November 7
Every step I took, the anticipation grew. Every slight crunch of the dying marsh grass under my size 12 gave me an anxiousness that I hadn’t experienced in several years. I was trying to be as quiet as a mouse in wool slippers. I knew there was a chance I was going to get an encounter with him again. Last night - he stomped through what was left of the ladino clover at 68 yards. He had to be close.
My 2022 bow season had gotten off to a slow start for multiple reasons. It had been unseasonably warm in early October. Throughout the first 25 days in October - 11 of them had been over 70 degrees. And like most people reading this - balancing work, being a dad, and serving in the church - left just an opportunity or two each week to climb into the treestand. When time is of high value, I like to make my days count by hunting favorable weather. The high on October 25th was 73 degrees and the low on the 27th was supposed to hit 30. That’s the weather pattern that makes a deer hunter drool all over their camouflage. My beautiful wife helped clear my schedule the evening of the 26th and off to the woods I went. The wind was blowing pretty hard, but it was the right direction for my tower blind and I settled in nicely out of the wind.
I was having a good night filming a few does on the opposite end of the food plot - frolicing and munching on some greens. They stayed about 30-40 yards from the woods - protecting themselves from the 20+ mph SW wind. I was zooming in on one of the does and in the corner of the viewfinder I saw some movement. I glanced up from the screen to the window and I got that feeling that every deer hunter returns to the woods for. One glance and my heart was racing. He was one of those that you didn’t need to decide if he was a “shooter”. Unfortunately he stayed tucked up in the woods. I was able to video him for a few minutes. Just like the butterflies in my stomach came - they spread their wings and flew out through my throat as the buck turned and walked out of sight amongst the freshly fallen leaves.
The next weekend came and went - a great family trip during my wife and kids’ fall break to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We returned home - to school and work - and the next time I made it out was a Sunday evening - November the 6th. It was still warm, but again we had a cold front rolling in and the deer activity was high. I watched a few does and a smaller buck as the night started. Then a 2-½ year old 8-point showed up. Judging by the way these boys were acting, there appeared to be hot doe bedded about 150 yards away from me. This young rut crazed deer just couldn’t make up his mind - then into the tall weeds he went. No more than 30 seconds later - I glanced over to the west and I saw him coming. One foot after the last - each step drove the clover beneath his hoof into the ground. He had that hot doe on his mind. Across the food plot he went and after completely catching me by surprise it was all I could do to blow a grunt call at him as he was half-way across the food plot. As the deep vocals left the end of the call he stopped and stared at me for what felt like an eternity. After checking the camera it was about 3 seconds. Into the thicket he went to find that doe.
As the opening stanza noted - I hunted the following night with so much anticipation. My hopes were high. Knowing this deer was close gave me the excitement that drives every hunter. Unfortunately - I didn’t see him with my own eyes again. I left the woods on November the 7th and walked by a trail camera. 43 minutes after I walked by - he did. The following weekend I proudly put my tag on another great deer, and 4 days after that I got my last photo of this big guy headed to the East. I was at work a week later scrolling through Facebook on a break. I was scrolling fast and hit reverse on my thumb when I saw him. Proudly perched behind a giant was an old acquaintance that hunted the property that borders mine. I was about 95% sure it was him and after a quick comparison to the trail camera photos - I was 100% sure. I messaged my neighbor and told him congrats. Then I asked if I could check him out. As a good neighbor would, he graciously told me to stop out and take a look at his deer. Wrapping my hands around those antlers and shaking my neighbor’s hand gave me great joy. I got to hear about his hunt and tell of my encounters, but most importantly - we were glad together.
“So you wrote a blog post about a deer you didn’t shoot?” Hey! I heard that. And yes, yes I did. The first reason I wrote it is to remember and honor this beautiful animal. His story truly enriched mine. I think as time goes on - that’s what really sticks with us right? The story. The story of the people we were with. The story of the animals we pursued. The story of how it all worked out - or didn’t. Either way - I believe that’s a story worth telling.
The second reason I sat down behind this keyboard is because as I sat and thought about this wonderful deer - the Living God revealed a beautiful spiritual concept. I was going through a study a while back and I came across these verses from Chapter 4 in the Gospel of John:
37 Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.
John 4:37-38 NIV
After reading a blog about your neighbor harvesting a deer you saw - and then posting that scripture - an average thinking fella (or lady) would think I was holding onto some bitterness - perhaps I was even a little bit sour. Ironically - that couldn’t be further from the truth. Of course I wanted to align my peep sight and gently squeeze the release on him. One could even argue that I had put in alot of effort for this deer. The reality of it is more like this: I planted a few food plots - but I’m really a mediocre farmer at best. I try to make some stands of hinge cut saplings - but I usually have a few other priorities that don’t let me turn my bedding area vision into reality. I try to develop a good all-around habitat - but I don’t get to control which deer use it and when. I didn’t manage the herd for the opportunity to shoot him. I didn’t plant the soybeans that this animal munched on all summer. Despite everything I didn’t do - I still had 2 great encounters with the buck of a lifetime. I still had the opportunity to reap what someone else sowed. I think the key to all this lies still in John chapter 4. Let’s back up to verse 36.
36 Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.
The sower and the reaper may be glad together. This is where the joy is. The hunters who I share a section with - we all had an opportunity. Some of them worked hard - maybe harder than I did. When we apply this scripture in getting the Gospel out to lost souls - as Jesus intended it - the message takes on new life. New life is what Jesus brings to the table. This new life is what brings joy. It brings more joy than letting the hammer drop on a 150-inch whitetail buck. It is through the Gospel that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.
The Gospel. Jesus took my sin upon himself. He put himself in my place on the cross. I deserved it, and he willfully took my place. He defeated death through his resurrection from the dead - and now he offers life - eternal life - freely to you and me. There wasn’t anything I could do - no amount of work I could do - to earn that eternal life. Through faith - I only had to confess that “Jesus is Lord” to receive that gift. Romans 10:9 says that if you “declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. The best news - the Good News - is that this gift of life in Christ is available to every human being on the planet.
If you're a Sunday School teacher; planting seeds for the youth pastor to harvest - praise God for the youth pastor and your foundational teaching and be glad together. If you’re the youth pastor caring for students and preparing them for the conference speaker - praise God for the speaker and be glad together. If you're the pastor of a small country church - and after 20 years of dedicated service a revival speaker brings breakthrough to your congregation - praise God for your faithfulness and the speaker’s message; and be glad together. If you’re the evangelist who happens across a group of young adults ready to accept Jesus as the Lord of their life - praise God for your timely words and all those who prepared the soil. Be glad together. If you have the opportunity at the buck of a lifetime - and your neighbor makes it happen - be glad together. Until next time - keep Playing in the Creation.
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