CHASING THE DREAM …WHEREEVER YOU ARE...

The other morning as I watched my breath drifting in the wind as I was sitting in my tree stand, my bow across my lap, my wife and favorite hunting partner next to me, and glassing the field in front of us. I realized, these are the good old days, the gear I was wearing, the experience I was having, the company I was with, how could it get any better ..

Then I got to thinking about the trophies I have seen coming in the last few weeks. Each time a crate comes in with elephant tusks from Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania, I would feel like I needed to touch the ivory. As I did this I would picture the person who hunted that animal, how far was he, how long did it take, how many years did it take for him to realize his
dream and hunt the largest animal on the face of the planet.



Then there are the sheep. A majestic set of horns arrives, and I think - what did it take to collect that ram. A person who can hike vertical slopes for days in search of his “dream”, and what went through his mind when that amazing animal was spotted and harvested. Capturing all those memories was a weight heavy on his
shoulders on “the hike of victory” back to a camp where a snack of freeze-dried vegetables and a snickers bar tasted like a 5 star meal at a Texas steakhouse.


There is the Cape buffalo, hundreds of books and stories on the subject, high quotas in Africa making this one of the more affordable big five. What’s it like to go on your first dangerous game hunt? The first day that the trackers get on those tracks and your first glimpse of a horn that sends your heart racing - 37 inches or 47 - how can a few inches diminish that experience? The giant gnarled horns sit here as we await the tanning and I must say I get to have them in my office for a few days, and the strength and power that they have, even just the skulls and horns, has an amazing aura of its own.


As I look at the myriad of animals coming in here, and as I truly appreciate the privilege of handing these trophies and preserving these precious memories, as I talk to our customers on the phone and hear about their hunts and adventures, I realize that we as hunters are a special brand of people. We will go the extra mile and face the extra hardship to pursue what we love……

Suddenly Charlotte looks up and there is a buck, carefully picking his way towards us - then a larger one-steps out behind him - and I start breathing heavy (come on guys it’s a deer) its not an elephant, its not a buffalo or leopard, its not a bighorn, but my heart starts pounding nonetheless, my breath seems so much more visible - I am fully engaged and this is my moment! My arrow strikes its mark, I let out my breath, and we wait, none of us dares to speak. Charlotte looks up and we smile at each other, both know what each other is hoping, both know what can go wrong, but some careful tracking and there he is. He is not huge but he is mine and he will forever incorporate that moment, and these memories...



Next time you have a moment, a slow time on your stand, a break in the tracking, a stop to glass a mountainside, take a moment to look at what it took to get to that point. It’s pretty awesome stuff...

Nice bow! Beautiful deer! Gorgeous tusks!!!!

Brett

great thoughts dan ...

as the guy who has the privilege of guiding many of these people i totally agree with what you are thinking , thanks for the reminder to chase what matters ... many people could learn from that and throw the *&%! tape away !!!!

I am hoping Charlotte is the clean cut one...?
Slap me! My compliments to the woman who chose you!

In a couple paragraphs you have encapsulated why we hunt, and those feelings.

Ditto for what Ivan said. I have not yet measured my Cape Buffalo taken almost eleven months ago in Zimbabwe. I don't know if I ever will. That big horned skull sits here and transports me back to that day and place. I can smell that sweet-sickly odor.

Rich
I can die happy, I have seen the Elephant in the wild and hunted Cape Buffalo

Right on Dan. That was one of the cooler posts I have read in awhile. Thanks for sharing.

Great thoughts, thanks for sharing them!

Dan
The eye of a master taxidermist and the pen of a poet ! Seriously, a very nice thought indeed my friend, and it shows the heart of a guy that really understands his customers feelings about their trophies and this great sport we all enjoy.

The hunt is everything.

Very cool!

quote:

Ditto for what Ivan said. I have not yet measured my Cape Buffalo taken almost eleven months ago in Zimbabwe. I don't know if I ever will. That big horned skull sits here and transports me back to that day and place.

The last buff I took had a bent horn on one side and is ugly as mud, but he was a rugged old warrior and deserved a quick, clean death, which he received. No tape measure for him. Just the respect of the hunter for the quarry. He will go on a pedestal in my living room so I can remember everything about that hunt, one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

Dan, your writing is poetic and I certainly could not have expressed it better myself.

Your post was so true and right on for me. It was just several years ago that I got tired of TX deer blind hunting and decided to expand my horizons. Since then I've been to Africa twice, Canada twice, Alaska three times and hunted several northern states. Next year I go to CAR for a mixed bag bongo hunt, Alaska for a fishing trip and Canada for a whitetail hunt. I'm still trying to fit another sheep hunt in there as well.
I guess what I'm trying to say is - this is the good old days for me. Multiple hunts all over the world. Making new friends. Seeing sights I had only read and dreamed about. How could it get any better?
Funny part was it all started with a bid on EBay for a safari hunt that I totally didn't expect to win! LOL

That is a nice deer.

While there is NOTHING like elephant hunting to me...

I enjoy any hunting.
A couple of weekends ago I was hunting on my deer lease. I killed a turkey and 2 squirrels.
I wanted to kill a pig, but did not see one...

I did see and could have shot several deer, does, and a few good bucks.
My wife will hunt the buck this year, I will hunt the does...
And I will enjoy every minute of it.

For ME it is ALL about the hunt... ALL about the shot... ALL about being in the wild...

Atta' boy - thanks for the reminder...

Just spent 9 days and 81 hours in a pop up blind in northern Alberta waiting on the "dream". The "dream" continues to elude me but man do I love the hunt and that's what it's all about.

Thanks for all the great comments. I will continue to live in the good old days and chase the dream!!!DAN