 It
was
a cold snowy morning , opening day in
'97.
Two friends and I set out to an area of
isolated terrain amidst the army of hunters surrounding us. It was
6:30 am,,, hot coffee and munchies packed into the bucket of supplies to
take out on the trail. Here it was,,, the first day we had
permission from the State to take some meat for our tables!
The excitement high, as we clarified where each
of us were to be based,, we headed down the two track in the truck and
a song came on,, that sent tingles ever so deep within.
"Fred Bear" by Ted Nugent just began to
play. The rythm of the guitar,, the story being told in song about Fred
Bear and the Spirit in the woods,, couldn't have been more perfect.
As the headlights of the truck scanned the white
trail ahead,, showing sign of a few deer, but no automobiles,,, our spot
was SAVED! Teds guitar hypnotically echoed as we turned up
the tune to let it play at that level many would frown upon. We weren't
frowning,,, and neither were the deer. We were in our element,,, and the
words held true,,, the spirit in the woods was here,,, we could feel it.
The song ended,, the radio and truck now turned
off at out parking spot at the end of the trail. Energies from just
prior were still permeating from us,,,, we were not coming out of these
woods empty today. No way.
A light glow of the rising sun just beginning
to break the darkness, shapes becoming more discernable,, the still crisp
morning air stinging our lungs,, we set out in our separate paths to get
next to nature,, to be 'As One'. Senses highten as each step in the
snow takes us to our roost. Walking was not what you do,,, you stalk. Every
few slow quiet steps,, stopping,, not only to listen,, but to break the
pattern of our crunching sounds in an attempt to be in stealth, possibly
from an ear that may already had noticed, but not yet sensed the sounds
as potential danger.
Fresh tracks in the newly fallen snow already
gracing my path,, I slowly ascend up a steep hill, straight up a deer runway
to the top,, where the heavy oaks where stopped with a clear cutting on
the other side. I follow the woodline down a break in the runway,, sitting
down and placing my back to a huge oak, with the decline of the hill on
the other side behind me.
As quiet as a one could be,, the bucket banged,,
the limbs were crackin',,, I lost my cover. I figured I may set up quick
if not quiet.
It wasn't an hour after sitting in front of that
oak,, sitting on a sheet, my bunns were cold from the ground , then some
movement caught my attention atop the hill from which I came.
A small but stately buck,, sniffing the ground
like a puppy dog looking for a Milk Bone. My trail was picked up
undoubtedly,, yet it was enough time had passed,, not to deter the buck
from continuing his path back into the cedars below me for the days retreat.
He got halfway down the runway,, looking ahead
right to my area,, stopping , smelling and again looking every 8-12 steps
or so. He knew my shape was not familiar or recognized, but the tree
must have helped in distorting what I looked like ,, so closer he came.
 Dissappearing
in the ravine between us,, my hands went to my rifle,,, yet when his rack
was spotted along the ground line on his ascend,,, something says ''No'',,,
" this is not the One". He was a nice 4 pointer...
My hand falls back to my side,,, and frozen,,
keeping my head tuned to the left of where the deer was,, but keepin my
eyes to the now appearing head,, peeking over the hill towards me.
Closer he came,, still stopping,, smelling and
staring right at me. His curiosity took the better of him,,, as now
he was 20 feet from me,, still walking closer and closer until he was practically
12-15 feet from me. My eyes rarely made contact with his,, purposely
looking to his side, yet keeping my head still. His head dropped,,
eyes still trained on me,,, and stomped his right foot. Quickly lifted
his head,, then lowering it again,, then stomping his left foot.
At that,,, I looked directly at him,,,, his head
raised to hieght, frozen at my small and sudden movement. I
smiled,,, nodded my head and broke the silence in greetings ,,,,,,
"G'mornin' my Friend".
With that the buck sprang to life, did a backflip
and a Fred Flintstone peel out,, retreating into the ravine some 100 feet
away, and appearing just on the raise of the hill on the other side.
He turns, to look at me,, so see if I was following, and stared at me as
if in amazement of ''what the heck was that?"
Seeing I was of no danger, he paralleled the
hill to my right, crossing again over to my hill,, and stopped at the top
of the hill,, looking over the clear cut below on the other side of the
Woodline break, facing due east.
I tell you ,, watching his proud silloutte standing
there, looking  away
from me,,with the golden colors of the sunrise surrounding his shape as
an aura,,, something hit me, and touched me so very deep. Witnessing this
majestic creature in his realm,, his strength although still young,,, was
clear my his defined stature.
I cannot convey the emotion generated in witnessing
this,, but my Spirit was indeed intensely touched.
"Fairwell my Friend,,,, make lots of majestic
children as yourself,, Be safe" ,, I whispered aloud.
Sometimes we have to let it go,,, so it can grow
,,, and so can we.
~Wudz
A safe and successful hunt this season to all.
We never come out of the woods without a bounty of some sort.
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