A guest post from my friend Atila A (Duke Econ prof.). He has been saying for years that he was going to get his hunting license and go out to get some deer meat. But, this year, he actually did. And got a deer on his first day out. The story... (I should note that Atila was VERY excited about this, and in reading it's hard not to share his excitement. Unless you are a vegetarian, and even then deer hunting is way better than industrial meat farming. Or unless you are just squeamish, in which case it's time you OWNED your carnivorism. Meat doesn't come in paper packages with shrink-wrap; it's an animal.)
Story of My Shot…
It was the first of many things in a human life. The first day of the deer season in NC, a breezy morning, probably the first winter we had ever felt in our guts this year in NC, my first hunt with a gun, my first shot and a clean kill… Not everything was perfect though, which made the whole experience more worth to hear about. The tree stand I was on was looking over a bushy area to my right. Not an easy position to shoot for a right hander, and definitely not for a first-time shooter. In addition, some young pine trees were obstructing my view. Here comes the deer from my very right, I have to tilt heavily to the right, I sight-in, pull the trigger, and Joel, the well-seasoned hunter that I was fortunate to hunt with, and I were harvesting our game next.
A very clean kill. That was my first shot and the only shot we made that day. Joel was very impressed. He said, “you were in the military in Turkey, right?” Yes, I was indeed… He also asked if I felt the adrenalin rush. “Not really” I said. Pretty cool and mature response for a first time hunter who shoots a deer at his first shot. Yes, I am a cool guy… That is a true story, hundred percent… yet it is the rosy, brave side of it. There is another hundred percent true, yet more real and fun side to it. Here it is: I was looking for an orange hunter vest and cap at Walmart when I got the call from Joel around 9am. I heard it is easier to find hunter stuff at Walmart, otherwise I would never stop by a Walmart. Anyway, he picked me up from home at 9:40am. I stuffed my pockets with two slices of some sourdough bread and cheese for lunch, a bottle of tap water, oh and two small milky way bars, leftovers from Halloween. We had not got too many kids at our door, so I thought I should offer one to Joel. And yes, my orange vest and cap.
moremoremore
It was a breezy morning, I said already, so I got my North Face jacket on. I realized Joel’s truck was a better choice, so I left my Volvo in the garage, also no time for a latte. Yes, ready and on the way to Mike’s land. It was a very fun 45 minute drive to the land. Some of the fancy restaurants that I have been hearing about and some new cool stuff that Joel showed, all on the way. Joel kept the level of fun pretty high telling about interesting stuff, like a local lady who walks around with her golf club every morning and the big buck the two talk about. Great conversation all the way without a minute of stopping and there we were on Mike’s land…
I proudly put my orange vest and cap on. Then the moment of truth started hitting right at that moment, Joel taking out his hunting boots, socks, a pair of pants, jacket. Already heartbroken by my ignorance, there comes my consolation with her golf club walking on the other side of the road, the lady that Joel had been talking about on the way. Oh, these are precious moments to witness, watching people of that sort, the kind that meet rarely, and when they do, they have a familiar moment filled with cordial and fun conversation. That was good enough to make my day and I was ready to head back home, but then Joel took the rifle out of his truck and handed it to me. Man, that was heavy…
It got serious already, no talking, very little communication via sign language and very little whispering only when really needed. We walked a bit and came to a tree stand with a ladder. Joel had been talking about that already, that it was no longer steady, needed some work etc. He mentioned about some rope in the truck in case we need to stabilize it, but I know he did not bring it with him to the tree. He goes up the ladder, looks around, gives it a few shakes, comes down and makes that sign with his hands and eyes: “you go up”. Then I make that sign with my hands and eyes: “no dude, you go up”. I am afraid of heights, I am the one that shits his pants at ten feet and higher. Joel makes this sign gesture again: “you go up, I will go to the right, we will see each other”. You know, the one that you move your hand between my and your eyes with your index and middle fingers in V shape. Well, I talk my sign language again: “dude, you don’t get me, you go up and I stay safe and happy on the ground”.
Given the hardship of communicating that particular message via the sign language, I whisper and tell him he goes up and I stay here. Well I end up on the tree stand at the end. The first ten minutes on the tree were all about important questions in life and real answers. Kind of a moment of Zen, I matured a lot in those ten minutes psychologically, and physically. I had been telling Bahar that, according to my hunter education, and I am not telling this because I am afraid of heights, most hunting accidents are caused, no, no, not by guns, but by tree stands. Folks, not using a fall arrest ststem, fall from tree stands. And there I am on one without any safety measure. Brilliant! Why don’t they put a safety belt to this thing? Well, it would dry out and crumble under sunlight, and I would be in more danger if I came to rely on such a belt and lower my guard. There you go… Well then I really have to sit tight, my legs holding to the side bars tightly. Yeah, but my leg muscles can go a certain mileage and I am already feeling it. “Dude, if you tire out your muscles now, you will not be able to use them when you need them the most, that is, when you are falling” I said to myself. So I made a life-and-death decision and relaxed… But what if I see the deer coming, get too excited, get up just to get down well and fast? “No,” I said to myself, “be cool, keep your calm”, and that is what I did. Here comes the explanation for my being the coolest, cold-blooded hunter in the world with no adrenalin rush what so ever…
But I had never fired that gun before, no clue about how it would react. What if it hits back too hard and pushes me off the tree? “Well, dude, that was a good first-day for hunting, but you will get your shot next time on the ground” I said to myself. No shooting this time… Then my phone vibrates in my pocket. I say, “no Bahar, I am not dead yet but this is really not a good time to check in”. Turns out it is Joel, saying that he sighted two already with no shot. I report back “four-five here, not sure if they were big enough, no shot. Wanna take this spot? Better for me if I try my first shot on the ground anyway.” Trying everything to get the hell down from that tree. Joel writes back “always big enough. Out crosshairs on front loin and pull trigger. U have safe lane there.” I reply with a smile J only, message received. I try again in 20-30 minutes: “There is a herd to the far right that I can hear, probably the one that I saw, my shot is obstructed by pine trees, maybe I should relocate to the far right after a while. 2-3 individuals have also passed the field on the far right out of range.” He writes back saying that he will make a circle behind me to push them out. The dude is trying everything to make me fall from that damn tree. OK, “que sera sera” I say.
Before he makes the circle a deer from far right starts walking into the field grazing. It is way to the right, I really need to tilt heavily. I turn right half the way, raise the gun to position, ooops, my North Face jacket, which is probably great for North Pole explorations, makes a lot of sweesh-swoosh sound and the deer turns towards me, listening carefully. I am frozen, literally, with the gun raised in my hands, and oh that gun is heavy, sister. That was a success, the deer continues her grazing and gets behind that pine tree I was talking about gravely in the beginning, the one that obstructs sight and make shots impossible. Yeah that pine tree made me a hunter that day by hiding me from the deer. As soon as the deer got behind the tree, I positioned well. Of course she heard and turned back to see nothing. When she walked into my sight again, I did exactly how Joel and my hunter education instructed: Out crosshairs on front loin and pull trigger. With my well-trained emotions during the last hour, I stayed pretty calm, put the rifle into the safety mode and climbed down. I was on the ground, finally. I could not care less about hunting, or deer, or duck whatever. I was back on the ground in one piece, and that was what mattered most. No clue what to do next, I saw Joel approaching. He inquired about the shot. I said I thought I got her but she ran away. He asked if I had any landmark. What landmark, are we on Manhattan, of course no, it did not even cross my mind to set a landmark. But I have been watching the land so carefully that I kind of knew where the whole thing happened. With all that embarrassment of not thinking about a landmark, I said “you stay here and let me go check”. “Let’s go” he said and we were searching the field next.
Folks, Mike’s land looks so different from above and on the ground. Yet, I was surprised to locate the point. No deer on the ground of course, I saw her running away and no clue how to follow her, not even sure if I got her. Joel said calmly “you got her”, kneeled down, checked something dark red on the ground with his index finger, saying “this is fresh, you got her, let’s trace the blood trail”. And we did, we found her 20-30 feet away lying down peacefully. We dressed and skinned the deer on the field and were back home early afternoon. Another great chat along the way and I realized that Joel was there only for me to have my hunt. What a sweet guy…
I wanted to butcher my first kill myself. It took a little too long, but I was able to get every piece of meat possible out of respect to that beautiful creature. Long story short, I guess Joel was impressed by the clean kill I had in my first shot at a reasonably challenging situation, as was I. When Joel asked whether I had been in the military, I said "yes. I only fired five bullets in total though, but three of them were good". I would have liked to say "my military training paid back deerly".
However, the real story, I guess, is that it was partly because I had paid attention to the hunter training, partly beginner's luck, and mostly because Joel is such an experienced and sweet hunter that he put me in the best spot for hunting. When all that came together, it was a pretty clean kill. Definitely, the next deer that is saved from hunting just to be hit by a car will suffer much more pain than the one I killed today. Next time on the field with Joel, I will follow my safety education and bring a full arrest system with me. I know that will offer Bahar and Sunshine a little comfort when we out in the field. Oh the two milky way bars I brought with me, I forgot to offer one to Joel. He popped up two cans of beer for celebrations instead… sweet...
And, tonight I had some fresh venison. Atila was kind enough to donate quite a bit to me, probably four pounds or more. Yum. Pan fried in butter, just salt and pepper.
He's right, of course, there was a safety attachment on the stand when we first bought it. But that was six years ago, and it rotted away.
Story of My Shot…
It was the first of many things in a human life. The first day of the deer season in NC, a breezy morning, probably the first winter we had ever felt in our guts this year in NC, my first hunt with a gun, my first shot and a clean kill… Not everything was perfect though, which made the whole experience more worth to hear about. The tree stand I was on was looking over a bushy area to my right. Not an easy position to shoot for a right hander, and definitely not for a first-time shooter. In addition, some young pine trees were obstructing my view. Here comes the deer from my very right, I have to tilt heavily to the right, I sight-in, pull the trigger, and Joel, the well-seasoned hunter that I was fortunate to hunt with, and I were harvesting our game next.
A very clean kill. That was my first shot and the only shot we made that day. Joel was very impressed. He said, “you were in the military in Turkey, right?” Yes, I was indeed… He also asked if I felt the adrenalin rush. “Not really” I said. Pretty cool and mature response for a first time hunter who shoots a deer at his first shot. Yes, I am a cool guy… That is a true story, hundred percent… yet it is the rosy, brave side of it. There is another hundred percent true, yet more real and fun side to it. Here it is: I was looking for an orange hunter vest and cap at Walmart when I got the call from Joel around 9am. I heard it is easier to find hunter stuff at Walmart, otherwise I would never stop by a Walmart. Anyway, he picked me up from home at 9:40am. I stuffed my pockets with two slices of some sourdough bread and cheese for lunch, a bottle of tap water, oh and two small milky way bars, leftovers from Halloween. We had not got too many kids at our door, so I thought I should offer one to Joel. And yes, my orange vest and cap.
moremoremore
It was a breezy morning, I said already, so I got my North Face jacket on. I realized Joel’s truck was a better choice, so I left my Volvo in the garage, also no time for a latte. Yes, ready and on the way to Mike’s land. It was a very fun 45 minute drive to the land. Some of the fancy restaurants that I have been hearing about and some new cool stuff that Joel showed, all on the way. Joel kept the level of fun pretty high telling about interesting stuff, like a local lady who walks around with her golf club every morning and the big buck the two talk about. Great conversation all the way without a minute of stopping and there we were on Mike’s land…
I proudly put my orange vest and cap on. Then the moment of truth started hitting right at that moment, Joel taking out his hunting boots, socks, a pair of pants, jacket. Already heartbroken by my ignorance, there comes my consolation with her golf club walking on the other side of the road, the lady that Joel had been talking about on the way. Oh, these are precious moments to witness, watching people of that sort, the kind that meet rarely, and when they do, they have a familiar moment filled with cordial and fun conversation. That was good enough to make my day and I was ready to head back home, but then Joel took the rifle out of his truck and handed it to me. Man, that was heavy…
It got serious already, no talking, very little communication via sign language and very little whispering only when really needed. We walked a bit and came to a tree stand with a ladder. Joel had been talking about that already, that it was no longer steady, needed some work etc. He mentioned about some rope in the truck in case we need to stabilize it, but I know he did not bring it with him to the tree. He goes up the ladder, looks around, gives it a few shakes, comes down and makes that sign with his hands and eyes: “you go up”. Then I make that sign with my hands and eyes: “no dude, you go up”. I am afraid of heights, I am the one that shits his pants at ten feet and higher. Joel makes this sign gesture again: “you go up, I will go to the right, we will see each other”. You know, the one that you move your hand between my and your eyes with your index and middle fingers in V shape. Well, I talk my sign language again: “dude, you don’t get me, you go up and I stay safe and happy on the ground”.
Given the hardship of communicating that particular message via the sign language, I whisper and tell him he goes up and I stay here. Well I end up on the tree stand at the end. The first ten minutes on the tree were all about important questions in life and real answers. Kind of a moment of Zen, I matured a lot in those ten minutes psychologically, and physically. I had been telling Bahar that, according to my hunter education, and I am not telling this because I am afraid of heights, most hunting accidents are caused, no, no, not by guns, but by tree stands. Folks, not using a fall arrest ststem, fall from tree stands. And there I am on one without any safety measure. Brilliant! Why don’t they put a safety belt to this thing? Well, it would dry out and crumble under sunlight, and I would be in more danger if I came to rely on such a belt and lower my guard. There you go… Well then I really have to sit tight, my legs holding to the side bars tightly. Yeah, but my leg muscles can go a certain mileage and I am already feeling it. “Dude, if you tire out your muscles now, you will not be able to use them when you need them the most, that is, when you are falling” I said to myself. So I made a life-and-death decision and relaxed… But what if I see the deer coming, get too excited, get up just to get down well and fast? “No,” I said to myself, “be cool, keep your calm”, and that is what I did. Here comes the explanation for my being the coolest, cold-blooded hunter in the world with no adrenalin rush what so ever…
But I had never fired that gun before, no clue about how it would react. What if it hits back too hard and pushes me off the tree? “Well, dude, that was a good first-day for hunting, but you will get your shot next time on the ground” I said to myself. No shooting this time… Then my phone vibrates in my pocket. I say, “no Bahar, I am not dead yet but this is really not a good time to check in”. Turns out it is Joel, saying that he sighted two already with no shot. I report back “four-five here, not sure if they were big enough, no shot. Wanna take this spot? Better for me if I try my first shot on the ground anyway.” Trying everything to get the hell down from that tree. Joel writes back “always big enough. Out crosshairs on front loin and pull trigger. U have safe lane there.” I reply with a smile J only, message received. I try again in 20-30 minutes: “There is a herd to the far right that I can hear, probably the one that I saw, my shot is obstructed by pine trees, maybe I should relocate to the far right after a while. 2-3 individuals have also passed the field on the far right out of range.” He writes back saying that he will make a circle behind me to push them out. The dude is trying everything to make me fall from that damn tree. OK, “que sera sera” I say.
Before he makes the circle a deer from far right starts walking into the field grazing. It is way to the right, I really need to tilt heavily. I turn right half the way, raise the gun to position, ooops, my North Face jacket, which is probably great for North Pole explorations, makes a lot of sweesh-swoosh sound and the deer turns towards me, listening carefully. I am frozen, literally, with the gun raised in my hands, and oh that gun is heavy, sister. That was a success, the deer continues her grazing and gets behind that pine tree I was talking about gravely in the beginning, the one that obstructs sight and make shots impossible. Yeah that pine tree made me a hunter that day by hiding me from the deer. As soon as the deer got behind the tree, I positioned well. Of course she heard and turned back to see nothing. When she walked into my sight again, I did exactly how Joel and my hunter education instructed: Out crosshairs on front loin and pull trigger. With my well-trained emotions during the last hour, I stayed pretty calm, put the rifle into the safety mode and climbed down. I was on the ground, finally. I could not care less about hunting, or deer, or duck whatever. I was back on the ground in one piece, and that was what mattered most. No clue what to do next, I saw Joel approaching. He inquired about the shot. I said I thought I got her but she ran away. He asked if I had any landmark. What landmark, are we on Manhattan, of course no, it did not even cross my mind to set a landmark. But I have been watching the land so carefully that I kind of knew where the whole thing happened. With all that embarrassment of not thinking about a landmark, I said “you stay here and let me go check”. “Let’s go” he said and we were searching the field next.
Folks, Mike’s land looks so different from above and on the ground. Yet, I was surprised to locate the point. No deer on the ground of course, I saw her running away and no clue how to follow her, not even sure if I got her. Joel said calmly “you got her”, kneeled down, checked something dark red on the ground with his index finger, saying “this is fresh, you got her, let’s trace the blood trail”. And we did, we found her 20-30 feet away lying down peacefully. We dressed and skinned the deer on the field and were back home early afternoon. Another great chat along the way and I realized that Joel was there only for me to have my hunt. What a sweet guy…
I wanted to butcher my first kill myself. It took a little too long, but I was able to get every piece of meat possible out of respect to that beautiful creature. Long story short, I guess Joel was impressed by the clean kill I had in my first shot at a reasonably challenging situation, as was I. When Joel asked whether I had been in the military, I said "yes. I only fired five bullets in total though, but three of them were good". I would have liked to say "my military training paid back deerly".
However, the real story, I guess, is that it was partly because I had paid attention to the hunter training, partly beginner's luck, and mostly because Joel is such an experienced and sweet hunter that he put me in the best spot for hunting. When all that came together, it was a pretty clean kill. Definitely, the next deer that is saved from hunting just to be hit by a car will suffer much more pain than the one I killed today. Next time on the field with Joel, I will follow my safety education and bring a full arrest system with me. I know that will offer Bahar and Sunshine a little comfort when we out in the field. Oh the two milky way bars I brought with me, I forgot to offer one to Joel. He popped up two cans of beer for celebrations instead… sweet...
And, tonight I had some fresh venison. Atila was kind enough to donate quite a bit to me, probably four pounds or more. Yum. Pan fried in butter, just salt and pepper.
He's right, of course, there was a safety attachment on the stand when we first bought it. But that was six years ago, and it rotted away.
1 comment:
That's a lovely story, thank you for sharing it.
You probably shouldn't go hunting with a gun you have never fired a single practice shot through, but it turned out well.
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