James Kaminski
Midland, MI
Hello my name is James Kaminski or “JT” as my close friends and family call me. I am Iedwd’s nephew. I first began hunting with my dad when I was about 8 years old. At first I just sat in the blind and slept until my dad woke me up to tell me that there were deer in the field. Then I would sit up, cover my ears and watch
the deer drop to the ground after the gun went off. My dad is a great shot! I got my first bow when I was 12 years old; it was my uncle’s old PSE. When I got it I couldn’t even pull it back. It felt like it had a 70 pound draw weight, but as it turns out it was set at 40 pounds. After turning down the poundage and working at it for a year, I was finally able to pull it back comfortably.
The 2004 bow season was the first time I had the opportunity to hunt and I remember it vividly. I was hunting at my grandma’s house in Grayling, Michigan. My dad and I set up a pop-up blind with a legal amount of bait about five yards away mainly because I was still only shooting 30 pounds. After setting up our stand location we went back up to the house and got ready for the next morning. I was so excited and nervous all at the same time. When we went out the next morning as usual I fell asleep, then all of a sudden my dad woke me up saying that there were deer coming in. I woke up and got ready. The next thing you know my dad said he saw a buck off to the left. He said it was a four pointer and to make my nerves even worse he corrected himself and indicated it was a six-point buck. In just a matter of moments we had a six-point buck at five yards! I drew my bow back and I was shaking like a leaf. I let the arrow fly and it soared over the bucks back. I was so disappointed! But it was awesome!
After two years of bow hunting and a total of four misses under my belt I was hopeful that the 2006 bow season would yield different results than the pervious couple of years. I was bow hunting with Tom (Frothnag) DuBois during Rugged Cross Outdoors 3rd Annual Michigan Fellowship Hunt. Our stand location was only about 200 yards from my house where we were hunting on the edge of our clover filled foodplot.The evening hunt went fast and we only had a little shooting light left. All of a sudden a doe came in and stood facing directly away from me at 17 yards for about seven minutes. At first she refused to turn broadside and then she made the critical mistake. She turned and offered me a perfect quartering away shot. I pulled back my bow, looked through my peep sight and took the shot! The arrow had hit its mark! She tucked her tail between her legs and took off. I was overjoyed! It was the most amazing feeling I have ever felt in my life.
I believe in God with all my heart and I also believe that God gave me all the great emotions associated with taking my first deer to keep me interested in the outdoor world. I first got saved in March of 2005. I now truly know Jesus as my Lord and Savior and my favorite Bible verse is John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, for whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have ever lasting life.” I plan to continue my footsteps in my walk with God and I know that Christ makes all things possible. Everything that happens is part of His plan. I wish a good hunting season to all of you and remember to not get down on yourself if you happen to miss, because it will happen! Just don’t give up.
God bless!
James
