Natasha Ruble

Ok, it's my first year ever hunting. My husband has done this his entire life and time and time again, tried to get me to go out with him. Yes, I'll cook the game, yes, I'll eat the game, but you have got to be CRAZY if you think I am getting up at 4am to sit in a tree and not talk the entire day to hunt the game for three simple reasons...

1. IT IS 4am and still dark out
2. IT IS freezing and
3. If you know me, you know that I LOVE to talk.

Because I decided to marry this CRAZY hunting guy a few months ago , I found it only natural to fulfill the "adventurous" wife roll so I went hunting with him. As I expected, it was colder than I ever thought up 20 yards in a tree stand and to my surprise, I couldn't stay awake! I even had to put my arm around a branch to keep me up there, otherwise I would have awoke to a dangling safety harness below the stand...not my idea of fun!

After going out with Brad a few times, I hadn't seen anything and started to get a little burnt out. I was about to throw in the towel last Sunday after an hour and a half in and the extremely cold weather. As I climbed down the stand, Brad followed but not with out giving up or giving in. He offered to drive the deer if I would stay just a little longer.

Leaving me near the stand, Brad takes off to push the deer my direction. Within fifteen minutes, four does go sprinting by all too fast to take a shot! After I watched them go into the woods, I turn around to see a lonely doe, standing completely still only about 60 yards in front of me! I remember saying, "Okay - breathe, here's your chance. You can do this!" I got myself so excited that I hadn't noticed how far away from the "steadying" tree I had been.

Another pep-talk, "That's alright, you can still do this!" Once I steady myself, I take a shoot and just barely miss her! "Yes! A second chance!" The doe stood strong with out a move looking as to see where the shot came from. As I rear back and shoot again, I come up with what I thought was only another miss. "Bummer", I said.

Right then, Brad appears out the woods excited to see what I got. "Nope, sorry honey - no deer" I reported. I took him over to show him where she was standing and low and behold, we found a blood trail! "WOO HOO! I got her!" I screamed. When I shot, she jumped and ran off so quickly I assumed I missed her.

For the next two hours we tracked her through a couple different fields and a woods until we came up short. She had jumped onto property we didn't have permission to hunt but, man - what an experience! Although we didn't find her, my heart was pumping the entire time, from the moment I took my first shot until the end of the trail.

I said to myself, "I finally get it - I love this sport and if my husband is CRAZY, then I guess I'm CRAZY right along with him because I can't wait to bag one for home!"

I thank Brad for having the patience to stick with me and continue to push me and hopefully next time I'll come out with a deer and some great pics. Until then, I'll keep practicing.