Two hunters turn new experiences into results

Come Thanksgiving Day, columnists often take time to sit back, think deeply (or so we tell ourselves), and hold forth on all the things we’re thankful for.

The other day, while busily sitting back and thinking deeply (or so I told myself), I realized that that formula could, if one weren’t particularly careful, be overworked.

If memory serves, I rode that overworked horse into your homes a year ago. For that, I’m sorry (though I can’t promise it won’t happen again). But this time, I figure it’s time to take a different tack.

This year, I’ll let somebody else write. And me? Well, I’ll just continue to sit back, think deeply, and savor the notion of the upcoming feast.

Yum.

There are different reasons to be thankful, you see. And the two tales that follow illustrate one of the reasons many of us love to spend time in the woods of Maine.

It’s not the fish we catch, nor the animals we hunt. Not really. It’s being there … somewhere … anywhere … with family and friends.

And it’s sharing moments we’ll remember forever.

Before we start, let me caution our two guest writers that showing up at 491 Main Street expecting a paycheck (and a permanent spot at my desk) will not work. I hope.

Here goes. Our first guest writer is Ray Hamm of Alton, who checked in to tell me about the first buck his girlfriend took with a firearm.

Darlene Emerson of Bangor is an avid bowhunter and took a small deer with her bow once. But she had never hunted with a rifle before. Here’s what Hamm had to say.

“This year we have hunted extremely hard with our bows and she has hunted mornings before work and evenings when she could,” Hamm wrote. “She passed on some small deer early on and then never got another bow shot after that.

“She agreed to try rifle hunting, so I took her to my ‘secret spot’ where I shot my buck and saw two other monsters. We sat for under an hour and the beast came out, only offering a head shot.

“Experience told me to ‘Shoot now!’ and I kept whispering it to her. She didn’t feel confident in the shot and waited. After what seemed like an hour of the buck staring our way (I was sure it would bolt any second), it stepped out, giving her a great shot. She kept her composure and took it with one excellent shot.

“I have been lucky enough to take several large bucks over 200 pounds over the years, but never one with a rack like this. I believe with my experience I would have taken the ‘iffy’ shot and probably missed!”

The 12-pointer is, indeed, a bruiser, and its rack is impressive.

Now, let’s listen to another “first time” tale sent in by a proud uncle.

This is what Don Hazelton of Newport had to say:

“My 11-year-old nephew, Ben Sipe, of Presque Isle, wanted to try bird hunting. He comes from a very supportive but nonhunting family. He has a Hoyt junior compound bow set at 35 pounds that he wanted to use. I took him to Seboomook Wilderness Campground for the first weekend of bird season.

“On Saturday, Oct. 1, we heater hunted from the campground to Pittston Farm. I explained to him that birds were scarce this year and we would be lucky to see one. We had only gone a couple of miles before one ran across the road in front of us. Unfortunately, it went into real heavy cover and we couldn’t locate it. Ben said he was happy just to see one.

“When we got close to Pittston Farm, we saw a nice male partridge beside the road. Ben got out of the truck, took his time aiming, and shot the bird from about 13 or 14 yards. He hit it right in the middle of its back with a blunt small-game hunting tip on his arrow. The bird went down like it was pole-axed.

“Needless to say, he was some excited. His first time hunting, the first bird he ever shot at, and with a bow and arrow he got it! We were really lucky to see a bird that Ben could shoot, but when he had the opportunity Ben kept his cool and did everything just as we practiced. I am some proud of him. I think he will be a hunter for life.”

Yes, there’s plenty for us to be thankful for today. For our family, our friends, our loved ones.

And as some Mainers wake this morning and head afield for their traditional Thanksgiving Day deer-hunting forays, I’m sure that many more memories will be made in these woods we are lucky enough to call “home.”

Have a great Thanksgiving. Thanks for reading. And thanks for continuing to let me share your stories.

John Holyoke can be reached at jholyoke@bangordailynews.net or by calling 990-8214 or 1-800-310-8600.