Rusty Asble's Him & His Way

Respect, ethics, example and honesty are words that I have learned and actions that describe many outdoorsmen that I have had the pleasure of meeting, hunting and fishing with over my 44 years of existence.  Many of these men, and women, have taught me a great deal and invested the love and desire to pursue, within the legal limits of the law, many great North American game animals.

Many times however, I come in contact with people that do not share this same viewpoint. One such incident just recently happened on November 2 in

South Carolina.  It was a three-day-rut hunt that I have looked forward to all year. This was personal property that my dad and I have had since 1989.  It is a small piece of approximately 27 acres that has an internal field of 15 acres.

I arrived that afternoon around 2:30pm from Tennessee. I drove through gate and stopped in my normal parking spot.  As I was sitting in my truck I noticed the Gum tree in front of my truck limbed up.  As I walked around the briars there was a climbing stand (#1) at the base of the tree. It is amazing the emotions and feelings that surge through your body when you encounter a wrong like this.  I began to walk this path and found climbing stand #2 60 yards further away.  A little further than that and I found a make shift ground blind with a new camo chair in it. I am now beside myself in disbelief.

Wanting to hunt that evening hunt and watch the place I went to the stand.  It was an unusual evening due to that when the does stepped out, only three, they kept looking weirdly in different directions.  I have never seen this behavior on this property, so I chocked it up to the rut being on.  

The next morning I was back in the stand hunting and watching.  Again, the does came out but were skittish and did the same weird behavior as the night before. About 10:00am I got down and walked that part of the field where they were looking. I could not believe it there they were, climbing stand #3 and further down climbing stand #4 and just about another 100yds climbing stand #5.  All 6 stand locations all within 250 yards of each other. UNBELIEVEABLE!

After coming to my senses, I began trying to formulate a plan of action. I contacted the neighboring landowners to start discussions with them and to inquire who the heads of their leases were. I also made contact with the South Carolina DNR Wildlife Officer just for safekeeping and communication insight.  It was easy to find out who they were due to three of the five stands had names on them.  I won't say much about that.

Over the next 4 hours we had discussions on ethics, legal law enforcement steps and property boundaries. This involved future consequences and contact with the South Carolinas' Operation Game Thief avenues.  I gave all the equipment back as a handshake of respect given - and hope of future respect received.

That evening my brother-in-law and good friend came up from Florida to join me.  Though disappointment set in about not being able to hunt over an unspoiled area, I knew this little area always produced.  Over the next day and a half more does began to be seen.  I freshened up the existing scrapes and began to use some Tinks Scent bombs.  However, still no bucks.

It was Saturday, our last morning to hunt.  I got the guys in the stands an hour and a half before daylight.  The days before the weather had changed from cool and still, to warm, then to rainy, then to very windy and now back to windy and cool.  We were to get down at 9:00am to pack up and head home.I came down from my climbing stand at 8:45am and was back at the truck.  At

8:55am, I heard my brother-in-law shoot.  Within in minute he was trying to contact me by phone.  After 3 failed call attempts, he texted me " Big 8 let's find it".

I drove the truck into the edge of the field and saw he was walking towards me.  He shared that he put his head down to thank Christ for a great hunt, a beautiful morning and just to have the ability to hunt.  When he lifted his head and looked to the left there he stood. A quick shot and it was over.

We drove to the area where the deer was last seen. There was no sign of blood and no hoof prints. They began to search the field and I noticed a lot of pine needles pushed up on the edge of the field.  I walked into the edge of the woods and saw more pine needles pushed up approximately 20 yards further.  Stopping at that area, I knelt down to survey the area, there he was - big, beautiful and massive.  Calling for my brother-in-law and friend they came running.  There lying before us was a 190lb 10 point buck.

Wow! What an emotional experience.  Through all that mess of discussing trespassing, poaching and meetings, and then being given a complete opposite opportunity in success at harvesting the largest buck ever taken from the property. I realized real quickly I had put Christ in a box.  I realized that I was trying to do it in my power and not His. He showed up and brought with Him Mr. Big.  He does things like that every day and in all areas of our life.  We just have to be open to Him and His way...yes, even in and through the great outdoors.