As the 2021 deer season slowly winded down, my husband and I found ourselves with a dilemma; we were about one deer short of the venison we needed for the year.
We had been blessed during archery and early rifle season with two tender spikes, but during his last hunt, coyotes found Court’s deer first.
And with the end of the North region’s season closing in amid the holiday hustle and my ballet bustle, it didn’t look like we would make it to the family ranch in Goliad anytime soon.
It turned out that the VWR Ranch would be our solution.
A couple of weeks before Christmas, Court presented me with a management buck hunt at one of our favorite places to hunt. Between the friendships, community, and incredible deer there, I was beyond excited for this unexpected hunt!
We planned an end-of-year hunting weekend and started preparing.
Preparing for the Hunt
Before the hunt could begin, I had to take care of some business leftover from January of 2021; my buck, Redemption.
I learned a lot about the kind of hunter I wanted to be from last season, and Redemption has been my constant reminder ever since. As I lined up the shot on his shoulder, I was racked with emotion and fierce determination.
He fell with the pull of the trigger, but it had been a marginal shot. Hit through the spine, but it would be minutes for him instead of seconds. I still feel a little bit of shame remembering the sound of Court’s rifle as he brought about a quicker end.
I’m known to be a pretty good shot with a rifle, so the general consensus was that the rifle had been bumped and was no longer properly sited in (I’m also known to be pretty clumsy!”); so before I would take any more shots on animals with my .270, it needed to be sited in.
We set up at the rifle range, and I got ready to take my 100-yard shot. My breathing deepened, the crosshairs settling on the target… Boom!
It hit about an inch above the center of the target where I was aiming. I sagged back away from the rifle, the chip on my shoulder feeling heavier. Sure, it was a good shot, but it never been the rifle; just me.
Instead of letting the realization dampen my spirits, I used it as motivation. This year, I would set my emotions aside and focus on a clean shot.
As we walked away from the range, Justin pointed to his shoulder. “You’re anticipating that recoil, and it’s pushing your shot a little. Don’t worry about the recoil, and you got it.”
The dancer and athlete in me grinned. I haven’t always been good about keeping the emotions out, but I’ve always been good at applying critiques on form.
New Year’s Eve
We huddled up with the other hunters and started planning who would hunt which stands. In the end, we ended up back at a blind we had hunted the last time with a list of criteria to help us identify eligible deer.
Believe it or not, the B.F.E. from my last post was considered a management deer, so you can imagine how excited we were at the prospect of another big freakin’ eight. (You can read about him here!)
I’m not sure about where you’re at, but here in South Texas, it’s been hot. Like, mid-August hot. We might be used to mild winters, but I wouldn’t consider 90 degrees in December “mild”.
Justin dropped us off and stepping into the blind felt more like stepping into a sauna. Despite the oppressively humid heat, we set ourselves up and waited.
One of my favorite scenes in the MeatEater show is when he and Joe Rogan are glassing for deer on Prince of Wales island in Alaska. It’s raining, obviously cold, and the wind is ripping through their little shelter as they’re looking for anything on the opposite ridge.
Steve laughs a little and talks about how some of the best fun is “suffering”. Sure, the conditions are miserable and you’d give just about anything to be somewhere dry and warm, but after this hunt, it’ll be the most fun you’ve had. Those challenges make the moment of success so much sweeter.
You’ll look back on that miserable day on the mountain fondly and think “Man. That was so much fun.”
This was what I channeled as we baked in that deer blind in the South Texas heat.
As we watched the three or so does that braved the heat for corn, we whispered for those hours about hunting and all kinds of things. I don’t think I’ve ever written a post about hunting that didn’t include a little bit about conversations in the deer stand when the hunting is slow, and it’s because it’s one of my favorite parts of hunting.
I knew there would be downtime with hunting when I first started; I didn’t know it would include some of the most meaningful and most fun conversations with my husband.
The sun slowly sank below the trees, and we decided to call it; I didn’t blame the deer for sticking to the shade of the brush.
We loaded up in the mule, and Justin shook his head. He had chosen a stand near us for some hog hunting, and instead of seeing hogs, he only saw deer. Including a shooter 8-point that would’ve fit the management criteria.
As we drove back home that night, still sticky from the sit, I brushed it off. After all, it wouldn’t be a proper hunt if we got our deer the first sit!
To be continued…
Jess and the Outdoors 