A Loss That Hurts

A loss that hurts It takes a fellow hunter to understand the pain of losing an animal in a hunting experience. You miss a shot; the animal you’ve shot runs off and another hunter gets it; or you hit the animal but can’t find it. It’s the much-anticipated opening day of the 2016 deer season. It’s enjoyable; I see some deer but no shooter buck. The next day, I return to the same tree stand. There’s a nice 10-point in the area. The morning starts slow. I’m not seeing much deer movement. It threatens to be one of those dead days. That all changes about 10:25 AM. At about 125 yards, I spot the deer that’s almost certainly the 10-point. Alone, he moves unhurriedly, browsing as he goes. But it’s brushy; there’s not a clear shot. I get him in my scope, determined not to look up and chance not reacquiring him. I watch for 15 minutes, hoping for a shot. Then, momentarily, he comes into the clear, stopping in such a way that his head and neck are obscured behind a tree. But from the front shoulde