Last Years Regrets

Recently I was going through all my deer hunting pictures and videos from last year, and it hit me: I have quite a few regrets from last year that I really need to let go. It’s not like my life will be destroyed if I don’t or anything, but really I need to get over it. 

The first thing (just a small regret, nothing that really bothers me) is that I wish I would have arrowed a few of the does that I had under my stand every night. If nothing else, I would at least still have some meat in the freezer. I shot one deer last year  in October, a BIG deer, and I ran out of meat in April…I ate it all myself…yes I ate a lot of deer meat. It’s pretty darn good. And also I was too poor to go out and buy beef all the time. 

My second regret is that I wish I hadn’t passed up the big 8 point buck that I saw twice underneath my stand. Of course, I was holding out for Mr. Big…who never showed up for our date. Most of you probably remember me blogging about the 8 point and of course Mr. Big, who is practically famous.  Needless to say, the 8 point would have been a nice addition to my wall. He was a big bodied deer, and had a unique rack. At the time it wasn’t what I wanted, so I’ll have to learn to live with my decision.

Third: I guess this really can’t be considered a regret since its not my fault…but I still wish I would have shot Mr. Big. Bow, shotgun, muzzleloader I don’t care how. I’ve never hunted so hard in my entire life as I did last year for that big ten point. And then some other city hunters had to shoot him on opening day of firearm season. During a drive. It wasn’t how I imagined him dying.  I imagined him dying with a hole through his lungs from my arrow.

I hunted him day after day, week after week, all through bow season and muzzleloader season. I barely missed a day. It was my obsession, it was what I got up for in the morning. My friends and family never even saw me…it was kind of like I was dating a deer. Anyone else ever have this problem???

I still remember the day I found out that someone else had shot him…my dad called me on the phone (I was bear hunting with one of my friends) and I knew it was going to be bad news by the tone of my dads voice. I’m pretty sure I almost started crying when he told me Mr. Big was no longer. 

Looking back, I was more upset about Mr. Big being killed by someone other than myself  than I was about the recent breakup I had gone through that October.  And STILL when I look through my pictures of Mr. Big, and the one video I took of him, I think: that would have been just AWESOME if I had actually shot him like I had planned!!!

Just goes to show you, life doesn’t always go as planned!!! 

This year had been a lot different so far…I haven’t got to hunt as often, and I’m not as familiar with the land since this will be my first time hunting Ohio. There are more bucks, and a lot BIGGER bucks, which is a good thing.  The weather is cooling off, the rut is just around the corner, and I’m looking forward to spending the days in my stand until I have to pick the kids up from the bus in late afternoon.  It certainly is a change having kids around to look after and not being able to hunt every day whenever I want...but I'll get out there!!!

All I want is one chance at a big buck and I’ll be more than happy.