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The 3 year streak

bigten05

*Supporting Member*
3,675
151
knox county ohio
this story starts in 2012, that spring as you guys know my wife and i lost our first born, he was only 3 years old. he was my absolute best friend and we did everything together. after we lost him i was in a deep depression, hadnt ate in a few weeks and couldnt do anything but cry or scream and yell. i remember telling my dad that i didnt have the drive or the passion too hunt anymore and i didnt want too do it if i couldnt share it with my boy. my dad told me it would only take time. one night my parents came over and we were sitting on the porch talking and i had just told my buddy about when my grandpa passed my mom swears she was woke up by someone kissing her head, well as we were sitting there i dont know why but i brought up that my phone had been freezing in the middle of the night i told her for 2 nights in a row it was froze at 4:23am. after that we were sitting there and my buddy asked about when her dad passed and she told him the story that i heard many times before she says she woke up too somebody kissing her head and nobody was there and she just knew it was her dad passing she said she just had a calm relief over her and she said which i had heard before also that the time was 4:23 on her alarm clock that morning when she was woke up. we never put 2and 2 together until that came out of her mouth as soon as she said the time we realized thats what my phone was locked on for two days in a row. an instant releif came over me like a weight was lifted off my chest. to know that my grandpa that i was around almost everyday was with my son was what i needed to get started getting myself back to as normal as i could be. it wasnt long after that i found myself fishing on the bank where me and lucas last fished together. (that was the last thing we had done before we lost him) so many memories of him running thru my head i made the choice that day i would not let myself fall apart. i was never into the bible but found some peace in it after what had happened that night on the porch. in middle of summer i found myself running cams and riding the tractor working some ground for food plots. it just came natural and i had always kept alot built up inside the woods became a place to relax my passion was slowly coming back. 2012 and 2013 deer seasons came and went with me passing up deer that i shouldn't of, this season i came into it with a new mind set too make it fun again for me instead of a second job. that was until i got pictures of big deer again. then it was restless nights of thinking where to go what to do next. my target deer got killed in October, after that i pulled all my cams and went back to just hunting, i knew what was there and where too hunt. i had some good encounters with some great deer during the rut a 160 inch buck had my attention after seeing him twice.then he vanished. i didnt hunt much after the first week of November because of work but when i got back out me and a buddy went and set a blind on a fresh picked corn field we had encounters with three shooters that night best hunt of the season. fast forward to opening day of gun season. im up in the woods above the corn field i ended up having 14 does come by within 20 yards i just kept waitng for the bucks but nope didnt see any horns. i climbed back in the same stand at 1:00 for the evening hunt my brother went too the blind on corn field i ended up seeing 5 more does, we get back too the truck and he says he had 5 bucks and 6 does down there at 200 yards he said 2 bucks were shooters. the next morning nobody seen any deer i seen one doe at 300 yards. i was baffled that 4 guys on 250 acres couldnt see any when we were all seeing deer monday and there was no pressure around,about 10 i got down and moved the blind to where the deer had been coming out, i climbed in it about 230 that afternoon to stay out of the wind. i found myself reflecting on some things like i do alot while sitting alone, i soon had my bible out reading it, looking up i noticed a spike 35 yards away he was the only deer in the field so i grabbed my phone and was looking thru some old pictures, they got me a little teary eyed and i started talking too lucas like ive done many times before. the next thing i know that spike jumps and spins around looking back to where i originally had the blind, i seen 5 does at first then i see horns i said damn i messed up. i grabbed my bow anyways, and im looking at the buck and he comes on a straight line right too me i started to shake so bad i thought the spike was gonna bust me. he got out too the spike and damn near knocked him off his feet, i was too busy watching them i almost forgot i was planning on shooting him, i grab the range finder still shaking pretty good i couldnt ge it to pick up anything i just dropped it one the ground and held my 30 yards pin just a touch high calmed myself and let it fly. he tore out of there and ran about 100 yards i was not sure where the shot was and thought damn i hope i didnt mess that up next thing i know i see him fall over in the woods. i damn near flipped the blind over getting out of it. i called my dad and told him i got him, then i started acrossed the field. i took a few pics then called my brother and went back to the truck to wait on everyone, it was a hell of celebration because they all knew how hard i hunt and how long it had been for me.he may not be my biggest but he is prolly gonna be my most memorable deer ever with everything that happend.on the way home that night i broke down in the truck realizing how it all came together. i went to call my dad the next day as i scrolled down to his number i seen when i had called him after the shot it was 4:23 exactly. that put a smile on my face. my daughter was also very excited when i got home with the deer she sat on the tailgate with it for a good 15 minutes.
 

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bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
Damn Josh. That's a story that is both hard, and easy to read. My eyes keep welling up at the thought of what you've been through. Some amazing bits to that story and we're all happy as hell for you! Well done sir.
 

Quantum673

Black Hat Cajun
Supporting Member
Josh - Thank you for sharing. Awesome job on the buck! I am glad that you did not give up on hunting and living. The time spent in the woods will always be time for you and Lucas.
I think of you and Lucas often as I sit in the stand. I will always keep you and your family in my prayers.
 

Rutin

Senior Member
2,029
0
Ina Duck Blind
Tough one TOO read... def got me choked a couple of times being a father of a young boy and dealing with a far along miscarriage earlier this year. Being such a small tight knit forum I think every guy/gal on here that reads this will be touched in some way. Most will feel a since of sadness, but there WILL be several people that take something "greater" away from this story. I'm glad you've found GOD and I'm glad you've found some peace. As tough as this had to be to write this success story, I thank you and congrats!
 

Strother23

Member
1,405
0
Columbus, OH
Sorry for your loss. It is tough to comprehend what you have been through as I have a 2.5yr old son and a 1yr old daughter and could even imagine going through that. Thank you for sharing and I am glad that things came together for you hunting and you got your buck.
 

brock ratcliff

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
24,834
247
Without question, one of the best deer tales I've ever read. There is a lot more to deer hunting than deer killing! Congratulations on the deer. Congratulations especially for finding some amount of healing and together time with your boy in the woods.
 

Outdoorsfellar

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
What an amazing read. Most of us certainly cannot comprehend the agony you & your family endured. It's funny how things come about. The things that happen for which you ask for an explanation, you will not get, in a textbook fashion... for a better word. As long as you Believe, everything will make sense.
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
Wow! What a great story Josh! Such a sad but happy story rolled into one! Thanks for sharing it and your pictures!!! Just WOW!
 

NEOhunter

Junior Member
WOW! I had a hard time reading this story thinking of my 3 yr old daughter and 9 month old son. I'm glad you found some peace in the bible and got back into hunting. Great story and nice deer.
 

bigten05

*Supporting Member*
3,675
151
knox county ohio
thanks guys i really appreciate it. i dont open up much about things and keep too myself alot with my feelings but i had no problem putting it on here for you guys to read. i could of wrote more but couldnt figure out how without it being 10 pages long.
 
As I have a 3 year old daughter and could not conceivably begin to think of her dying your story really shows my nieveness towards how fragile life really is......
You and your wife have lived something that I feel no human being should have to experience and for that I commend you for finding the best in such a terrible situation
I am glad that you have seem to find some form of stability in the outdoors and may your strong will and the good lord continue your perseverance.

Again I would like to thank you for sharing your story as I feel it has shed light onto how much I take my childrens youthfullness for granted in assuming I have the rest of my life to share time with them.
Maybe a few days out of the woods to spend more time with my family will be in order sometimes I unintentionally neglect my wife/daughter during hunting seasons