There is never a shortage of material to write about in this house. Especially with my K3. The only trouble is that there is a shortage of time! I wish I had time to sit and record my everyday thoughts, observations, hopes and prayers. Someday I will write a book. I've already thought of several titles. My favorite to date is Things We Saw in Our Rearview Mirror. Doesn't that sound like the perfect title to a book? Now I just need to write something to go in it. Someday.
Yesterday the Buckmaster came through for me. I've been hounding all my boys since hunting season started to get out there and put meat on the table for us. Deer meat is a staple in this house. We ran out a month or so ago - just in time. Actually, the freezer went out about the same time the meat ran out. Luckily, the chickens were all gone as well as the deer meat. I'm not in such a hurry to refill the poultry section just yet.
So anyway, after the Ranger spent the weekend with us and spotted more than one buck, the boys got excited. One boy in particular. This one boy spent every afternoon/evening after the Ranger left, in the deer stand with his bow. It's bow season, not rifle season. These details are evidently important and are a very big deal. Yesterday we got home from picking up Sweet Baby from MDO around 3:00. K3 ran from the car to the house, showered in his "de-scenting" soap stuff, layered himself in camo {which had been laundered in de-scenting laundry soap - they actually make that stuff} and headed out. I was concerned because he was covered, head to toe, in clothing. Long sleeve heavy clothing. AND it was 100° at least with the heat index. AND the mosquitoes have been horrendous around here since all this rain. I couldn't very well coat him with mosquito spray - probably would have negated his "de-scenting" shower & laundry so I didn't even try. I did try to persuade him to wait just a little longer before heading out - I mean it was a good 3 hours until dusk. What was he going to do for 3 hours??? He didn't seem worried and didn't listen to a word I said.
The big kids came home and promptly left again for church. Hubby made it home. We ate a quiet dinner together with Sweet Baby wondering what on earth K3 was doing and seeing. As we waited we busied ourselves with laundry and bath time for the baby.
As I walked by the window with a load of laundry I saw him.
He was headed back to the house.
He was smiling.
I walked out to the porch and asked him why he was home so early.
He pumped his fist in the air and responded with, "I got him!"
I ran back into the house to get Hubby, who was bathing the baby. I told him that K3 came back and got something. "No way," was his response.
I could tell Hubby was not sure. One thing you know about K3, if you know him at all, is that if he's certain of something it's with 100% certainty. If he's doubtful, he's the first to tell you. His "I got him!" contained not one ounce of doubt, so I knew. Hubby had to see it to believe it.
I grabbed the naked baby wrapped in the towel and made a mad dash to put the camera in Hubby's hand before he headed out to follow the trail. K3 beat me to it. He already had his own camera in his pocket.
So I snapped pictures of K3 telling his dad the story.
The story was full of animation. Hubby was riveted.
As you can see it was still very light outside. I won't tell you why they were taking their time to go back out there. The Mimi's of the world don't need to know and the hunters out there reading this already know so let's just leave it at that, ok?
They finally gathered themselves and headed back out to find the deer. They set out on foot, just in case.
The rest is the story as it was told to me by Hubby and K3 combined: {Mimi, just skip to the pictures and don't read the details - just giving you fair warning}
They made it to the spot where the arrow hit the deer. Pool of blood.
K3 had seen the deer turn and run after he hit him so he knew which direction he had gone. They had an uninvited helper with them - here, I'll show you her picture.
I know she doesn't look much like a "helper", but she thinks she is. She doesn't look very stealth in this picture either, but she thinks she is. She's all about helping those in need - even when they don't know they need her help.
Sweet Hubby, not wanting to offend his extra "helper", showed her the pool of blood and told her to "go get him". And off she went.
Hubby told K3 to follow Marley while he went back to the house for the 4-wheeler. When he returned - he found Marley, K3 and the deer. He called me, literally breathless, and he said, "Marley found it!" Evidently Marley had taken the trail and she led Kade across the pasture, across a fence and into some brush - a total of about 100 yards, right to the deer. The deer was in brush and would not have been easily spotted without her.
Marley - the horse/cow/kid herder and now deer tracker extraordinaire. WHAT a dog.
Here are the pictures from Kade's camera.
I'm not sure how many deer this kid has brought home, but I am sure that this one will stand out in his mind, will be remembered forever and ever. My goal is to get K3 to journal his experience because he's talked about nothing else for the past 24 hours, literally. He's walked around all day in a haze with a grin on his face. There must be something about killing a deer with a bow and arrow that is on some level more of an accomplishment than with a gun.
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