Essence of the Hunt

By Hal Blood

The long wait is over. Deer season is upon us once again. Bow hunters have been at it for a while, but the majority of hunters hit the woods during the firearms season. Deer hunters hit the woods for a variety of reasons. For some it’s just about getting out in the woods and enjoying mother nature and hope to encounter a buck to put their tag on. Other hunters, see it as a chance to take a kid or new hunter out and help guide them along hoping to spark a fire in them. For other hunters, it’s a family and friends affair, where hunting as a group pulls them together for the fellowship and friendship. The smallest group of hunters are the ones that hunt by themselves. Sure, they probably share a camp with other friends, but they usually strike off on their own to hunt each day and share the stories in camp at night. I’m in the last group of what I like to call the Lone Rangers. We don’t like to be on any schedule to meet up with anybody during the day. We just want to roam wherever the day or buck sign may take us. It’s even more so when there is tracking snow, as we never know where we will end up. As I’ve got to the geriatric stage, I carry and Inreach so I can message one of my friends for a ride back to my truck. Those long walks back in the dark after a day on the track are getting a little harder. Whichever group you are in, be thankful that we have the opportunity to hunt these majestic creatures.

True Essence

It’s important that we always remember the true essence of the hunt. I wrote an article some time ago about the evolution of a deer hunter. It was basically about how every hunter starts somewhere and advances along their own journey at their own pace. Some hunters start their journey at a young age and some start later in life, but the important thing is that they started. From there the journey goes through a learning phase and an experience phase. In this age of social media, there is too much emphasis on rack score, weight, etc. There are idiots on social media that poke fun at people for shooting a smaller buck, without even knowing the circumstances of the hunter. The hunter may have shot his first deer or is just trying to feed his family. Thankfully, the idiots are few and far between, and most hunters are cheering on each other and happy for their success.

Every hunter’s journey is their own and personal to them. Sure, everyone needs some help to get started on the journey, whether its reading books, watching films or going to seminars, but it is ultimately up to everyone to gain their own knowledge through their ow experiences. Learn be doing, because it’s all theory until you see it for yourselves. From learning how to navigate the woods, to honing your shooting skills, you must get proficient at killing the quarry. It takes a lot of time and practice to get good, but it will be well worth your journey.

The Journey

The most import thing to remember is to enjoy your journey. There are plenty of things to enjoy and learn in the woods. It might be simple things like watching a red squirrel chatter about, listening to a partridge drum on clear cold morning or a beaver working to put up his feed bed for the winter. It might be learning what kind of trees there are in your hunting area and where they grow. By studying how nature interacts in the woods will make you more able to blend in and be in tune with your surroundings. This in turn will make you a better hunter and woodsman. This in turn will make you more successful in all of your hunting.

To recap on the evolution of a hunter. It’s kind of like running a marathon. In the beginning you may not even be able to complete the distance, but the next time you will go further and then once you complete a marathon, your time will get better with each one you run. When you start out deer hunting, you may struggle for a few years before shooting your first deer. You shouldn’t worry about how big your first deer is because if you don’t shoot your first one, how are you ever going to shoot your second one? As you build on that success, you may decide to try and shoot a bigger buck the big bucks are harder to kill, so you will have to increase your skill level, instead of relying on luck. Once you shoot your biggest buck, that accomplishment will propel you even further ahead in your journey. Where you want to go is totally up to you. Keep in mind that enjoying the journey is the most important thing.

Good Luck On the trail!

Hal is a Master Maine Guide and Author. He lives in Moose River Maine with his wife Deb and can be contacted at: [email protected]

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