Dedicated to the memory of Tommy Karpiak – November 12, 1946 – October 5, 2018
When I was a boy, I would dream about the day I would finally be old enough to go whitetail hunting with my dad Tommy. Tommy was nothing short of a deer whisperer who also just happened to be blessed with one heck of a free hand shot. Tommy grew up in the eastern foothills of the Duck Mountains Provincial Park with his parents and two brothers. Life was a struggle. Tommy and his family worked hard for everything they needed to survive.
LIVING OFF THE LAND
Nowadays you often hear people say they would love to “live off the land” perhaps without a proper understanding of a time when this was the way of life and necessity. My dads homestead had a massive garden, planted, and maintained by my Baba. This was farmland which the whole family farmed, and my Gido taught the boys to hunt as another means of being able to meet their nutritional needs. There was so much primal instinct instilled in Tommy’s genes, I guess it was only natural he would pass some of this on to his own sons.
THE EARLY YEARS
At the age of twelve, when I was old enough to join dad and his crew for the annual deer hunt near our family cottage in Buffalo Point, I grabbed my handed down Winchester 30-30. As we headed out dad told me to sit on a cut line and wait. To me this was pure bliss and I remember feeling so excited when I harvested my first spiker (we won’t talk about the nice 4X4 I missed out on just prior).
Hunting back then was not about the hunt or even the size of the deer. It was about time with friends, playing cards, sharing jokes, and enjoying the odd drink. Of course, there was poking fun at the poor guy who wasn’t able to get into the field the next morning due to the night before.
THE STORIES
We all thought of ourselves as “trophy hunters”, talked big game, and had our good luck bullets or other charms which we thought would bring us luck. In reality, if a spike buck walked into our line of site, we were pulling the trigger to ensure a successful harvest that year. With my mom, three boys and two men (Tommy and Gido) at home, that meat was an important staple to our family. Although it would have been nice to have bragging rights and be the person everyone was talking about around the fire that year, the reality was, there was a lot of spike bucks hanging from the meat pole every year on opening morning.
EXPERIENCE COMES WITH AGE AND TIME SPENT IN THE FIELD
As I got older and more knowledgeable, my deer hunting goals shifted from the experience and the meat, to aiming for that trophy. I read every hunting magazine on the shelf trying to learn what all the top deer hunters were doing to achieve such success year after year. Things my dad would never bother with such as scent control, wind direction, calling, more detailed gear selection and patience became my obsessions.
When dad would head out hunting on any given day, it was because he would need to bring home a deer to feed his family. The most important aspect of trophy hunting that I’ve picked up on over the years is time, something my dad didn’t have the luxury of. When I go out and sit in the stand, I don’t need to bring home meat for my family.
I’m no longer in a rush to shoot a spiker deer on opening day and I’ve learned the art of patience, spending time in the field, watching and waiting for that 4 or 5 pointer deer to walk into range (because they will eventually come). After years of deer hunting, my goals changed, and I became more selective about the animal I wanted to hunt.
THINGS HAVE CHANGED
I did notice something change in me when my goal shifted from sustenance to selective hunting. I put more stress on myself when things didn’t go according to plan with my hunt, if the elements weren’t quite right on that day, or if I hadn’t had a chance to dope my custom gun to the exact distance I was setting up at.
TRYING TO BE PERFECT
Everything had to be completely dialed in the way that I wanted it to be or it consumed my thoughts. You become obsessed with finding the best broad head, best bullet for this, gun for that, clothes for this, etc. whereas Tommy just used to grab his flannel coat off the hook and his 6 mm Remington from the closet and off he went to sit on a hill with a bag of spits, smoking his pipe like a chimney.
Thankfully with learning the art of patience, came acceptance. If you are going to wait for the king of the forest, “the one”, a deer that is 150” or better, you may go home empty handed for a few seasons.
BEING A MENTOR
It’s been over thirty years since I started deer hunting and I’ve had a lot of success. Another shift has taken place for me recently and I’ve stepped more into Tommy’s shoes. I’ve introduced my own son to deer hunting, and I also enjoy sharing my experiences with other new hunters, offering advice and helpful tips. I am grateful to be able to share in their successes and to watch them achieve their goals. I guess this is why I like guiding so much and find it so rewarding.
If I could pass on a tip… the most common mistake “trophy hunters” make is overthinking the hunt. Be patient in the field. Accept the fact you may (and will likely) go home empty handed. Learn to enjoy the experience and your time in nature. Your buck will eventually come to you. I think Tommy would be proud to know the deer whisperer trait lives on in me.
Bacon (cheers) Tommy! Now go play outside!