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A DIFFERENT KIND OF DEER HUNT

Posted by on November 10, 2016

Quite often when I write about deer hunting, I discuss the benefits of entering the woods alone making a personal connection with the natural world. This deer hunt was different. I made a connection with fellow hunters who also share in my passion for the outdoors and venison on the table.

Deer Hunting

Since the beginning of time, man has been gathering around the campfire bragging of past hunts, planning future hunts and joking to one another over successes and mishaps. Sunday evening we did the same.

Deer Hunting

Monday morning long before sunrise, the six of us, Dan, John, Mike, Eric, Larry and myself, entered into the forest and marsh of Eastern Neck Island Wildlife Refuge for a deer hunt. Unlike most of my deer hunts, we would be working together as a team, pushing the marsh driving the deer to posted shooters. We were in for an old fashion deer drive, several of them actually.

We started the day off traditionally, with each of us posted at a predetermined location waiting for the sun to arrive and deer hunting as I’m accustomed. With no deer moving in the morning, at 8:30 the first group of pushers began to drive the deer toward the positioned shooters.

On the first drive I was a shooter. When it happens, it happens fast. Two mature does broke out of the woods and into the marsh on a full run toward Larry, who was positioned about 150 yards from me. Trees blocked his shot. One of the deer turned in my direction and ran 60 yards in front of me out in the open marsh. I followed her leaps with the blue dot of my shotgun scope. The single shot shotgun echoed through the marsh. She slowed hurt. I quickly loaded a second round and fired again. She dropped. It was later determined that the first shot had hit the intended target perfectly, and the second shot was a total miss.

Deer Hunt

For an hour the deer hunt and drive continued without any more deer being taken. Once the drivers reached my position, I walked over, found my deer, field dressed it, keeping the heart for a later meal, and as a group we dragged the deer to the truck. Well, I being an old stubborned guy, dragged the deer out using a shoulder harness, as the much younger guys helped me by lifting it over the logs crossing the path.

The deer hunt as a group continued with several more pushes throughout the day. We sat and ate lunch together at the trucks talking and joking about the day. Mike and I pushed a section of woods in the wrong direction misunderstanding the directions given by John. Dan graciously waited for me as we walked the marsh. My old legs were no match to 15 year younger legs. Larry quietly pushed or took a stand, whichever was asked of him as Dan and John set up each drive. Eric found a lost deer in a cornfield, unclaimed by hunter who had shot it in the morning.

Deer Hunt

At the end of the day, with our faces red from the sun and wind, muddy boots and wet pant’s legs, sweaty brows, and tired muscles we gathered over a meal and discussed the deer hunt.

While this was not a typical deer hunt for myself, I enjoyed the hunt and the camaraderie shared with the other hunters / friends. With the ever-increasing pace of our daily lives and the increase of deer roaming our local woods, hunters gathering at camps or for drives is a part of the sport being lost. That is unfortunate for it is an important facit of society binding men together in their connection with the natural process of hunting and gathering.