found him about 100yds from the spot that I had shot. A nearly perfectly formed eight point. A very nice trophy. I was extremely proud and happy, more than in the past years. I had set out to wait for the big one. Had convinced myself and trained my mind to be patient and was successful. I doubt I will ever forget shooting this deer as it will be mounted like the rest of my trophies but, I know I will never forget the ones I watched go by that year. Importantly, I will always believe in the virtue of patience as a hunter. I am more convinced than ever that the advice that I give all hunters is more true today than ever before:
The Fun Is In The Hunt
