This morning finds me roughly 2 miles into some of Virginias roughest terrain that she has to offer, The Beartown Wilderness Area. While it is quite remote and nearly landlocked by private land on its northern border,it seems a second home to me. I have spent untold amounts of my life on this mountain chasing deer bear and turkey, with a fair amount of success on them all Today daylight found me in one of my most favorite funnels on the planet. I can't recall how many years ago I found this place while simply looking for a spot the sun was hitting so I could have a lunch somewhere that was just a little warmer. Since that day 5 bucks 8 points or better have found themselves in the crosshair.
Today I am here alone, this is the down part. Only Monday I was here with my main hunting companion, my now 21 year old daughter. Both of my older children have made the trip here many times but somehow, she just has taken to it a little more. As I came in today I walked near the spot where at 11 we sat down for lunch and she realized that her drink had frozen solid, then I came by the spot where on a freezing Dec day she sat by a fire with her boots off, drying socks and the dogs ran a bear nearly over us. On down the mountain I passed the big forked Buckeye where as a 9 year old she claimed her first buck, a fat spike.
Now I am here alone, she now has a boyfriend, and he has a hunting property where the bucks are rubbing trees the size of fence posts. That holds an edge, to a young hunter, over public land where the herds are diminishing and she sat daylight to dark only Monday without seeing anything. And it should. This is where the good comes in, its where we dads find out the question we all ask. Are they just going because of me? Will this way of life go on after I am gone? I guess watching the progression through the years I missed all the clues. The attention to tracks, trails, mast crops. The time when I was no longer in front on the walks. Yesterday she hunted the morning on his new place and came home midday for dinner. I was caping out a head outside and she walked over said hold your ears I am going to unload my rifle. She took 2 kneeling and 2 setting at our 100 yd steel, picked up her brass. And went to wash for dinner. It was then I knew "she gets it". That thing that pushes us to sit in the cold and rain for hours. Get up at ungodly times. Shoot thousands of rounds to prepare for one shot. So while I sit here alone and sad, inside I am happy!
Oh and I have to get out early today because her 7 year old sister has a date with a fat doe feeding in the corner of a field at home, she nearly pulled it off tues so she has a score to settle.
Today I am here alone, this is the down part. Only Monday I was here with my main hunting companion, my now 21 year old daughter. Both of my older children have made the trip here many times but somehow, she just has taken to it a little more. As I came in today I walked near the spot where at 11 we sat down for lunch and she realized that her drink had frozen solid, then I came by the spot where on a freezing Dec day she sat by a fire with her boots off, drying socks and the dogs ran a bear nearly over us. On down the mountain I passed the big forked Buckeye where as a 9 year old she claimed her first buck, a fat spike.
Now I am here alone, she now has a boyfriend, and he has a hunting property where the bucks are rubbing trees the size of fence posts. That holds an edge, to a young hunter, over public land where the herds are diminishing and she sat daylight to dark only Monday without seeing anything. And it should. This is where the good comes in, its where we dads find out the question we all ask. Are they just going because of me? Will this way of life go on after I am gone? I guess watching the progression through the years I missed all the clues. The attention to tracks, trails, mast crops. The time when I was no longer in front on the walks. Yesterday she hunted the morning on his new place and came home midday for dinner. I was caping out a head outside and she walked over said hold your ears I am going to unload my rifle. She took 2 kneeling and 2 setting at our 100 yd steel, picked up her brass. And went to wash for dinner. It was then I knew "she gets it". That thing that pushes us to sit in the cold and rain for hours. Get up at ungodly times. Shoot thousands of rounds to prepare for one shot. So while I sit here alone and sad, inside I am happy!
Oh and I have to get out early today because her 7 year old sister has a date with a fat doe feeding in the corner of a field at home, she nearly pulled it off tues so she has a score to settle.
