HuntStand’s Will Cooper is on a mission to bag his first out-of-state buck. After a failed rut hunt the previous season, he returns to northern Nebraska with hopes of capitalizing on more-predictable early season patterns. All the pieces are falling nicely into place when things take a sudden turn for the worse. And unfortunately for Will, every bowhunter’s worst nightmare becomes a harsh reality.
Dealing with Adversity
The truth is, if you bowhunt long enough, strange things can happen. Bowhunting is so addictive because it can deliver the very highest of highs. When things go right, the feeling of accomplishment can be nothing short of euphoric. Bowhunting is a challenge, and when you throw in the pursuit of mature bucks, the intensity can be extreme. Explaining to someone that you had a “successful” hunt doesn’t quite get it.
A Game of Inches
However, when things go wrong, the emotional rollercoaster swings the other way. Sleepless nights. Second-guessing your actions. Sometimes the only thing you can do is search hard and long for a lost deer. At these times, each step taken can help reconcile your fate. In the end, bowhunting is a whole lot of things, but it’s also a game of inches. Just one or two off your mark can mean a totally different outcome.
Learning from Each Hunt
Although it can sometimes be tough to do, a good answer to any challenging hunt is reviewing its positive aspects. Following last year’s difficult rut hunt, Will came into this early September hunt with a fresh new gameplan. With the help of HuntStand Pro’s map layers and accurate HuntZone wind and weather conditions, the pieces to the puzzle were slowly coming together. With several days still left to hunt, the team was fine-tuning stand location. And then, just like that, a surprise encounter. Yes, Will might consider the outcome to be every bowhunter’s worst nightmare. But the fact is, fall is just getting started. And sweet redemption might be just one hunt away.
