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Last year, my friend Jack and I decided to go hunting in a spot we had been eager to try. It was deep in the mountains, about a three-hour drive from home. Jack was a seasoned hunter, having hunted for over ten years, while I had plenty of experience myself but still felt like I had a lot to learn from him.
That morning, we set off before dawn, loaded up with all the necessary gear: guns, knives, bows, arrows, ammunition, and a bunch of supplies. Jack, being the meticulous guy he was, also brought some bait. He always paid attention to every detail. Our target for this trip was deer and wild boar. We'd heard that the area was overrun with boars, and there were plenty of deer too. So, we were both pretty excited. On the way there, we talked about past hunting experiences, especially the funny ones. Like the time Jack accidentally dropped his lunch into a river on his last hunting trip. After three hours of driving, we finally arrived. As soon as I stepped out of the car, I could feel the cold in the air and that unique damp chill of the forest. Jack looked up at the sky and said, "This is going to be a good day. Plenty of game today."
We decided to split up. I chose a small wooded area on a hillside. There were fresh deer tracks, and I could even catch a whiff of some wild scent in the air. I climbed up a big tree, strapped myself in, and started scanning the area with my binoculars. Jack, on the other hand, was down in a lowland area, setting up traps and bait to lure the wild boar. It wasn’t long before the sun started to rise, and I was beginning to feel a bit bored. Then suddenly, I heard a rustling noise from the bushes up ahead. I quickly grabbed my binoculars and saw an adult buck, calmly grazing, completely unaware of my presence. Carefully, I nocked an arrow, holding my breath, waiting for the perfect shot. The buck looked healthy, strong, and was a great target.
Just as I was about to release the arrow, a gunshot rang out, startling both me and the buck. The deer bolted off into the woods before I could do anything. The gunshot had definitely come from Jack's direction, and I felt a little frustrated — something must've happened on his end.
I quickly climbed down the tree and ran toward Jack’s location. After a short run, I found Jack standing by a rock with a slightly annoyed look on his face. I asked him what had happened, and he pointed to a pit not far off and said, “A boar came charging at me. I had to shoot, but I didn’t hit the vital spot, just its leg. It ran off.”
We checked the blood trail on the ground and figured the boar hadn’t gone far. So, we decided to track it down. As we walked, Jack kept joking about how he could’ve been more patient, saying, "If I’d just kept calm, we’d be having boar for dinner already." After about half an hour of tracking, we finally found the boar hiding in a bush, clearly weakened from blood loss. Jack looked at me, signaling for me to take the shot. I slowly raised my bow, aimed for the boar’s heart, and released the arrow. It hit its mark perfectly, and the boar let out a low grunt before collapsing to the ground.
We both sighed with relief as we approached the downed boar. Jack patted me on the shoulder and said, "Nice shot, man." I grinned, feeling pretty proud of myself.
Once the boar was down, we tied it to a tree and started the process of skinning and butchering it. Though it was a bit messy, Jack and I were used to this part of the job. It’s never an easy task, but it’s an essential part of every hunt. After a few hours of hard work, we finally had the meat packed into bags.(A CVLIFE pocket knife was used in the butchering process!)
By the time we made it back to camp, the sun had set, and it was already dark. We lit a campfire and grilled some of the boar meat for dinner. Sitting by the fire, Jack started telling stories about his early days as a hunter, laughing about all the rookie mistakes he used to make. I couldn’t help but laugh, too, as I remembered my own “painful” beginner moments.
That night, under the stars, we drank beer and talked about all kinds of things—not just hunting but also life’s little ups and downs. Even though we didn’t bag as much game as we’d hoped, spending the day out in nature with a good friend made it all worth it.
The next morning, we packed up our gear and prepared to head back home. As we loaded the wild boar meat into the car, Jack laughed and said, " It wasn’t a perfect hunt, but we got something. Next time, we’re definitely going back. I’m not giving up on that deer!" I nodded in agreement, already looking forward to our next adventure.
In hunting, unexpected challenges and surprises are just part of the deal, and it's those moments that make us appreciate every successful hunt even more. Every hunt is a lesson, a chance to learn and grow.
What about you? Have you had a wonderful and fun, or exciting and stressful hunting experience? Please share them with us in the comments section!