I was sooooo scared!

For years I have always been afraid of the dark. But dark alone does not scare me, it's when I am in the middle of no where and there are trees and brush for something to hide behind! I don't really know what caused this fear, but I have a funny feeling it was from too many Friday the 13th movies as a kid! So needless to say, when I am at hunting camp, I do whatever I can to make it back from the day's adventures before the sun sets.

This last hunting season, I had to do a lot of afternoon/evening hunts. I always went with someone, but being on a spot and stalk hunt, we eventually split up and meet back at the truck. This particular night, I had started off the hill way too late. I was alone, my radio was dead and it was getting dark fast. My cell phone was still working so I had text my husband to ask where he was, hoping to meet up with him and have a hero to save me from anything that might want to eat me. He was on the other side of the valley so the walk back was up to me and me alone. I was still about 2 miles away from the truck when the darkness struck. I pulled out my little head lamp that clamps to my hat bill, and did what I could to reassure myself that it will be okay. After coming across many jack rabbits with red eyes, fangs and the desire to scare the heck out of me, I came across a small herd of cattle that apparently were more afraid of the dark then I was! With every step they would run around in another circle! Trying to calm my nerves a bit, I played with them, and finally, they ran out of my sight and proceeded to just moo at me from a safer distance.

At this point, I was so nervous, I had pulled an arrow from my quiver and was just carrying it as I would a gun or knife. (Had to protect myself you know :-) ). I was getting closer to the truck but could not make any further contact with my husband. I figured he was either at the truck planning an attack or he was still out of service. As I hit the final ½ mile stretch before the truck, I started aiming my light onto the sides of my path, looking for eyes that might pick up the light. All along I was praying "God, please don't let him scare me, I am carrying an arrow with a lethal tip and I will not put it away!!!" I found myself switching from one side of the path to another hoping to evade any attack and keep any predators on their toes as well. When, all of a sudden a sage brush came to life from my right! I watched in horror as my husband jumped off of his knees and towards me. As I watched him jump out at me, I remember screaming "NOOOOO" and thinking "I knew you would do this, why am I scared?" While screaming (which my husband said I was roaring), I pinned my knees together, crouched over a bit and proceeded to wave my arrow around. My husband didn't get too close once he saw me slashing the air with that arrow. He started to say over and over again "it's me!" and tried to ease my fear! It must have gone on for 30 seconds or so! It was the strangest thing for me! I knew he was gonna scare me, I knew it was him scaring me, and yet I could not stop the screaming! I had no control! After I finally came out of combat mode, my husband was able to grab the arrow from me and hug me. I honestly don't know how I kept from peeing my pants!!!

It is one of my favorite times in the field and we still get almost as big of a laugh out of it today as we did that night!

It is not always about the trophy you can put on the wall, but about the trophy you keep in your heart.