A Fir meets Fur first!

chase perry · January 03, 2017, 12:30:00 AM

Well before first light I was walking up the hill to a place where my dad had taken a beautiful buck earlier in the season. While a buck would be a wonderful gift, I would be happy with any mature deer, pig, or edible mammal. It was very dark, and low cloud cover made it feel like all things were beneath an enormous blanket.

Sitting in the brush blind I could hear the small creatures that called it home busy at pre-dawn chores. I'm enjoying some time off, and they're still at it. I hoped to get a deer during this hunt. My daughter would be joining me soon for the duration of the weekend, and getting any intelligent creature within longbow range of a seven-year-old is a tall order.

I hadn't looked at my hunting license since the day I bought it back in September. This was my fourth hunt of the season. My grandfather and his brothers were sons of the depression. A tattooed old sailor smoking a filterless Pall Mall would speak of a single piece of candy received back then with reverence and awe; a gumball was magical. Similarly, my time to hunt is rare, and sweeter now, too.

What sounded like a yawning brontosaurus to my West was the awakening of the windmill. In the East the dove-colored grey of the approaching day leaked towards me the the way yellow escapes a punctured yolk. After the grey would come a red-orange like the flesh of a grapefruit. The wind was picking up now. At the restaurant recently I said "dang it's windy out there" upon entering. An old man drinking coffee replied "good day to run a windmill". One way to look at it. Today would be a great day to run a windmill, and donate a douglas fir arrow to the engine room of the deer now before me.

This was a nice deer, not the antlered variety—it wouldn't be joining my Dad's buck in the hallowed den above the fireplace—I was exhilarated nonetheless. The arrow slipped between ribs in its entry and departure with an effortless "thwipp"! I'll have to check a Marvel comic from my school days to see if I spelled that right, but it was that beautiful sound unheard by my ears since December eleventh of last year. I saw the deer run, then slow to a squeamish walk, tail down, before disappearing into the brush. I have seen this behavior before, and felt very good about what I had done. After waiting for good measure I began to track, and while I couldn't see it from the blind, I found my arrow right away. I've cleaned it up, inspected it, and shot it. It's back in the quiver, and ready for the next deployment. At the end of an outstanding blood trail was an answered prayer; my first deer with a wooden arrow, magical as a depression-era gumball.

For this I owe quite a lot to two great gentlemen from Oregon; Allen Boice and David Lawson--Thank You!

Later on with the kiddo; a photo from the blind for mommy of my little one, Ava, and I. She takes camo seriously! Having her with me at the ranch was far and away the best part of this hunt...

Happy New Year everyone! Be safe, and best regards, Chase

Soonerlongbow · January 03, 2017, 12:40:00 AM

Congrats on a beautiful deer!

BlacktailBowhunter · January 03, 2017, 12:42:00 AM

Very nice.

DesertDude · January 03, 2017, 01:28:00 AM

Congrats Chase. Been awhile now since I left Texas. Sure do miss it and the friends I made. During this time of year I think of my good friend Ken. I miss him. I have one of his old Simmons beast that he bent up after missing a shot. Take care

twitchstick · January 03, 2017, 01:33:00 AM

Mud_Slide_Slim · January 03, 2017, 05:53:00 AM

Congrats and thank you for a well written story. Very enjoyable.

Bill-

Deno · January 03, 2017, 05:56:00 AM

Good story and pics.
Well done Chase.

Deno

wooddamon1 · January 03, 2017, 10:29:00 AM

TooManyHobbies · January 03, 2017, 10:42:00 AM

Great story. I pictured you as a much older gentleman until the last pic. You must have an old soul. Congrats.

Steve Jr · January 03, 2017, 10:51:00 AM

Congratulations! That was a great story. Thanks for sharing

Steve Jr

MAW · January 03, 2017, 01:14:00 PM

Chase, I can tell you have an appreciation for the literary arts. I do too. Not sure if you're familiar with John Graves, but if you're not, I highly recommend you check out his books. Specifically "Goodbye to a River" and "From a Limestone Ledge". Nice deer man. I enjoy your posts. Good kill.

medic77 · January 03, 2017, 01:21:00 PM

Great job. Congrats

mcgroundstalker · January 03, 2017, 01:38:00 PM

Wonderful Read! Thank You...

...

... mike ...

Bernie B. · January 03, 2017, 02:33:00 PM

What a nice story and doe to go along with it! Congratulations and thanks for sharing!

Bernie

FlintNSteel · January 03, 2017, 03:14:00 PM

You sure know how to tell a story! Appreciate you sharing it with us.

RON ROMAN · January 03, 2017, 03:52:00 PM

Thanks for the story and great photos. You have a great talent in the story telling and writing department; not to mention the good shooting. Congratulations to you, and to your little companion.

MnFn · January 03, 2017, 04:11:00 PM

Very well done and a nice concise story well told. Beautiful deer, beautiful bow and beautiful arrows. And beautiful daughter, I am sure.

I used my Liberty on a deer about the same size in November,
But I totally forgot to take a photo of it. Very uncharacteristic of me.
Anyway, Congratulations
G

January 03, 2017, 05:31:00 PM

Way to go, Chase!

Congrats,

Bisch

Big Ed · January 03, 2017, 05:40:00 PM

Well done

drewsbow · January 03, 2017, 07:26:00 PM

congrats