Story Behind the Trophy - It's not just "a head on the wall".
Troy Esau
As I walk into my home, my eyes are drawn to the head mounts on the walls, and instantly I'm transported to another place, another experience. How many of you look at that treasured mount on your wall, or that shed antler on your mantle, and are instantly taken back to the exact day it became yours? For many outdoorsmen, we have extremely vivid memories when it comes to our experiences in the wild. We can pinpoint the exact location that we reeled in that huge fish (that gets bigger every time you tell the story..), tell you what bait we used, and probably even who won the first, biggest, and most fish that day. We can picture exactly which trail that big buck walked out on, the feeling of your heart jumping into your throat while simultaneously beating so loud you are sure the deer can hear it, as well as the exact weather conditions that you experienced on that hunt. Oftentimes people who are not hunters can't quite understand why we so proudly display our successes on the wall. For me, it's because every time my eyes wander over to admire that mount or that shed antler, it takes me back to that moment in the bush.
As you read this, I want to point out that I am largely a whitetail hunter, though I have done my fair share of wild turkey and waterfowl hunting. Chasing mature whitetail bucks is like a real-life game of “cat-and-mouse”, where one of the biggest struggles is finding out where the big boys actually live. Trail cameras have put the task of finding the home turf of these elusive bucks within reach, as we know they rarely make the mistake of being visible during daylight hours. Even if you do get consistent pictures of the buck that you want to go after, there are still a host of variables that come into play before that animal is in the back of your pickup truck, and headed home with you. The variables in picking a spot to set up can be daunting for an inexperienced hunter. You have to analyze deer movement and take into account where they are bedding, where they are eating, and how close you need to be while still having some cover. Once you have waded through all those variables and put together a good hunting spot, you wait for the wind. You finally make it to the stand, and it seems that even with all the technology available to us, those old boys still seem to sense something different and choose a different route that day. I guess that is the reason we love getting out and chasing them, on the hopes that one day we will beat them on their home turf.
Getting an opportunity to harvest an animal after you have put together a plan is a pretty incredible feeling. I take huge pride in sitting in a carefully selected location, and having deer walk by and continue on without ever detecting my presence. Even more so when it's a deer I am chasing or a young buck that I am hoping to see live and grow for a few more years. These encounters with mature deer are seemingly few and far between, and maybe that is why they are such cherished memories. Every season I sit countless hours in a tree stand or blind, in hopes of getting a look at a mature deer, and if that deer does come into view, it often disappears just as quickly as it appeared, leaving no opportunity for a shot. It is easy to play in our mind how we would like a perfect hunt to unfold, but optimistically, I hope for one workable opportunity in a year to actually pull the trigger, or release an arrow on an animal I am chasing.
You are in the right place at the right time, and you finally get to take a shot. You listen for the unforgettable “smack” or “thud” of the arrow or bullet hitting its mark. Watching the animal hunch up and run away, knowing he is going to falter and collapse at any moment is an exhilarating feeling. Walking up to that trophy on the ground for the first time and putting your hands on him, admiring everything about him, lets loose the flood of emotions that has been built up over the hours you have poured into planning, scouting, setting up, and hunting rain or shine. Sharing these great triumphs with family and close friends makes them that much more special; moments we will never forget.
So every time you look at a mount in someone’s home, I encourage you to ask to hear the story behind it, because more often than not, the hunter will get that sparkle in their eye as they are transported back, and it will be a story worth hearing. I would also encourage each one of us hunters to take the time to write out our stories, to pass the passion on to future generations, as well as preserve the details that make up these experiences when our memories fail, because in the end it is just a head on the wall if you don't know the story behind it.
