Antlers United

 In this crazy thing we call Life it’s interesting what separates us and what brings us together.   We all, at some point, have stopped and pondered the thought “I Wonder What Happened To”.., or “I should give so and so a call”…and unfortunately that “Sometimes” is as far as we go with it.  For whatever reason, usually time, or pressing responsibilities, we dismiss the thought and get right back into the hustle and bustle of life.  It is funny as we age; time runs along faster and faster.  I remember waiting for Christmas and opening day of Firearms…Weeks seemed like years, minutes seemed like hours and I can tell you here and now, today, there just is not enough hours in a day.  Following Thanksgiving Day this year my wife was asking me what happened to the Christmas lights on Christmas Eve.  Good question…

I got a wonderful Christmas gift this year from my Mother and I’m actually drinking from it right now, sipping my coffee.  My Mother got me a coffee mug that has a picture of a phone on it with the writing “Call your Mother!” There’s your sign, my sign anyway, thanks Momma I’ll call, I promise…

Sometimes it’s money, riches and wealth that separates us, sometimes it’s the “Changing of the Guard”, child evolving into parent, a young man or woman striking out to start their own family which pulls them from their own parents.  This folks is the necessary and the natural order of things, as it should be, but you better call your mother.

Sometimes it’s a career change, and sometimes it’s a war, prying our young men and women from their families to defend our way of life, trying to keep chaos and hardships from our shores.  Preserving life and liberties for those they left behind.  This separation, I have to say is the most admirable and my hat goes off to those that serve and have served.  These men and women are sacrificing time and life for all of us to pursue our own goals and dreams and to help maintain our families.  Thank you by the way, and if I said that to you before well then bare with me while I stop, pause, and I say THANK YOU AGAIN!

When our Heroes returned they found that the world didn’t stop for them, many of their family and friends had moved on… but remember this Hero, it’s because of you, we were all able to do this.  You were successful; you did your Job and you did it well!

Recently I heard of two brothers, separated by life’s demands; and one of these brothers had the opportunity to pause, take a breath and had that moment… “I should give my brother a call”, I don’t know exactly what was going on in his head, maybe he was searching for that icebreaker, maybe he was wondering what did they use to do as kids that brought them so close, and then it hit him, they used to have their best times hunting together, and then the call was made..

“Hey Buddy It’s been a while…Let go Hunting, it’s been too long…You in? Damn right…Time and place?…Name it, I’ll be there…

Well the day was set, December 20, 2010, the Gasker brothers, Harry and Max head out to the field for a long awaited day of hunting.  Well I don’t know if it’s appropriate to pray for success, but I’d say somebody was smiling down on these boys this day.

After the plan was hatched Harry got in a double ladder stand located in a hedge row between two cornfields.  At about 0830 a nice buck stepped out, crossed one corn field, walked through the hedgerow and made his way into the other corn field about 50 yards from Harry’s ladder stand.  The blood was pumping, but Harry pulled himself together and sent a perfect shot down range dropping the buck in his tracks.

Max heard the shot so he got out of stand and excitedly went off to see what morning had brought to his brother. Well when Max showed up at his brother’s stand, there was Harry proudly perched over his trophy 8 pointer.  Looking at their pictures it looks like they both had the gaze of teenagers, no worries, just pure exhilaration of accomplishment.  Time stood still for these brothers at this moment and it shows on their faces.

The morning hunt came to a close after taking care of Harry’s deer and exchanging the morning hunting stories over a bite to eat.  The Gasker brothers journeyed back into the field and in good form, Max ended up in the old reliable hedgerow stand that Harry had just taken his trophy from.  Max was sitting in the stand, reflecting on what was already a memorable day, he heard the little snap of a twig…Stepping from this cedar patch, out into the field was another nice 8 pointer.  Could this be happening, a double buck day for the Gasker brothers, well now it was up to Max to make it happen, a day to be remembered through their lifetime, a story to be told by family for years and years to follow, would this be that day?  Fifty yards separated Max and buck…”Squeeze the trigger Max, just make this one shot count” and the smokepole sounded,but as often times, the smoke from the muzzleloader filled the air and Max had the “Million Questions Plague” filling his mind.  The deer wasn’t lying there…”Did I pull the shot?”, “Did I hit him good?”, “Did I hit him at all?”, “Did I jerk the trigger?”…”I gotta get out here and see; at least check to see if there was blood.”  After about 20 minutes, my guess is 2 minutes, but whatever you say Max…Max got out of his stand to check his shot and there it was, red gold and the tracking was on.  The shot was perfect, Max’s buck piled up in less than 50 yards, another nice 8 pointer for this day of days, was at Max’s feet. Way to go guys and I bet these brothers won’t be waiting so long next time to get back together.  This was certainly a special day, it  shows in the pictures.

I really don’t think it was the Gasker Brother Bone pile that made this day exceptional, it’s getting back together and remembering what and who is important in our lives, the bone pile (Antlers) was just a added bonus.

Well played fellas, now I gotta go call my mother.

Great Job to Harry and Max

 

 

And Harry, thanks and welcome home!

Great Day!!!! The Gasker Brothers earned this day.

 ’till the next adventure

Outdoorguru

Jay Schline