Arcole, Mississippi
Arcole Hunting Club
Mississippi Delta Zone
It's 5 o'clock now, the wind has died down. The sun has said its goodbyes for it has left the blue skies. There is left but a beautiful glow with all the colors of the rainbow. It lingers long enough for you to enjoy the show. It dies away for it is the end of the day. But it's not, it's about to be the best part of a deer hunter's stay. The phone is put away for there is nothing left to say. It's just you and the deer and the hope that he'll appear. All of your senses are in tune, with your eyes enhanced by binocular zoom. Your ears listen for the sound of a hoof breaking the ground. Your eyes scan around for an unfamiliar spot of brown. It's funny how they seem to pop out of the ground. Then it appears, you can see the flickering of its ears. You look at its head looking for bone not yet shed. Your dreams are coming true for it is he that you view. You know him all too well for he is your screensaver at Shell. This is why you never give up, but a problem erupts. Your heart starts racing and your whole body begins to shake. You take off the safety and hopefully, maybe, your shot will hit its mark as the 300 barks. You didn't see him run, nor did you see him fall. There is a moment of hope but then, nope. Maybe I missed are the words that dampen your bliss. I need to go see for the wait is killing me. You try to stay cool but you take off running like a fool. He is not there and you curse the air. Please God let me find blood or a tuft of brown hair. Don't need to though, he fell further back than you know. Now you see where he lies and you break down and cry and kneel down beside the animal that died. Only a hunter understands these feelings that arise. This is your deer that you've hunted all year. Time to go drink some beer.
This hunt started out with near perfect conditions which wasn't a surprise because we've been planning this hunt since December 2019. The moon was new, the weather was cold and the deer were rutting. The first day brought sleet and rain and the following days were filled with early morning frost and endless deer activity. We spent most afternoon eating steaks and staying warm around a wood-fired stove and campfire. Our hunting group saw several rack bucks but let them all walk in hopes of that once-in-a-lifetime deer. I captured most of the deer on video including a big shooter 10 point that I decided to save for another year.
"Prime Time" written by Doug
It's 5 o'clock now, the wind has died down. The sun has said its goodbyes for it has left the blue skies. There is left but a beautiful glow with all the colors of the rainbow. It lingers long enough for you to enjoy the show. It dies away for it is the end of the day. But it's not, it's about to be the best part of a deer hunter's stay. The phone is put away for there is nothing left to say. It's just you and the deer and the hope that he'll appear. All of your senses are in tune, with your eyes enhanced by binocular zoom. Your ears listen for the sound of a hoof breaking the ground. Your eyes scan around for an unfamiliar spot of brown. It's funny how they seem to pop out of the ground. Then it appears, you can see the flickering of its ears. You look at its head looking for bone not yet shed. Your dreams are coming true for it is he that you view. You know him all too well for he is your screensaver at Shell. This is why you never give up, but a problem erupts. Your heart starts racing and your whole body begins to shake. You take off the safety and hopefully, maybe, your shot will hit its mark as the 300 barks. You didn't see him run, nor did you see him fall. There is a moment of hope but then, nope. Maybe I missed are the words that dampen your bliss. I need to go see for the wait is killing me. You try to stay cool but you take off running like a fool. He is not there and you curse the air. Please God let me find blood or a tuft of brown hair. Don't need to though, he fell further back than you know. Now you see where he lies and you break down and cry and kneel down beside the animal that died. Only a hunter understands these feelings that arise. This is your deer that you've hunted all year. Time to go drink some beer.