The Progression of a Hunter :: Hunting Sports Nature Papers

The Progression of a HunterIts three oclock in the morning. Ive been sleeping since eight p.m., and now my alarm clock is telling me that its clock time to wake up. Most people are sleeping at this minute of the night, but Im just now waking up to pack up my gear and head into the forest for the morning. Last night I jam-packed my .30-06, tree stand, a small cooler full of food and a rucksack full of hunting equipment including deer scent, camouflage paint and a flash accrue. Ive been planning a hunt for two weeks, and the weekend has finally come. I fail up from bed, shake off the cold of the morning and get hold of ready to leave by four. Its five a.m. when I get to the grime road winding into Ocala National Forest. I park my car in a clearing gather my gear and head into the forest with my eye to the trees. By five-thirty Im set up in a tree, my rifle is wet and Im quietly sipping hot coffee from my plastic thermos cup. Im well secret by tree limbs, and I have a clear trigg erman at the ground below within my line of sight. My camouflage pant and jacket keep me hidden from the poor eyesight of the deer below, and my tip above the ground keeps the smell of a human away from the gauzy noses of animals on the ground.Six a.m. and the sky is turning a light blue. The nights shade off is dissipating slowly, and I can begin to see my surroundings a itsy-bitsy better. A shot rings out from the west, and that signals nearby hunters. I intrust they drove some game my way. Within a few minutes, there is rustling in the brush below me. A young spud is coming within range. Hes a big one too I can see about eight points from where I am. He is wakeful and sniffs at the air and flicks out his tongue often. His coat is a light brown color like khaki. There are white markings along his flank, and he has a stubby little white fluff of pelt for a tail. I disengage the safety on my rifle. The bolt is antecedent on the gun, and I know theres a round in the chambe r. I steady myself. I turn ever so slightly to get a better angle.