As I sat in the blind yesterday evening, watching the sun set literally on this deer season, was overcome by a somber realization. My two daughters are 15 and 19 now, and this marked the first year since they started hunting in their pre-teens that hasn't seen both of them get at least one deer.
Though they both hunted some with me this year, neither got their deer. Started blaming myself, thinking I didn't try hard enough, wasn't a good enough guide. To tell the truth, I wasn't as driven, because we had a good season last, and are still trying to use up all the deer in the freezer.
But, I realize that with school, an increasingly active social calendar (and boys
) not to mention an after college job for the the oldest - combined with our deer numbers being down this year - it was bound to happen. I just didn't think about it being THIS year, and both girls at once.
I sat thinking about each of their first deer, and rubbing blood on their little cheeks and noses... Telling them I was going to do this in advance, both said "no way!"
but when the time came, both wore it proudly, all the way home,
even posing for pictures. Even though we've had moments when things didn't go right, I'm so proud of them both for the way they've handled rifles safely, learned to shoot and follow up on blood trails, and at least in the oldest one's case, skin
and quarter up a deer. The teenage boys in camp used to stand back and watch in awe as she sliced and diced - she'd killed more than most of them put together, and even in the beginning when she was painfully slow, she wanted to do it all by herself. Would get mad and pout if I tried to help too much.
One positive thing at least, the oldest one's boyfriend has started hunting with us, and he's a good kid. Not much hunting experience, but eager to learn. I put him in a blind
and he knocked down a big old doe this season. I didn't realize until I was helping him load her up, that it was his first deer. My daughter helped him skin and quarter it, making him do most of it. I sat quietly in the corner of the skinning shed smiling.
Looking back and reading over this, I know I have a lot more to be thankful for than to regret. There's always next year!
