I was sitting in a homemade stand next to the driveway. Something appeared on the right in my peripheral vision, and at first I thought it might be a dog or fox.
It was a mature doe, and after many hours sitting in the woods, still and quiet, it was the first deer to come within range of my 20 gauge single shot.She was crossing the yard, as they often do, and stopped to nibble some tasty weed. I raised my gun partway and she lifted her head. I froze. I think she saw me, but she didn't bolt. I raised my gun the rest of the way, and the movement must have convinced her it was time to leave. But she didn't run, just walked purposefully toward the woods.
Was she really in range? Yes, I thought so, based on many practice shots and lots of advice from my mentors.
I had a good shot, and was thankful for the practice rounds and the shooting lesson from a trusted friend. The mechanics of aiming felt natural.
I hesitated and my hand trembled. Was I really going to shoot to kill this majestic animal standing in front of me?
Ultimately, I knew in my heart and head that my path to this moment was long and intentional. I pulled the trigger.
