Written by Holly Overman
I had goals and high expectations for the 2017 deer season. When opening weekend came, I felt very strange. That’s when I found out that I was pregnant. I knew then that everything was about to change.
I endured the morning sickness all throughout bow season, even during the afternoon hunts. I wore my harness in the stand so I wouldn’t fall out when I leaned over the side. I also kept snacks with me to help such as jerky, peanuts, and crackers.
After a while I started to notice I had goals and high expectations for the 2017 deer season. When opening day arrive I noticed how quickly I was getting tired while walking to the stand. Even more so when I was climbing 20 feet up a tree with my pack on. My harness was also getting tighter from my growing belly. Due to these reasons, I was officially grounded to a blind from a stand.
Many days I lacked the drive and motivation to go hunting due to being tired and feeling sick. I somehow made myself go each time for the possibility of seeing a good buck. In time, I did feel a little better sitting out there surrounded by nature.
While 16 weeks pregnant, I finally had a decent buck come out. I got my Thompson Center .243 ready and when he walked out 60 yards in front of me, I stopped him then pulled the trigger. He jumped, tucked his tail, and took off over the hill.
After some time passed to let him expire, my husband and I went out to get him. There was no blood trail in the field but I soon came across some in the kudzu area. Since it was potentially dangerous for me to go through that, I waited for my husband to come help. We found my buck several yards away.
He was a beautiful, wide 6 point with a little nub on one side. He might not have been a huge buck, but I was happy with him. Best of all, it was a good, healthy source of meat for my family.
As it got colder and my belly grew bigger, more changes had to be made. I learned a few techniques that helped me get through my hunts better. Those techniques were:
- Keep snacks on hand.
- Take breaks when needed.
- However you hunt, try to be comfortable.
- Be aware of how you move and lift your gear.
- Stay hydrated during warm and colder weather.
- Stand and move often, especially when it’s cold
- Above all else, listen to your body and don’t overdo it.
When turkey season came, I used the same techniques since I was in my final trimester then. I knew chasing after gobblers was out of the question, but at least I still had a way to hunt. However sitting in a blind waiting on them gets boring, but my moving belly bump kept me entertained.
Waddling to and from the blind was getting exhausting the further along I got. I was getting slower and even more tired. I was even getting out of breath faster too. A few weeks later, I was put on restrictions so my season was over.
No matter the challenges I faced, I enjoyed every hunt that I could. In a way I shared those hunts with my little bundle of joy. It just goes to show you that you can still do so much even if you’re physically limited.
