[huntingal]

Patience

It was very early in the morning, dark thirty. Getting to the tree stand in the pitch darkness, with only a red light takes some navigating. The glow tags placed on trees leading in helps. A lot. With extreme, exaggerated slowness to remain quiet, I make my way up the metal strip stairs, hoist up the rope with my bow and settle in to sit in the stand and wait for dawn. Patience.

As I settle in, I become attuned to the darkness. All is quiet, very quiet. Even the crickets are asleep. I’m wishing for my warm bunk, questioning the sanity of the morning hunting ritual; get up, get dressed, take the quiet as possible walk, in the pitch dark, to the stand and wait it out a few hours for dawn’s early light and whatever it will bring in the way of a shooter deer. Patience.

Ah, the dedications of a hunter, I muse to myself. Can’t shoot a deer while sleeping I tell myself. It will all be worth it. Even if I just see deer, the trip out into the solitude of the woods is worth it. The quiet serenity, hearing the woods wake up, watching the sunrise.

I close my eyes and listen for any sounds. Ah, the crickets have awakened. I open my eyes, still darkness all around. I try to make out familiar surroundings. Nope. Still too dark. I wait. Patience.

Then I hear the crunching of corn. My wandering mind comes to focus, my eyes pop open. How could that be? I never heard the footsteps. I listen, straining my eyes to see what is too dark to see, hoping my beating heart can’t be heard. I take deep quiet breaths to still my heart. And I wait. Patience.

Slowly, the trees become more defined, but still just dark shapes. Then, I make out a dark shape, then two, then three eating the corn. I can only determine they are deer, the darkness just doesn’t seem to want to leave just yet. Patience.

Finally, as dawn begins to spread her golden orange colors across the eastern sky, I see antlers on the biggest deer. Again, my heart jumps. Again, I will it to a quiet thump with deep silent breaths. I determine if the wind is right. Patience.

I wait for shooting light, and better light to determine if he is a shooter. And if I will get a shot if he is.

Patience.

 

[CrossbowGuy]

Nice!!!

 

[2tallterry]

Well done!

Sent from my LG-H810 using Tapatalk

 

[eric waldron]

Huntingal.....excellent!

The patience comes easier and easier at my age. Back as a young man with a growing family, everything was a timed, get it done, event. Now retired (last 5 years) patience comes easier and easier, especially with animals (sometimes not so much, with people). Kids are all grown with their own growing families ...... so the timed everything torch passes on to them.

Now I go to the woods, no cell phones, no watches, no noise, no traffic, ..........drink a couple cups of coffee from my thermos and soak it all in. Everytime I tell myself worst day bowhunting, beat the best day I ever spent anywhere else or doing anything else....and smile. But each day of taking in the sunrise, being in the woods......as it comes to life at dawn........it's a Blessing!

The harvest, if it happens, is a blessing, if not.............. its just as good, just seeing a deer in their world, is a successful hunt every time!

 

[highoctane]

Patience is something I never had in abundance most of my life. The older I get tho, and thanks to the Lord for my grandkids, I have learned more about patience in the past 8-10 yrs that I ever imagined..

Love is patient and patience is kind.

 

[Educator]

Good writing Huntingal!

 

[JOE PA]

Yes, very nice writing and sentiment. I love experiencing the woods "waking up" in the morning, and prefer to shoot a deer early in the day if I can. My night vision is getting pretty bad at 64, and I have to wear a headlamp (set on red) to find my way any more. It was only 4-5 years ago, I didn't need it at all, most days.

 

[Hunter2]

Good article.

 

[fbg14619]

Patience

It was very early in the morning, dark thirty. Getting to the tree stand in the pitch darkness, with only a red light takes some navigating. The glow tags placed on trees leading in helps. A lot. With extreme, exaggerated slowness to remain quiet, I make my way up the metal strip stairs, hoist up the rope with my bow and settle in to sit in the stand and wait for dawn. Patience.

As I settle in, I become attuned to the darkness. All is quiet, very quiet. Even the crickets are asleep. I’m wishing for my warm bunk, questioning the sanity of the morning hunting ritual; get up, get dressed, take the quiet as possible walk, in the pitch dark, to the stand and wait it out a few hours for dawn’s early light and whatever it will bring in the way of a shooter deer. Patience.

Ah, the dedications of a hunter, I muse to myself. Can’t shoot a deer while sleeping I tell myself. It will all be worth it. Even if I just see deer, the trip out into the solitude of the woods is worth it. The quiet serenity, hearing the woods wake up, watching the sunrise.

I close my eyes and listen for any sounds. Ah, the crickets have awakened. I open my eyes, still darkness all around. I try to make out familiar surroundings. Nope. Still too dark. I wait. Patience.

Then I hear the crunching of corn. My wandering mind comes to focus, my eyes pop open. How could that be? I never heard the footsteps. I listen, straining my eyes to see what is too dark to see, hoping my beating heart can’t be heard. I take deep quiet breaths to still my heart. And I wait. Patience.

Slowly, the trees become more defined, but still just dark shapes. Then, I make out a dark shape, then two, then three eating the corn. I can only determine they are deer, the darkness just doesn’t seem to want to leave just yet. Patience.

Finally, as dawn begins to spread her golden orange colors across the eastern sky, I see antlers on the biggest deer. Again, my heart jumps. Again, I will it to a quiet thump with deep silent breaths. I determine if the wind is right. Patience.

I wait for shooting light, and better light to determine if he is a shooter. And if I will get a shot if he is.

Patience.

You have a wonderful way of putting your feelings into words and letting the reader share your experience. Thank you for it.

 

[Munch007]

Patience

Patience.

Lovely piece of prose!
Well done indeed!

 

[KTownKiller]

Drew me right into the hunt! Well tapped words!