The afternoon hunt is over. Now a couple things are going to happen. If it’s not already, it will be dark soon. Also, if you’re not already, you’re going to be hungry soon. There’s several more maybes and probablys, too. Maybe you still have to clean a deer. Maybe you still have a long drive [...]
The afternoon hunt is over. Now a couple things are going to happen. If it’s not already, it will be dark soon. Also, if you’re not already, you’re going to be hungry soon. There’s several more maybes and probablys, too. Maybe you still have to clean a deer. Maybe you still have a long drive home or back to camp. You’re probably at least a little tired. After all, it is the afternoon hunt and you’ve probably been at it for a while now. Time to rest. Time to kick off the heavy duty hunting boots, offload some gear and slip into something a little more comfortable. But first, there’s some work to do.
The quiet walk back to the truck allows time to review the hunt.
Regardless of the outcome from the hunt, these things remain: Darkness, hunger, and the walk back to civilization. Now is a good time to replay the events from the afternoon hunt. There are less distractions. No need to stalk quietly back in hopes of seeing something shootable. It’s too dark. Think about what you could’ve done differently. Should you have raised the rifle earlier, before the deer came into spooking range? Should you have moved after it put it’s head down to feed, or walked behind the tree instead? Should you have waited in the stand 30 more minutes after the shot to take away any chance of it running away from you trailing it? Sometimes it helps to perform your own evaluation to increase the chance of a less flawed hunt next time.
The truck is a vessel back to civilization.
Ahh! Truck, sweet truck. Reconnecting with this mobile home-base is comforting. Now’s the time to be thankful you checked the batteries in your head lamp and other flashlights before you went hunting. It’s nice to know they were plenty strong to help pull you out of the wilderness’s unfamiliar darkness and back into the glow of the dashboard and eventually to camp or home.
Now it’s time to take a load off. No more stealth mode. No more straining your ears to listen for the rustle of leaves or a snap of a twig under deer hooves. You’ve made it back to your turf. Time to mark your territory. Time to relieve some pressure. That coffee you had earlier is really hitting you by now. Hey, while you’re at it, go ahead and let ‘er rip. You’ve been holding it in for hours. You deserve a good exhaust rumble. Announce your presence with pride. That’s better. Much better. Now that everything seems to fit better, it’s time to take all that gear off. Properly store your firearm and ammo. Unbuckle that fanny pack. Shake off that backpack.
You came all the way out here just to bring home an empty cooler?
If you aren’t bringing any meat home with you this time, it’s okay. There’s plenty of good things about empty coolers. At least you have your health. And so much more. That’s extra waterproof space to throw your gear into. You don’t have to come back with friends, spotlights and lanterns to follow a tiny blood trail to retrieve your deer from the woods which are becoming more frigid by the minute. And what if you did shoot one? You’d have to stay up a lot longer, cleaning your deer while the others enjoy the show from the recliners in their sweats. Also, there’s no need to clean a dirty cooler and knives later on. True, it’s nice to be the one cleaning a deer any time of day, but we’re looking on the bright side of things, okay?
- Enjoy the drive.
By now, the heater’s warmed up the cab, you can feel your nose and toes again, and you’re starting to see signs of civilization. Street signs. City limit signs. Gas station signs. And then there’s the one you’ve been looking forward to. The Allsup’s sign. Beautiful. Even before you can read the words, “convenience store”, your mouth starts to water and the stomach isn’t being any more patient. After what seems like an epic journey, you’ve made it into the parking lot.
Whether to revivify or as fete, Allsup's burritos consistently perform.
Welcome.
Welcome to Allsup’s Convenience Store. Welcome to bright lights, a friendly employee, and the warm embrace of a famous beef and bean burrito. At this point, it’s easy to get confused. “What was I hunting?” If it was this, you have your trophy. Comfort food at it’s convenience store best. Don’t stop at one. That first burrito is just the introduction. You won’t remember it, anyway. The excitement takes that away. The second one is where the magic happens. It’s where you start to taste it. This is when you know that everything is okay with your life. A reward for a job well done. Now, drive. Drive home, kiss that wife of yours and tell her how much you love her.
The road home from an afternoon hunt is a long, cold and dark one. It’s also an opportunity for introspection, appreciation and giving thanks. Get out there, get cold and then enjoy the warmup. Just don’t forget the taco sauce.
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, November 24th, 2009 at 6:57 am and is filed under Deer, Hunting.
