I Made A Mistake

I made a lot of mistakes harvesting this doe. All that was required was a bit more presence. 


It’s something we don’t talk about much, so I’ll broach the subject here. But first a story.


I set out quickly for my tree stand — doe tag in hand — after an intense conversation with a friend. I was there to support him but am also emotionally invested in the situation. I tried to walk quietly, to stay alert, since I could feel my distraction. Climbing up, I failed to check my surroundings. As I reached the top I saw two does bounding off, spooked by me, just 25 yards away. If I’d paused and looked around I could have had a clean shot on an animal unaware of my presence.

A moment later she presented me another shot, and I took it in haste. Maybe the worst killing shot I’ve ever delivered. It was quick, so I’m grateful for that, but there’s some meat damage I never intended. All because I was rushed and unprepared. I hadn’t stilled my mind before entering the woods.

So many distractions. Work distractions. Emotional distractions. Technological distractions. I sometimes wish I had a trigger word, implanted deep in my subconscious, that when uttered would instantly bring me into prime hunting state.


Of course, I have my breath, my will, and some ability to consciously shift my state. But it's a growing challenge with the ever-increasing pace of life and use of technology… and the frenetic mind-state these create.


We barely talk about it, but most of us enter the woods with a phone in our pocket and stories in our heads. We get distracted and miss opportunities… or worse, botch them. We sometimes have a foot in two worlds when we should have both firmly planted in just one. Killing, after all, is a serious matter.