Priorties Change

[JACK]

Well, it funny how life changes. Two months ago my life was turnned upside down, I came home from work and my wife told me she was leaving, and there was nothing I could do or say to change her mind. I can't put into words how that feels. She told me that she felt that hunting and work was more important to me than her. That's not how I felt but my actions spoke louder than my words. I spent more time on this web site, hunting, and scouting than I did with her. It really makes a guy realize what is important in life when something like this happens. I was so worried about having the biggest and the best keeping up with the Jones'es, ya know the bottom line is you can't take any of it with you in the end, nobody really cares and it really dosen't matter when there is nobody to share it with. Sure I have family and friends to share things with but it just isn't the same. Needless to say my priorties and outlook on life has changed. I was living for Jack and answering to Jack and really give a dang about anyone else or anything if it didn't benifit me I wasn't going to do it. Well,I got my skinny butt to church and my whole life, priorties, views, thoughts, emotions all that stuff has been changed, now I know there is purpose and meaning to "life". All the "things" that mattered before don't. It really dosent matter if you kill a 120" buck, spike, or nothing, just be thank for the time that you get to spend with you family and friends and the memories that are made. It is kinda emberassing that it took something like this to happen for me to realize all this, but everything happens for a reason and everything will work out in the end.

All that being said I did manage to get a few days of hunting in. I went up to Utah for a few days we had a great time. It snowed the day before and we weren't able to get to the "honey hole" but we filled all three tags. The other two guys had never killed a deer before, I have never seen two grown men so happy. We didn't see any big deer but we did see a sea of orange. It was unbeliveable the number of people out hunting. There were camps that had 50 to 75 people in them, it was amazing. We saw like 300 deer a day but then we also saw like 500 hunters too! I amazes me that anything with horns can survive. needless to say our trophy hunt turnned into a meat hunt, we all shot two points. Here is my beast!

I also had a november whitetail tag. I put in a ton of time scouting and found a good buck. I was hoping that my dad was going to finally kill a "big one" remember this guy?

Well, he made it through the October hunt. Opening morning we were right in his house but it wasn't ment to be. A fella from Oregon was walkin through jumped this buck and shot him, less than 500 yards from us. Second year in a row that has happened to us. I didn't get to see the buck but my buddies said he was like 105-110. Dad was pretty bummed out. I was bummed because our "secret spot" isn't a secret spot no more. It got HAMMERED! It was pretty discouraging, people were everywhere, it was windy and the deer went into hiding. We didn't see to much after the first day. Dad decided that he was going to go back down, but was going to go scout for my brothers elk hunt instead, so I went down by myself Friday morning and glassed up a decent buck just as the the sun was coming up. It was kinda a weird deal there were crows circling around and they were folowing the buck. For a minute I thought that it was a mule deer because there was so much white on his butt, but it was a coues so I made a quick stalk and set up. The buck walked right out in front of me 225 yards and he never knew what hit him he dropped in his tracks! Here he is!

When I got over to him I realized why he had so much white on his butt and why the crows had been following him....somebody shot his tail OFF the weekend before. He wasnt going to died from the wound but the crows thought he was!!

Remember whats realy important and dont' sweat the small stuff, take the time to stop and smell the roses so to speak, and congrats to everybody who got to be "out there" weather you got something or not!

[azcouesandelk]

Sorry to hear about your losses Jack. I wish I could do something to help you out. Congrats on your animals this season.

[peloncillo]

Your right on track there Jack. Thats an awesome coues you took. I know I am very selfish and often wonder how my wife can put up with me. The sacrifices that her and the kids have made because I had to have Swarovski binos and tripods and time spent scouting, using my vacation days for hunting instead of taking the family out. I took my six year old son out with me for the first time and we killed a small fork horn that I never would of even considered shooting but sharing the excitement and experiance with my son made it worthwhile. He was a blast to hunt with and he could of cared less how big the antlers were. I still want to kill big bucks and dream constantly of doing so but I am also looking forward to hunting with my boys and can hopefully someday make it all up to my wife. God bless you Jack.

 

Keven

[KGAINES]

I feel for you Jack and I am glad you are getting through this the best you can. Congrats on your hunts

God Bless and Take Care

[Guest Ernesto C]

Congratulations Jack and God bless you. Hey amazing but it is true...............no tail. Now you can say that you shot a white tail that had no tail..................or something like that

 

Ernesto C

[DEERSLAM]

So very well put JACK. My wife and I have been going through a tuff time in our marriage as of late. She says if I put half the amount of effort into our marriage as I put into my hunting, (hunts, scouting, internet, gear, talking about hunting etc. etc.) there wouldn't be a problem. I guess seeing what happen to you hopefully helps me realize she is 100% correct. I'm sorry about your lose. I hope I can turn things around here. God Bless You.

 

 

PS congrats on your hunts.

[az4life]

Priorities are important for sure. God#1 Family #2 Everything else... #3 (except in deer season, then there may be an exception to #2 & 3.)

[azryan]

good to see your life has changed for the better...everything will work out fine...im sorry to hear about the wife...that is a huge loss...but everything happens for a reason...hope things work out fine, actually i know they will u have the best person on your side...keep strong...congrats on your deer, glad to see you were succsesful

[elkhunter]

Congrats on the success Jack, sorry to hear about your loss, those type of wake up calls hurt at first but it always works out at the end, that's why I say that god has heck of a plan for me. Keep your head up buddy and keep it rollin

[coueshunter]

Jack, sometimes God gives us a really good wack on the head to wake us up ( he did this for me about 1 year ago) I know right now it is rough understanding some of the trials you are up against, the pain and the loss, but I know if you rely on him and put him first, all the other stuff will work out. I have had to cut way back on my hunting/scouting/helping out etc....and put God first, my Wife second, family third and me fourth. That is/was a hard thing to do because I am selfish, but each time it gets easier and more beneficial. I will continue to pray for you.........p.s. great bucks..............Allen.........

[Rembrant]

Jack,

It takes a real man to type the kind of words that you did above. God disciplines the ones He loves, Jack. He loves you!

Heard this preached once:

Imagine an empty goblet and a whole bunch of small balls and one big ball. As you place all the small balls into the cup it fills and there is no room now for the big one. When you place it on top it just rolls off.

Change your strategy. This time put the one big ball in the cup first. Now start placing in the small balls. Even after you fill the cup, you are still able to stack the remaining balls over the top of the brim until all are used.

The goblet is your life. The big ball is God. The smaller balls are all the needs and wants (stuff) in your life.

Put God first; the rest of your life will be blessed because of it.

 

"But rather seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you."

Luke 12:31

 

God bless you Jack!!

Mike

[JACK]

Thanks guys, wish I knew eight weeks ago what I know now. But, you know I can't live in the past, I know what I did, I know what I said, and didn't say and that can't be changed. All I know now is that my life has a meaning and a pupose and will forever be changed. I look at everything from a diffrent prespective, funny how he did that. Nothing that I was so worried about before matters any more. The cool thing is that we both ended up in church and we never talked about going before. We have been talking a little bit but shes not ready to come back yet. Shes still working on herself. I can respect that, she has put up with me for five years. She knows I want to work it out, she knows I am sorry, she knows I not going anywhere, the ball is in her court right now. All I do is hang out and pray and try to keep my chin up, some days are better than others but I'm doing good. You realy don't realize what you have until its gone. Seems like it takes somebody dying or something like this to bring everybody back together. Why dose it happen that way? I know this is all happening for a reason I am coming out of this a better man than I went in so I am thankful for that. It has been the most humbling experience of my life and I need it!

 

DEERSLAM-there will always be another deer hunt or another weekend to scout, I dont have any ememies

anymore but I would wish this on anyone!

[desertsheep]

Jack,

 

I know you know how to role with the punches. Thing's will get better. It takes a strong woman to be married to someone that spend's as much time in the field as we do. Keep your head up and keep spurring. Awesome buck also.

 

 

Jason

[Shiras]

Jack,

Thanks for sharing and being open. I know if it weren't for the personality of my wife, we would have long been separated by now. I know that I am just as guilty. It is hard to do sometimes but I know it to be true...

the true meaning of JOY

Jesus

Others

You

I work on it daily. God bless you brother. Proverbs 3:5-6

-Shiras

[CouesWhitetail]

Wow, sorry to hear of your loss Jack, but at least you are treating it as a wake-up call and making some serious changes. Good Luck and thanks for sharing your story.

 

Amanda