It's a game of balance Mike...it's always about balance. Your baby girl, the camera, and the deer all got a little and all gave a little. Each is winner and a loser. That's life. I'd take life over the alternative any day! Walk tall my friend, there will be another time and another place. Congrats on a successful hunt!
I would love to agree with you being a wuss...but here I sit on the internet during the rut on the last day of my vacation because my little one wanted to wake up and have breakfast with me. Also gave away tickets to the Falcons game last night to watch the grinch as she went to sleep(row 9 seat 3 and 4, 35 yard line) As Will said, nother time, nother place my friend. Congrats on a great kill and cannot wait to see the video.
Falcons tickets!? Easy trade-off in my opinion... just kidding Mike.:D I know what you mean though.. its the 12th of November and I'm trying to teach Jo how to roll over.
Completely understand the home front, Mike. Temps are close to 80 here and the rut's (supposedly) getting cranked up. Wife said the temps are supposed to drop 25 degrees tomorrow morning and I should be in a stand... Can't do it. Son's last big karate tournament of the year up in St. Louis. I'll be there with him.
Duke Congrats on a great old buck. Any of us thats has been doing this for any length of time has shot one thats bigger OR smaller than we thought at the time we drop the string, I have 2 that come to mind right away. Hell, on one of them I actually thought someone swapped Deer with me for about 5 seconds till I snapped out of it. LOL! I got to tell you though Duke, My favorit Ground shrinkage story is from a Bear Hunt with my friend Joe. When I went to pick him up one evening he informs me he shot the biggest dam bear in the woods. So we start tracking and lose the blood where the path splits, Joe takes one, I the other. So I get to Joes bear first, Its like 130 lbs dressed and curled up in the fetal position in some tall grass which makes it look even smaller in the Coleman Lantern light. I call Joe over and soon as he sees it he says, Oh hell no! The Bear I shot run over that little SOB and killed it on its way out of here. I say No, thats just what they look like when your arrow lets all the air out of them! Enjoy the Daughter Mike, they're only that size once and a blast to watch learn new things.
Congrats Duke, I too was "fooled" by routine and circumstance. I undestand the kid aspect too. It doesn't get any easier to leave'em. Mine are now 4 & 6. My boy ( 6 ) came with me on a few warm weather hunts, those were priceless! We set up a blind and had a good old time. No deer were harmed in the process.
Though I dont have any children....yet, the gf decides she would rather go to the MU game tomorrow and miss opening morning of rifle season. Trust me she is a hunter and has been since she was little, but we got offered free tickets to the game and shes never been to one. Today being rainy makes sitting in a tree hard. Yesterday wasnt too hot like its been. My hopes are a huge front sweeps down from Canada in the next week
Congrats, Duke. Your priorities are in order, AND you managed to put a good deer down. I know if/when I have kids, I plan to put them first as well... Which is why I'm not having any for a while:D
He was a bit stiff so sorry for the pics.. the wife wasn't about to lend a hand. A direct series of quotes from our conversation... "Hon.. help me sit him up" "No-WAY... I'm not touching that thing" "Why.. you'll be eating him soon enough" "He won't be smiling at me then" Touche babe... touche. Anyway.. the great "Oops" buck of 2010.. lesson learned when self-filming... make sure its the right animal you thought before even thinking about the filming process.
Congrats man...nothing to complain about there! Great buck! Oh, and btw....wait about 10yrs....you think you have no time now...LOL