It was a marvelous dawn this morning, in the woods of Pure Water Hollow. As the darkness of night began to give way to a dim, fog shrouded forest, I began to notice several small woodland creatures arising to greet the new day. It was a chilly 42 degrees according to the thermometer at the house at 5:40 when I began the trek that ended under this protective ledge that we call the West Cave.
I had at first gone past my destination because it was so difficult to see, even with a good flashlight. The heavy fog acted as a wall to my flashlight beam and I had never tried to hike up there in the dark before! I was finally in position around 6:00a.m., which would be a full hour and twenty minutes before I could recognize the dawn. I was armed with my muzzleloader with which I hoped I would get a good shot at my first deer when it walked by on the trail below. Yes, this was my very first adventure as a deer hunter! Months earlier I came to the conclusion that if I could provide meat for our table from wild game on my own land it would be a very good thing. It would save us money and help us move closer to being self-sufficient. Today was the day to begin!
This rock-house seemed to be a good spot because I would be well hidden, there would be no breeze from behind me that could carry my scent to an alert deer, and my black powder gun would be able to stay dry since there was a threat of rain. The mighty buck that would provide meat for our table did not appear on the trail where I envisioned him, but I was blessed by my time spent watching, nonetheless. I stayed there for the next 5½ hours, and just took in the whole marvelous scene that God rolled out before my eyes and ears.
A gray squirrel high up in the tops of the trees was the first animal to seem to say, "Good morning", when he caused several leaves to flutter to the ground. He shook the limbs, jumping from one to another with ease. The dew was dripping so furiously from the trees that it sounded like a steady drizzle of rain, making pitter-patter sounds on the blanket of fallen leaves laying all around; the squirrel didn't seem to mind at all. I suppose he was used to it. This was his world; I was the foreign guest here, recognizing God's grandeur in ways I seldom have the chance to in the world of civilization.
Gradually, little by little, the night continued to retreat against the mounting army of dawn's light. At first I could only make out the silhouettes of the nearby trees and branches above me, and they were not even definite forms because of the heavy fog. It was a wondrous experience to observe the fog slowly disappear as more and more trees and rocks were revealed! It was as if I was looking through a camera lens that was out of focus at first, but then gradually adjusted until the foreground came into perfect clarity, with the background farther away still a blur. It wasn't long before a chipmunk could be spied running back and forth across a long, half rotted, log.
This old log itself seemed to tell a story. It had many years ago given up the fight to remain a towering tree, and was now content to be a home for small, furry, grounded creatures instead of highflying birds or acrobatic squirrels. The sights it had seen during it's existence!
As the forest floor came more and more into focus, I began to notice not just one, but three chipmunks, all of them scurrying around amongst the logs, rocks and leaves. I could see a greater abundance of the tree limbs of the forest tops and they began bouncing and swaying and showering leaves from several squirrels now. I got a very good look at one squirrel in particular when he stopped in a tree in front of me, not much higher than my eye level, and looked at me. I sensed that his eyes met mine, but he did not seem to be alarmed. After a few seconds he jumped to another limb.
The continual dripping of the dew became less and less pronounced as the light continued to gain command of the situation. Not only was light obliterating the darkness, but it was also driving the fog away; the noise-making dew seemed to be running away with the fog. The sound of birds singing in the new day soon began to replace the dawning dripping pitter-patter of the dew.
The most pronounced cry of the morning was that of a Pileated Woodpecker from the other side of the hollow. Another Pileated Woodpecker, which was above and behind me somewhere, answered his call. As the morning progressed, more and more of my view from this ledge came into crystal clarity with the foggy background moving farther and farther away.
I heard some definite leaf rustling noise across the trail and on the other side of the hill, below the point that was in my direct line of vision. I could tell it was getting closer and closer, coming up the hill. Soon it would emerge on the trail right below me! I cocked the hammer back on my gun and was ready to take down the deer that I knew would appear. Then I saw a strange oblong shape on a stick moving back and forth. As it came a bit higher and closer to the trail I realized it was the head of a wild turkey, which was scratching in the dirt and leaves! Soon there were two magnificent birds on the trail below me. I thought about touching one off, but at that point I still had hopes of getting a deer. I thought that the deer might hear the turkeys and not notice that I was up there, too. Maybe the turkey noises would make the deer feel as though everything was normal, I thought. The turkey must have noticed me when I slowly lowered my gun because they went back over the hill and disappeared silently and quickly.
As the day became brighter and the sun began to push it's golden rays through the canopy of leaves above, I couldn't help but notice the variety of different shades and colors of the leaves all around me. I thought that last weekend the woods were pretty, but this spot, at this time, was far more dazzling than anything we saw last weekend! The variety of golds and oranges and light greens of the poplar, beech, hickory and oak were complimented wonderfully by a couple of deep red maple trees. I thought to myself that I would be happy to stay here forever.
I may have been able to stay much longer, had it not been for my being so cold and hungry and stiff. I finally decided that it was not meant for me to get a deer at this time and place, so I got up and stretched my aching legs and back. I soon began the hike down the hill and to the clearing. I still had my gun ready, and decided to go along the Split-Rock Trail to see if I might scare up a deer or two there. It is a wide bench with many deer trails through the beech and birch trees. This would be my next pick for a perfect place to get a deer and some day I will try to hide out at Split-Rock much like I did this morning at West Cave.
I found no deer along this trail and decided to set the hammer back to the lock position as I came through the pine tree covered decent to the barn, because of the possibility of slipping. By this time, I had given up on the idea of getting a deer. It was about noon now. I was ready to get to the house so I was no longer walking stealthily. As soon as I crashed carelessly through the woods onto the dirt road in front of the barn I saw something across the ravine! It was two white tails bounding along the Pear Tree trail directly across from me on the other side of the ravine!
I didn't have much time to think, and had I been able to get the hammer up in the firing position quicker, I may have had a chance. There were many small trees and brush in my line of fire, and the deer were on the run, but I got off a shot in their direction anyway. Both deer dashed away, unharmed.
My muzzleloader, on the other hand, was not so fortunate. I'm not sure why it happened, but the nipple that the hammer strikes to send fire to the powder to shoot the ball was somehow blown away! I had been target practicing with the muzzleloader several times this week and did not have any trouble with it but this was the first time I tried it out in the field. The nipple was gone, and without that nipple, the gun is dead. So instead of killing a deer I somehow killed my gun! That meant I could not go back out tonight deer hunting like I had planned.
(Instead of hunting this evening, I went out and bought our first two pigs! I will write about that in my next post, maybe tomorrow.)
In conclusion, my first attempt at deer hunting was not a success. Or was it? After being out in God's nature all morning, I have come to a conclusion about the hobby of hunting. (My brother philosophized to me in a similar manner about golf last weekend. I don't play golf, but do people really just like to chase a little white ball around, or is there something deeper?) Hunting is such a popular hobby for many people not because they like killing animals, but because it gives them an excuse to experience the world outside an office the way God intended. A world without the phone ringing or the TV blaring or all the stress that goes with living in the modern rat race, when you don't even know the difference between night and day because of all the artificial man-made lights and stores that are open 24 hours a day. Hunting gives people a chance to get closer to the God that created them, and to see Him at work in ways that we usually do not even recognize. If I shed that light on this morning, then my first try at deer hunting was a great success indeed!
1 comment
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Renee on October 23, 2006 at 6:55 am
Congratulations on your new addition! My mom and dad had pigs for a while. They are so cute when they are little pigglets.
You are well on your way to being really good homesteader's:)
Love and Blessings,
Renee
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