It all started on opening day of the 2009 hunting season. My very first time on a hunt, tagging along with my brother-in-law, Shawn, I knew I had just picked up a new sport to look forward to. Seeing a couple of small bucks that opening weekend in a large open grassy field, we parked and then started out on foot. As we walked along a well-used game trail, I began learning my first of many important strategies about hunting. I got a little sloppy on picking my walking path; stepping on leaves and sticks, I scared away the deer that were still 250 yards away. I couldn’t believe they had heard me. I had only made the slightest noise, putting a quick end to our hunt that day.

On the way home, Shawn started giving me tips and pointers on hunting. From slow, small movements (if it takes 15 minutes to move 10 yards so be it, it may be worth it), to the type of camo I use (try to pick my colours according to the foothills topology), to my boots (a very important piece of equipment), and a backpack having a series of safety and life-saving supplies.

After having a good laugh about scaring off the bucks, we stopped at Shawn’s house so he could lend me two whitetail hunting videos to do some homework over the next couple of weekends. That ride home set me up for what was later to come. The next big lesson Shawn taught me was patience.  

A few weeks after watching the videos, Shawn decided it was time to set up a treestand. We had scouted the same quarter of land we had seen the bucks on forthree weeks now. Seeing more and more does, we picked a well-protected corner that had a 120-degree angle of vision of the field. We got the treestand ready forearly the next morning.

We set out to the field where our treestand was; barely awake the following morning at 6:00 am, still pitch black and cold. Ten o’clock came and went, and then two o’clock. Finally, I packed up for home at 4:00 pm without seeing a single deer.

This same trend went off and on for the following four weeks. Getting discouraged, I questioned our treestand position; is it too obvious being against the trees? Is there a possible echo? What could it be? It’s starting to seem like I’m wasting time just sitting for hours and hours getting cramps, cold feet and a sore butt. Should I do something different? There was only two weeks left in the season and figuring there wasn’t much going on, I might as well hunt them.

At 11:30 am on the last Saturday of the season, I got apicture text from Shawn. There it was; a nice 5x5 whitetail buck, shot 150 yards from the very treestand I had sat in for 60-plus hours without seeing a doe... I was mad. But hey, like he told me, “Patience, eventually it will pay off.”

The 2009 season ended, leaving me empty-handed but giving me the drive and knowledge I would use for the upcoming 2010 hunting season. In the meantime, I had nearly ten months to prepare myself. I went out and bought all my camo, boots, some new DVD’s, and gave myself a clear, positive mindset.

Waiting and waiting it was finally here, the 2010 opening weekend. I was up and out the door early, leaving my wife a note letting her know where I was going to be hunting. Stopping off at the same field Shawn had gotten his buck in the previous season, I set out on foot seeing where the new game trails were and what area to set up my new treestand. It took a few weeks but I finally found my sweet spot to set everything up. Man oh man, it was the honey pot! I was seeing some action within the first few days, passing on six and eight-point bucks. It was mid-season and I wanted to try to rattle and call in a nice mature buck.

After getting a feel for when and where the deer were coming out, I decided to put up a blind just off to the north of my treestand, just on top of a small berm. I began to imitate what I had learned, rattling hard off and on five minutes at a time. About an hour went by when all of a sudden, crashing and smashing from the treeline to my left out runs a cow elk! Then another, and another, and then half a dozen! Being in complete disbelief, the adrenaline began to pump. Suddenly, out of the bush comes running a little 6-point bull elk, screaming like a little kid. Then out runs a nice 6x6 big daddy! Not being able to take a shot, I watched the big boy bully around the small guy. This went on for 20 minutes. I couldn’t believe what I was watching, but I was still waiting for a clear shot.

I was running out of time, as it was getting close to the end of legal light. Finally, a clear side shot on the big bull from my blind. It seemed like a long shot, but I took it and hit him. Not knowing where the shot came from, two of the cows ran within 10 yards of my blind. It was cool, but scary at the same time to see something that big running at you.

It took several seconds but the bull dropped, then he got back up walked about 20 yards and then finally fell down. I found that the single shot from my 30-06 was a 280-yard hit.

The first thing I did was phone Shawn and rub it in. I then asked for help to load my prize. That was an exciting and nice first bull elk, but it wasn’t the only animal I would get from that same field.

It was again, the last two weeks of hunting season. I got ready for an early morning, knowing the rut was on. I got set up in my treestand and began to rattle. Time passed and soon 3:00 pm came along. Slowly I began to pack up, sending out a last 10-minute Hail Mary of aggressive long rattles. Out came a doe, so I decided to try the estrus can, repeatedly hitting it. Suddenly out comes a buck. Being 340 yards out, I couldn’t see how big he was, so I kept hitting the can. He finally got a sense of direction where the call was coming from. Once again, the adrenaline began to pump and I got my gun loaded and ready. Head down and running straight at the treestand, the buck’s real size finally became clear. I almost panicked as he got to the base of the stand before stopping. He was too close to get a clear shot off. I moved my gun; he heard me and began to run toward the bush. He ran about 100 yards and then stopped. Thank you! I got my deer, a nice 5x5 whitetail.

“Hey Shawn, guess what I got!”

In one season, I got a 6x6 elk and a 5x5 whitetail. Not bad for my second year of hunting. This is going to be a hard year to beat! ■

For previous Reader Stories click here.