Reflections & Ramblings of a Deer Hunter

By David Eubanks

The last day of my 2010 deer hunting season in SC. I’m perched in a deer stand 25 feet above the ground wondering why I choose to spend my time outside in 40 degree weather when everyone else is snuggled up inside, watching football, reading a book, shopping, or whatever they enjoy doing “inside” in December. I hadn’t even seen a squirrel move all afternoon, and I was thinking that even the squirrels must be smarter than me; at least they had sense enough to get out of the cold and inside their favorite tree.

Then something seemingly insignificant happened; it started raining, and then raining harder and harder, and I was certain that I must really be “insane” or just plain “stupid” to be sitting in an oak tree with a cold breeze blowing and a cold rain beginning to soak thru.

I was at the point where I was beginning to convince myself that I was in fact “insane” and that it was time to pack it up on this last day of the 2010 deer season. But for some reason at that moment my mind drifted back to many, many years ago, when I was really just a kid, and had just recently begun hunting deer. I thought back to a hunt near Hwy 176, just past the South Hills in Union, sitting on the ground on a tiny fold-out stool and waiting for what I dreamed would be a huge Whitetail Buck to come by. Instead, what came that day was snow and more snow; a beautiful snow, but so cold that soon I could not feel my hands or feet. But what did not cross my mind that day was that I was “insane” or really “stupid” and not once did it even cross my mind that I should return to the warmth of our home. No, I was thinking that just maybe a huge Buck would be stirred from his bed by all the snow and just maybe he would walk my way. Well, just as dark began approaching and the feeling of frostbite long since set in, I glanced over my shoulder and saw the most magnificent buck I had ever seen, 30 yards away, standing still and staring right at me. As I tried to “ease” my gun around, the magnificent and keen buck saw the movement and hastily bounded away into the snowy woods. My first ever encounter with the magnificent creature known as the Whitetail Buck, and as luck would have it, he outsmarted this kid without really a challenge. Little did I know at the time that for at least the next 35 years, there would be many, many magnificent bucks that would outsmart this “kid”.

But on this cold December day in 2010, as the rain continued to pour, a big smile came across my face, and I actually begin to quietly laugh. I was remembering how 35 years ago, while sitting in the snow with no feeling in my hands or feet, my mind was so full of excitement, so full of wonder, and so full of anticipation; whatever happened to that young kid and all the excitement and all the wonder and all the anticipation that life held at that moment? Why do we let life wear us down and take away all of our innocence, all our anticipation, and all our wonder and excitement for life?

Well, just a few minutes later the rain let up and a few minutes after that five deer walked out past me, no magnificent bucks like 35 years ago, but five beautiful deer nonetheless. I watched as they grazed and continued on their way, no doubt headed for a larger afternoon snack. Then just a few minutes later, to my wonderment, six more deer arrived, again no magnificent bucks, but six more magnificent animals that God had created and I was given the opportunity to enjoy. Amazingly, at that moment I felt that wonder and excitement and anticipation that had embodied me 35 years ago and I knew then why I had been “persuaded” to stay in my stand just a little while longer that day!

You see, hunting is such an undiscovered and misunderstood pastime for most in my generation and even more so for the younger generations. Hunting is seen by many as just a bloodthirsty sport strictly predicated on the pursuit and killing of game. The actual killing of the game is a part of this activity, but really such a small part. I do not think it is wrong or immoral to kill an animal provided the animal is used for food, and the life of the animal is revered and treated with respect. There is a sadness that occurs each and every time that a deer’s life is taken and I follow each and every kill with a prayer, thanking God for the life of the animal and for allowing me the experience of hunting the magnificent creature. The hard part is explaining to those that do not hunt how you can love animals, as I truly do, and yet still enjoy hunting them. You have to have a sincere respect for the animals, especially the whitetail deer, which thru its amazing God-given senses of hearing, sight, and smell has a truly astonishing ability to outsmart its human counterparts and avoid being detected. Unfortunately the non-hunting public only sees the “tame” deer as often portrayed on TV or seen at the zoo.

So as I close the book on this my 35th year of hunting deer, there is always the hope that I will be able to return for yet another year of hunting. I am glad that I have had the opportunity to share the wonderful outdoors and the hunting experience with my sons. Hunting is a great teacher and a real life audition for many of life’s lessons and situations that are sure to happen. It not only teaches humility and patience, but gives you a true appreciation for nature and how each part of God’s outdoor world is all intertwined and interdependent. It not only gives you a real “hands on” view of “life is not fair” but more importantly, it gives us participants some much needed time away from the hustle and bustle of our busy lives. I can say with conviction that many seemingly unsolvable issues in day to day life somehow were easily thought thru and resolved while I sat “daydreaming” on a deer stand. Hunting is about a special bond that exists between a man or woman and this great outdoors that God has given us.

So as I say goodbye to another deer season, I reminisce back to a time when I sat freezing on the ground with my Father before sunrise on a cold winter morning in Union, SC, waiting for my 1st ever deer to come by. Of course I didn’t realize until many, many years later that my Father had absolutely no love, not even a liking, for deer hunting and was only there because I was so “full of excitement, full of wonder, and full of anticipation” and maybe he was hoping that somewhere in my memory a permanent “bookmark” of that experience would be placed (guess that part worked). I also realized many years later that just maybe my dear Mother had made him go !!!

But also on this final day of the season and the start of a New Year, I look forward to the Hope that I will live to see another season and the knowledge that even after 35 years of hunting I still see new and exciting things each and every day in the great outdoors. I look forward to maybe taking a kid hunting next year and letting him or her share in this great experience and maybe get a jump on dealing with life’s lessons.

David Eubanks
2 Jan 2011