WomenHunters, Inc.

I watched the miles multiply on my odometer as I sped south and west across the vast plains toward Wyoming’s legendary Spearhead Ranch. Like every autumn for the past ten years, I was looking forward to a week of bow hunting pronghorn antelope on this amazing and expansive piece of property. But more than that, I was particularly excited about hunting with a very special bow; a longbow that came into my possession through the incomparable forces of faith, hope, and charity.

St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital is nothing short of a living shrine, an anthem of hope and healing built in the 1950’s by entertainer Danny Thomas, a group of philanthropic business people, and some 100 representatives of the Arab-American community. For Danny, the construction of this hospital fulfilled a pledge made to create a tribute to St. Jude Thaddeus, patron saint of lost causes, for answering a prayer made by Danny when he was still a young, struggling entertainer who had petitioned the Saint to help him find his way in this life.

Today, the living legacy of Danny Thomas’s faith stands as a beacon of light, reaching across the world to help children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases regardless of their family’s ability to pay. It is an example of the very best of human generosity and character.

As a person who has been fortunate to make my life’s work serving others in the ministry of healthcare, I remain deeply moved by the origins and mission that are such important elements of the story of St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. Thus, a few years ago when a group of philanthropically minded traditional bow hunters at Tradgang.com endeavored to start an annual on-line auction to support St. Jude’s, I was quick to participate.

The 2009 auction offered many wonderful items for the enthusiastic bidder and I was only too thrilled to be the winner of a custom Firefly Take Down Longbow to be built by Bowyer, Jim Jones. The bow would be made to my specifications and as an unanticipated surprise; Jim indicated that he would have the bow in my hands well before my Wyoming bow hunt.

True to his word, my Firefly arrived three weeks in advance of my hunt; more than enough time for me to tune the bow, match it to the perfect arrows, and practice to assure proficiency. Shooting the bow proved to be a dream, as my St. Jude’s Firefly was one of the smoothest, best performing longbows I had ever had the pleasure of owning. I was confident that if all went well while hunting, I could place the arrow right where it needed to be at the moment of truth.

After an uneventful journey to the ranch and a good night’s sleep, it was suddenly August 31^st and the first morning of my hunt. From my hunting blind I marveled at the sight of the prairie awakening. Pinkish light growing against the retreating darkness was quickly punctuated by the sounds of songbirds, the sight of two distant mule deer moving casually in my direction, the wispy hush of temperate wind snaking through the sage. I looked at the Firefly and smiled, for there was no doubt that this bow and I were in the presence of the Divine.

The two mule deer finally arrived at my location. Both were immature bucks and I admired their youthful splendor as they bent their heads low toward the waterhole in front of my blind and began to drink. The youngsters meandered away to the southwest and soon enough antelope began to appear.

From 7:20 AM to 11:30 AM I enjoyed a procession of wildlife that most people only dream of seeing. There were countless pronghorn does, fawns, and immature bucks. There were plump prairie hens, melodious song birds, and even rodents to keep me inspired and entertained as the morning ebbed away. And if that wasn’t enough, I just felt lucky… like something good was going to happen. And so with anticipation I looked forward to my afternoon.

A scant 45 minutes passed when I looked up and saw a mature pronghorn buck waltz into view only 15 yards away. He was intent on quenching his thirst in the warming air and when he moved his body broadside to the blind and began to drink, I quickly drew the St. Jude’s Firefly longbow to anchor, concentrated on making a good shot, and released the Grizzly tipped carbon arrow toward its mark. The arrow struck the big buck perfectly, hitting low in the chest and punching through both lungs. It was clear from the buck’s behavior that his death would be quick.

I watched the animal until I was sure he had expired and then exited the blind to look at him. After giving thanks for his life, I was struck by this animal’s beauty. He had good body size, was in perfect condition, and boasted exceptional horns with long, heavy cutters. Although I had not come to the Spearhead specifically to trophy hunt, I was certain that my longbow and I had indeed scored on a trophy.

There were nine other hunters in camp the same week that I was there and two of them scored on nice antelope bucks the first day. Given that the weather forecast for the week was expected to be hot and dry, I was confident that all of my hunting partners would have opportunities at pronghorn bucks before their hunts ended on Friday. And since, for this week, there were actually four of us hunting with traditional bows, I was particularly anxious to cheer on my stickbow toting counterparts in their quest for this legendary beast of the western prairie.

Since my hunt had been booked for two animals, I still had another antelope tag to fill, so day two found me in a blind called “Solar Well.” It is the farthest blind from the lodge in a remote section of the ranch that is simply teeming with wildlife and I looked forward to spending my day there in anticipation of what was to come.

The first bird of the morning chirped out a greeting at 5:50 AM. The westerly breeze was light, barely cool, and pleasant in the way that early autumn is always pleasant: filled with the aromas of drying foliage and damp, fertile earth.

Antelope began to appear at 7:30 in the morning and before the day had ended I suspect I must have viewed at least 60 animals. Although I chose not to shoot any of the bucks that came to water outside my blind, I was nonetheless excited about my day in the field. It was extraordinary in every sense of the word and left me even more optimistic about the prospects that awaited me on day three.

Day three found me in a blind I knew well. “The Studio” was the blind where I was lucky enough to arrow and tag an exceptional antelope buck in 2007 during cold, inclement weather. Like all of the blinds at Spearhead, the shooting distance to the water was close; the animal traffic was usually high, and the prospects of tagging a nice buck were excellent. Now I simply needed to watch and wait.

The wind blew steady and strong on this Wednesday, but the animals did not appear to be disturbed by the gusts. In truth, there are few constants on the prairie, but the reality of wind is typically one of them and the resident wildlife quickly learns how to adapt to its continuous presence and to interpret its rhythms and moods.

Various mule deer and antelope took up their positions at the water throughout the day. I looked over a lot of animals and even considered shooting one very nice young antelope buck that came to water with a small herd of does early in the afternoon. But I wanted to tag a pronghorn that had done some living; a buck that I was sure had left his genetics in the fawns on the prairie. So I gripped the St. Jude’s longbow lying across my lap and silently prayed that I would know the right buck when he appeared.

At 6:50PM with evening beginning to close in, several antelope does, fawns, and one mature pronghorn buck trotted up to the tiny pool of water to drink. The buck had heavy horns, a thick body, and broad shoulders: a buck with a history, a buck who had lived. The more I looked at the big antelope, the more it became apparent that this was the buck I was meant to take. So, when all of the other animals had cleared away from the shooting area and the big antelope stood broadside less than 15 yards away, I tightened my grip on the bow, drew the string, and released my second arrow of the week.

The big buck jumped when the arrow struck and he made it only a short 100 yards before going down and quickly expiring from a double lung hit. For the second time on my trip, I gave thanks for the blessing of the hunt and as I walked up to place my tag on the big antelope, I also gave thanks for the St. Jude’s longbow. For it occurred to me that in this bow lives the same spirit of faith, hope, and charity that lives in the story of Danny Thomas and his tribute to St. Jude Thaddeus. It is a story of commitment, humility, generosity, and joy and it has been my honor just to share in it.