Can You See Me? LOL
Yes, I went to the deer woods this weekend to bow hunt. I'm just gonna say I just "thought" the Liberty Bowl was cold!
Anthony and I went to Arkadelphia, AR. It's a new place we're going to join. It is BEAUTIFUL. It sits right on the Ouachita River and has lots of timber. Here are a few pics from my box stand:
Front View.
OuachitaRiver past tree line. Left.Right Side toward road.
For my non-hunters, I will explain the box stand. It's a wooden "box" on stilts. Usually it sits about 5 feet off the ground, but can go higher. This one is about 6 feet. A whole lot easier to get into than my 20 foot ladder stand. I'm just saying. ;) Anyhoo, it's open on 3 sides and is camouflaged. A simple metal chair is all there is to sit on. It's not real comfy.
I got in the stand a little after twelve. The temperature was a balmy 8 degrees. A lovely north wind was blowing 15-20 mph, and right in my face. I even googled frostbite while on the stand because I was convinced I had it! Alas, I only had frostnip.
I had been there for a couple of hours and had literally frozen to near death. I have a ton of winterwear for hunting, but apparently I don't have near enough! LOL I finally see three deer about 100 yards to my left. If it had been gun season, I would have picked one, shot it, and went on my merry way. However, bowhunting is entirely different. A wait and see, extreme patience kind of hunt. The deer must get in the 40 yards or less range in order to make a good shot. It takes them FOREVER to meander that close. Finally, they are 20 yards away. I pick one and get ready. All of the sudden, a wild hog comes barreling through the field. What the heck?!?!?!?!? All I hear is snorting and grunting. He's running directly toward the deer. They flee. He zips by my stand and there you have it. Over one hour of waiting in the subzero temps for a freaking razorback to ruin!!! Geez Louise! I was just flabbergasted. And honestly, I cursed a little. Darn hog. I did manage to see 3 more deer close to dark, but they never came close. I get down around 530p and the temp is now well below zero. Not a happy camper.
The camp is, shall we say, rustic. It IS warm, though. By this time, our cousins have arrived. We discover the pipes have completely frozen which means no water. Which means.. no shower. Which means... no indoor potty. You haven't lived until you've used the bathroom in below zero temps. I don't recommend trying it. EVER. I end up bunking with Anthony, Mike (our cousin), and his son H because we're the only stupid ones going hunting. LOL H and I get the upper bunks. Now mind you, I've been in freezing temps ALL afternoon and am just beginning to thaw. I sleep in my thermals and pjs. BIG mistake. The stove in the cabin had me stripped by midnight. Yes, I ended up in just my bra and panties. Thank the Lord I was with family is all I'm saying. H and I literally almost spontaneously combusted a couple of times. LOL I can laugh about it now, but at the time it really wasn't very funny. I didn't dare complain, though. I was storing up heat for the next day's hunt.
I get back on my stand a little after daybreak. It's still uber cold, BUT Anthony bought me a little buddy propane heater to warm me up! I love that man! I see absolutely nothing all morning. No deer, no squirrel, and thankfully, no hog. I'm pretty bummed. We go to town for lunch and I decide to get back on the stand by 1p.
SPOILER ALERT AND/OR WARNING: The following is about the death of a deer. Some of my readers may be sensitive to the inevitable elements of a hunt. I believe that certain animals were put on our Earth by God for sustenance. The deer happens to be one of them. I'm sorry if this offends my vegetarian friends. I mean no disrespect.
A little after 3p, I see this big bodied deer come out of the thicket about 115 yards to my left. I thought it was a buck. Pretty large and walked like a buck. I get the rangefinder out (tells me how far away the deer is and serves as a scope). It's a doe! She's by herself. She is extremely cautious. The wind is out of the north again and this definitely works to my advantage. She can't see or smell me. She gets about 50 yards to my left and turns to leave. For some reason, she stops and decides to keep coming my way. I wait. She stops again just a little out of range and then, she just starts walking. She's headed in front of my stand and she's not slowing down. It's now or never. She's 37 yards directly in front of me when I aim. I'm a nervous wreck. I've never killed a deer with my bow, and it's only the second time I've really hunted with it. I had to decide which pin to use and where to aim to get maximum results. I had NO ledge to prop on and was standing up. Seriously, this is not easy. I took the shot. PERFECT! She makes it 20 yards and falls dead. A direct heart hit. There will be no need to track this deer. Very painless, very quick. Yes!
I text Anthony. He, of course, tells me to watch to see which direction she runs. I'm like she's not going anywhere. I swear he didn't believe me. I totally blow apart his theory of hunting. I wear full makeup, Victoria Secret lotions, and hairspray, and still manage to see/kill deer. LOL
Honestly, I'm probably not going to bow hunt again any time soon. I didn't feel the adrenaline rush like I normally do. I'm definitely more comfortable with the gun. Not to mention, I know I'm a good shot with it, and the bow is just way more difficult to figure out. I never want to cause an animal suffering, and I'm not sure I could make such a great shot again. It was really hard. I am very proud of myself. I have killed deer with my gun, muzzleloader, and bow. Very proud. Who says girls can't hunt? ;)
After all of this, I insist on going to a hotel. I've done what I needed to do, and I want a hot shower and a temperature regulated bedroom! LOL Anthony totally agreed. Can I tell you again that I love that man!? What a great weekend!
Tomorrow it's back to reality. Grad school here I come. And the weather is supposed to be better! Yay! Later blog readers.....
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