Hunting Trip: by David Brown I'm going back to November of last year,
To talk about nature and deer.

It is the first weekend in November 1999,
And will provide memories that will stay with me for all time.

It's Friday, November fifth and I have this thirst,
For tomorrow the sixth is gonna be the first,

The first day of gun season for hunting whitetails,
So I'm going to pack my gear after school today,
And once I do that I'll be on my way,
To a camp full of guys telling their fairy tales,
From oversized fish to trophy whitetails.

Now that I'm home from school, I'm putting my stuff up,
Jamming it carefully in my new pickup truck,

I call my dad but can't reach him anywhere,
I guess he's already made his way out there.

Let me tell you before you ask where,
About the place I hunt, though you may not care.

I hunt on a lease about nine miles west of Johnson City,
Where there have been sightings of a mountain kitty.

I'm ready to leave so I give my wife a kiss,
Though I know I'll have fun, she'll sorely be missed.

On the way out there I listen to George Strait,
Thinking of the first hunt, I can hardly wait.

I admire the Hill Country mile after mile,
And on my face can be seen a huge smile.

When I get out there I already know,
That I'll see ATV's that are ready to go.

When I arrive my dad helps me unpack,
Then I put my things away in what resembles a shack.

After that I begin to search for a snack,
But didn't know steaks were cooking out back.

So I walk on over and say hello,
To Terrell, Steve and Jimbo;

These friends of mine are much older,
And the steak sauce I used could have been bolder.

Now that it's after eight I can see all the stars,
For the sky is so clear you'd think you'd see mars,

As the guys talk,
I go for a walk,

And look up at the stars with a wondrous gaze;
They are so clear and bright that I am amazed.

This is one of many reasons why I love this place;
A quiet, clear, hill country night,
With the moon up above shining so bright,
That even if I tried with all of my might,
I couldn't prevent the smile that cracks my face.

As everyone else turns in,
I still have my grin.

I know it's going to be hard to sleep,
Because the anticipation of the morning runs so deep.

Where I sleep is less comfortable than home,
And I seem to be so far from home,

Alone in the wilderness that I've come to know,
My fear of darkness, I will not show.

I'm the last one to awake the next day,
And for this time of year it's a little warm I must say.

The darkness of the early morning keeps me at bay,
For this mornings hunt is about two hours away,

So I grab some coffee and sit with the guys,
And listen to them talk about how the warmth attracts flies.

It's now five thirty and time to get ready,
So I put dusting corn in a sack,
And my other gear goes in my camo pack.

I load my rifle without a bullet in the chamber,
Because until I get in my stand it's nothing but danger;
I start my dads four wheeler and now I'm ready.

So I tell the guys "Good Huntin" and leave the camp,
"Oh man," the morning dew has left the seat damp.

I then go up the rocky road to my stand,
Park the four-wheeler and throw some corn by hand.

I then climb in my stand, which we call the "tower,"
I get settled in, then check the hour,

The feeder should go off around six forty-five,
This fresh country air makes me feel so alive.

Daylight breaks and I watch the sun rise,
The mixture of clouds and color has me hypnotized,
Hypnotized by the beauty that is seen by eyes.

From my stand I can hear the Perdanales River,
For it's only yards away,
And when the wind blows I can see the cedars sway.

Then I turn my head and my body starts to shiver,
For down the right fire line I can see four deer,
What a wonderful way to start off a new year.

I see two spikes, an eight, and a doe,
My choice is to take the buck or let him go,

If I shoot him now I'll have one buck tag to go,
But he is young and this I know,

But if I don't take this deer,
There's a chance I may not see anything a good all year.

Still I wait and just watch their graceful ways,
As this wonderful view puts me in a daze.

For a while the deer eat and play,
And then eventually move on their way.

Whitetail deer are some of the smartest animals on earth,
And their beauty makes it a privilege to see them on their turf.

I'm having so much fun just being out here,
For I am not out here just to kill deer.

Nature is relaxing, peaceful, and relieves stress,
Plus I don't have to deal with the city’s mess,
Like traffic, smog, people, and other stress.

Well this morning's hunt is done,
And nobody shot a deer, not one.

So I meet up with my dad,
I told him I passed an eight-point and he was glad,
For he knew if I took this one,
I'd pretty much be done,
And if I saw a ten-point later, I'd be mad.

So we ride back to camp and put our things up,
Then grab some breakfast and drink coffee from our cups.

The time between hunts is still great fun,
I go hunt for varmints with my shotgun,

I might shoot a squirrel,
Or take the four-wheeler for a whirl,

Why this young sap,
Might even take a nap,

Or go hunt a tree stand
And admire God's land.

Three-thirty roles around and it's time to hunt again,
I think I'll go back to the tower and climb on in.

At around four I hear a shot,
But pay no attention cause I'm hunting for my buck,
Until I hear the sound of a pick up truck,
I'm now wondering whom shot and what they got.

I have bucks chasing does all around,
And there's plenty of corn on the ground,

When about five thirty my dad calls on the hand held radio,
And tells me "David, there's a ten-point headed your way,"
And as I focus on the shot, I tell myself "hey,
Calm down, make this shot and you'll make your day."

So I put him in my sights about eighty yards away,
I squeeze the trigger, watch him drop, and now have made my day.

My dad passed this ten-point for me,
For he has killed many,

But this was my first,
And it gave my body a huge burst.

A burst of adrenaline, which made my heart, beat and beat,
And after taking the deer back to camp I could really feel the heat.

It turns out that Terrell shot,
And an eight-point is what he got,

When they saw my buck they said that they were glad,
But somehow I sensed that they were really mad,

But I don't care about that crowd,
Because my whole family was proud.

I left the quartering of the deer out of this story,
Because describing the process would be kind of gory.

I went to sleep that night with a sense of power,
Over the buck I shot from the "tower."

And I can tell you every detail about this hunt,
From going to the stand to the guns grunt.

After the next morning it will be the end,
The end of a fun filled weekend.

There's another stand I hunted this weekend called "the tripod,"
And the view of the sunset there is truly a work of God,

I truly love this place of God's beauty,
And to enjoy and care for it,
I believe to be my duty.

This is where I want to spend the rest of my life,
Here in the majestic Hill Country with my beautiful wife!

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