So there we were…
The beginning of every great hunting story if you are unaware begins with, “so there we were”. It sets the seen for the adventure that you are about to hear, and lets you know you are about to be drawn into the story.
So there we were… James Edward Bowie has long sense had a desire to bag a whitetail deer in his life. Fortunately, being friends with Gentry Williamson has opened a few doors for this possibility to happen. Gentry, being the mediocre planner that he is, has taken many years to fulfill this dream in James. December 27th, 2020 was the day.
We began the journey rolling through the hills of sweet Mount Airy, across the VA border, and into the back country of Claudville, VA. This 25 minute drive is a beautiful depiction of “getting away”. Away from responsibilities, tasks, or any other clutter that could be in your life. The countryside is free and alive and what a wonderful experience it is to get away.
Gentry had done his homework before hand and so upon arrival he knew where to take his friend James. He wanted to give his friend the best chance at success and so they began their evening in the Condo stand. The condo is basically a massive tree house overlooking a field of crops. The crops are grown throughout the year with the sole purpose of attracting, and maintaining the health of the deer heard on our property. This year the Condo field had been planted with beets, radishes, and turnips. What you might not know is after the first couple frosts, these underground vegetables acquire a sweet taste that make them almost irresistible to the deer in the area. Walking down the trail to the stand James and Gentry were quickly aware of the aroma coming from the crops which added a level of excitement to their journey.
The Condo was hot. Baking in the sun all day James quickly had to shed some layers as they entered the stand for the evening. Besides the annoyance of a couple horse flies who had made their home in the house, the stand is a pretty comfortable spot to spend an evening in. The friends wanted to make the most of their time in the woods and so they each began to read Abba’s Child as a way to make the time go by faster. Pretty soon it was 5 pm.
The first and last 30 minutes of each day are prime feeding times for the east coast whitetail populations, and so the friends set aside their books and began to pay closer attention as the sun began to set behind the hardwoods. They were quickly surprised to see a young doe make her way into the field. They watched as she ate her weight in the delicious turnips, but were disappointed in the size of the young animal and so decided that she would not be harvested. The sun continued to set and Gentry, being the guide, was starting to get a little worried they were going to run out of sunlight. Much to his surprise he watched as a young, healthy 8-pointer walked right out of the woods to his right. Unfortunately James was unable to see the buck as he was positioned for the best shot down the left side of the field. This caused a little dilemma as Gentry watched the buck just slowly feeding in the right corner, still completely out of sight of James Edward. Gentry finally hatched a plan and began whispering to James the needed steps in order for this hunt to be successful. James began the slow transition sliding off his chair, maneuvering to the left side of the stand, spinning around, and standing back up all without being seen or heard. Gentry’s heart was racing the whole time as one large clunk from his boots would have made the young buck scurry off into the woods. The transition was complete, gun in hand, and James was ready to take the shot. After taking a little time to get settled, waiting for the buck to give him the best possible shot, and allowing Gentry to get his video camera ready, James Edward Bowie dropped his first whitetail. Emotions erupted inside of the friends hearts as this was an exciting day for the both of them.
Being a hunter for most of his life, Gentry loves having the opportunity to share one of his passions with a close friend. The thrill, adventure, and solitude of being in the woods has always been one of his favorite activities, but nothing compares to the joy of being able to pass it on to others, watch their excitement, and help cultivate a successful hunt in their life. #BANG BANG
