Casey's Hunting Progress

Hunting Progress

Recorded by Casey Seton

After Hunting

Before I say anything else, this is not a diary. This is a journal to record my hunting progress. Just
because I write stuff in here before and after hunting, it does not mean this is a diary. 13 year old boys don’t
have diaries.

Today was supposed to be my birthday party, but it was canceled because of the weather, but, for
where we live, it‘s actually really nice outside. The morning was starting great. It was a great day for hunting,
I knew it when the sound of the ringing phone woke me at about 3:20 a.m. It was a call for my dad. Not like
that was anything new.

When I woke up again at around 7, mom was in the kitchen. Dad still wasn’t back. I was hoping he
would get back soon. I was longing to hunt. Mom then left for work. I practiced on Bowhunter for a while. I
wanted to be ready when dad came home.

Then I thought, I have a real bow and real arrows. I do not have to play a game. I remember the feeling
I got when I picked up the bow. Like it said in my book, I was handling great power. Knowing that I could also
kill myself with the bow, I did what dad told me to do when I was practicing with him: Loop the larger leather
pocket around one tip of the bow and put the second pocket on the other end. Holding the bow and preparing
to shoot it gave me an even greater feeling than when I first picked it up. Now not only did I have power, but I
was about to use it.

I held the bow in my left hand and prepared the bowstring. I remmember the satisfying sound when I
plucked the string. I nocked an arrow on the string and pulled it back. I prepared to shoot when I

remembered that shooting inside the house would end up being problematic. If I had not remembered not only
would I have been totally grounded, but I might’ve never been able to use an arrow again. I then went outside.

There really wasn’t anything to shoot at in the front yard. Still, I nocked the arrow on the string and
began to shoot the garage. I only remembered three of the steps. 1 was take the proper stance, 2 was nock the
arrow and 7 was aim. Unfortunately, instead of getting the book my dad got me for my birthday to look up the
steps, I impetuously pulled back on the string to shoot.

The arrow flew way off into the woods. I must say, I’m glad it did. If it had not I would have never found
what I did.

Before I found that though, I was really upset. My parents would be, too. Because of that, I ventured off
into the woods. I could not lose the arrow. The expression “Finding a needle in a haystack” came to mind as I
began looking for the arrow. I began wondering what exactly I had done wrong when I heard it.

“Caw”. To most people, that would have just been the regular call of a crow or a raven but I was a hunter.
To me, that meant something to hunt.

The raven flew off when I tried to shoot it. I felt challenged by the intellegent bird. It was just like
Bowhunter. But in Bowhunter, the animals came back if you missed. This was life. I had to follow this bird. This
bird was my target. I didn’t worry about finding the arrow anymore. If I could shoot the raven, losing an arrow
would mean a lot less to me.

As I began searching for the raven I realized that If I wanted to shoot it, I would have to be able to recall
all the nine steps from my archery book. Before I could remember all of them, though, I heard that sound again.

“Caw.” Like the game, I did not expect to see the raven there. Again, once I shot, I missed. The bird flew away,
but I could still see her. I was confused. I thought ravens were smart. I kept attempting to shoot and then
missing.

I began observing where the raven was flying. Then it hit me. She might have been leading me away from
something, a nest I guessed. I wanted to see the nest. I tried to find the center of where she had been flying. I
then recalled that in about the center of where the raven was flying, there was a clearing. I thought I would be
able to get her while she was defending the nest. I moved on. Suddenly, I saw the raven fly straight up in the air.
Again, I shot the arrow. Only this time, the bird dropped. I felt amazed. Had I killed her? I searched for where
the raven had fell. The more I looked, the more I believed that the raven had faked the fall. I couldn’t have
actually killed her. At least, that’s what I thougt.

I eventually found the raven, legs sticking up, wings in a tight curl. The bird was dead. The book said an
arrow could peirce sand. This was a feathery bird. The arrow had gone right through her. I started to cry. I
couldn’t believe what I had done. Then I saw a large dog, lying there. Back then, I didn’t know it was a wolf. I
feared I had shot him too. As I got closer I realized shot him. Something else hurt the animal. I saw no collar or
tags.

Then I remembered what Mr. Souza had said at the post office. This was the wolf that he saw when he
was bird watching. Unsure of what to do, I ran home to get food and water for the wolf. Before I left, I wrote I
note for my dad if he came home stating that I was walking in the woods. Thinking it might help, I also took a tube
of ointment with me. When I reached the wolf, I cautiously approached him with the food I had brought. I

had to get unbelievably close to the wolf for him to gobble up the food. I also let him have some water.
Then it was time to put the ointment on. I unscrewed the cap of the bottle and I put a drop of the liquid on the
wolf’s paw, where he was wounded. When I started to rub it in the wolf bit me! And it wasn’t a friendly mouth. He
clamped down on my hand so hard, my hand aches as I write this. His jaws remained on my wrist for a couple
seconds but then he let go. The bite marks are still deep where his teeth came in contact with my skin. I guess it
was my own fault. The wolf didn’t know that I was trying to help him. It probably stung for him. Tears filled my eyes.
As I Iooked at the poor animal I noticed his eyes. His eyes were so sad.

After getting over the searing pain that gripped my hand, I went back to fetch more food and water for the
wolf. This time, while rummaging throught the fridge I found bacon, hamburger patties, three pizza slices, and a bottle
of water. I raced back to the wolf where I fed him the food and gave him the water. Agian, I started back home to get
more for the helpless animal to eat.

As I arrived, my dad greeted me. I told him about the wolf. At first it seemed like he didn’t believe me so I
showed him the bight marks on my hand. He asked me to show him so I started walking towards the forest. Oddly,
when I looked back, my dad was headed for the garage. I asked him what he was doing. His reply, “A hurt dog, which
you say is a wolf, I’m getting my gun.” I pleaded saying he didn’t need it. Then he scolded me. “Let me be the judge.
Case, you haven’t been very wise, have you. Okay, you’re a teenager, but come on, you’ve acted like a little kid.” I
pleaded but once he picked up his .223 rifle, I had to lead him to the clearing where I had found the wolf.

When we arrived at the clearing, I looked around. I saw pawprints. I saw blood. I never saw a wolf,
though. I told my dad that he was right there. Then my dad wanted me to show him the arrow. Again, I saw the
arrow and their was blood on it. But I saw no raven. I suggested that maybe I just wounded it. Now, that wouldn’t
make much sense. The raven was in the position of a dead animal. I still can’t make sense of what happened. My
dad said that we should just go home.

As we approached the house, my dad offered to give me lessons. I agreed but first I went to my room to
play Bowhunter. I watched the computer screen for half an hour. No wolf or raven apeared. Where did the
animals go? I finally went down to practice with my arrow. The wolf and the raven’s disapearence never left my
mind. I doubt they ever will.