Seeking Mike’s Deer
KaBoooom!!!! The .45 cal muzzle-loader had seemingly found its mark on the buck. Upon impact the deer kicked so high that it nearly turned a complete summersault. During this acrobatic maneuver, the deer dug his nose deep into the ground throwing dirt into the air, before running into the brush. (The deer surely had a busted nose from the way it hit the dirt during this semi-flip). “Great shot,” we exclaimed as we congratulated Mike on his first deer ever.
The scenario had played itself out many times before from this same stand. We were hunting on my friend Mark Ridenhour’s property. We hunted from a large box stand situated in some pines next to a food plot that always seemed to draw the deer in like a magnet. Mark loves to take someone hunting for their first deer and for the last few years it has become tradition to sit a “newbie” in the stand and introduce them to the sport of deer hunting. I’ve been fortunate enough to be behind the camera to capture these moments on video. This year we were hunting with our good buddy Mike Eckmann.
After the high-fives and congratulations, and detailed replay of each second of the scenario that had just taken place we exited the stand and went to find Mike’s trophy. We were soon on a good blood trail. Just around each bend in the trail, I expected to find the buck piled up in the colorful fallen leaves. I couldn’t believe the deer had gone this far. After a couple of hours, Mark and I were beginning to feel that the congratulations had been a little premature. We were following blood, occasionally having to regroup when the blood got sparse, but always finding a place where the deer had turned and getting on “good blood” again. Unfortunately, we got to a place where the blood just disappeared. We tried everything but were unable to determine where the buck went. We desperately expanded our search until we finally had to call it quits. For anyone who hunts, you know how hard it is to call off the search, especially on a friend’s first deer. It was a long walk back to the truck, literally and figuratively. On the way back Mike made a comment that’s so very true. He said that when you’re on the blood trail you have hope that the deer is just ahead, but when you get off the blood trail, you just seem hopeless and helpless, just wandering around.
I’ve experienced all kinds of feelings while afield. Happiness, sadness, joy and sorrow. Anger and frustration. Desperation and exuberation. Deer hunting can be an emotional roller coaster sometimes, just like life. It makes me think back to that comment that Mike made while headed back to the truck. When we are following Christ, when times get hard and life throws us a curve, we press on because of the hope provide by Jesus. But, when we get off the “blood trail” so to speak, we seem hopeless and helpless and feel like giving up because of fear and uncertainty.
Many years ago the prophet Jeremiah wrote to a people who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. Jeremiah reminds us of what the Lord wants for us in the words that he wrote to those who were experiencing distressing times - “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
While searching for Mike’s buck, we literally searched with all we had and with all our heart, but came up empty. It’s comforting to know as believers that if we get off the “blood trail” in life, as we so often do, that if we seek Him with all our hearts, we WILL find Him. Jeremiah 29:11-13
KaBoooom!!!! The .45 cal muzzle-loader had seemingly found its mark on the buck. Upon impact the deer kicked so high that it nearly turned a complete summersault. During this acrobatic maneuver, the deer dug his nose deep into the ground throwing dirt into the air, before running into the brush. (The deer surely had a busted nose from the way it hit the dirt during this semi-flip). “Great shot,” we exclaimed as we congratulated Mike on his first deer ever.
The scenario had played itself out many times before from this same stand. We were hunting on my friend Mark Ridenhour’s property. We hunted from a large box stand situated in some pines next to a food plot that always seemed to draw the deer in like a magnet. Mark loves to take someone hunting for their first deer and for the last few years it has become tradition to sit a “newbie” in the stand and introduce them to the sport of deer hunting. I’ve been fortunate enough to be behind the camera to capture these moments on video. This year we were hunting with our good buddy Mike Eckmann.
After the high-fives and congratulations, and detailed replay of each second of the scenario that had just taken place we exited the stand and went to find Mike’s trophy. We were soon on a good blood trail. Just around each bend in the trail, I expected to find the buck piled up in the colorful fallen leaves. I couldn’t believe the deer had gone this far. After a couple of hours, Mark and I were beginning to feel that the congratulations had been a little premature. We were following blood, occasionally having to regroup when the blood got sparse, but always finding a place where the deer had turned and getting on “good blood” again. Unfortunately, we got to a place where the blood just disappeared. We tried everything but were unable to determine where the buck went. We desperately expanded our search until we finally had to call it quits. For anyone who hunts, you know how hard it is to call off the search, especially on a friend’s first deer. It was a long walk back to the truck, literally and figuratively. On the way back Mike made a comment that’s so very true. He said that when you’re on the blood trail you have hope that the deer is just ahead, but when you get off the blood trail, you just seem hopeless and helpless, just wandering around.
I’ve experienced all kinds of feelings while afield. Happiness, sadness, joy and sorrow. Anger and frustration. Desperation and exuberation. Deer hunting can be an emotional roller coaster sometimes, just like life. It makes me think back to that comment that Mike made while headed back to the truck. When we are following Christ, when times get hard and life throws us a curve, we press on because of the hope provide by Jesus. But, when we get off the “blood trail” so to speak, we seem hopeless and helpless and feel like giving up because of fear and uncertainty.
Many years ago the prophet Jeremiah wrote to a people who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. Jeremiah reminds us of what the Lord wants for us in the words that he wrote to those who were experiencing distressing times - “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
While searching for Mike’s buck, we literally searched with all we had and with all our heart, but came up empty. It’s comforting to know as believers that if we get off the “blood trail” in life, as we so often do, that if we seek Him with all our hearts, we WILL find Him. Jeremiah 29:11-13
POST HUNT COMMENTS: It was great to hunt with friends, whether we had meat in the truck or not. These memories will last a lifetime. Thanks to Mark and Mike for letting me hang out with ya’ll. I’ll be on the lookout for a deer with a nosebleed!
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