From Bambi Movie to Whitetail Hunting Trips to Nacho Lover

Nacho lover?

If you are wondering what the Bambi movie and whitetail hunting trips have to do with being a nacho lover...stay tuned.

This story also pertains to one of my two younger brothers.

Let me start at the beginning.

Anyone who enjoys Walt Disney movies has probably seen the cute and poignant Bambi Movie.

Except for one scene in the movie where Bambi's mother is killed by a hunter, it is a darling animated movie filled with all types of wild animals that are portrayed in an endearing manner.

(c) Peggy Woods - All Rights Reserved

Bambi Movie

Thumper the rabbit and Flower the skunk were just 2 of the special characters in this Walt Disney movie that was first released in 1942 and shows Bambi the fawn growing up to become the "Prince of the Forest."

I still remember crying when Bambi's mother was killed and I doubt that there were many dry eyes in the theatre when that was portrayed on the big screen.

Parents of young and impressionable children should be forewarned of this one unsettling scene. A forest fire threatening the lives of the animals is the other scary part for young viewers.

My parents and two younger brothers and I all went to one of the later Disney releases of this movie in 1957 and we were all greatly impacted by this charming story based upon the book by Felix Salten.

The book was not originally intended for children but Walt Disney and his production crew changed that.

The movie Bambi now lives forever in the minds and hearts of its viewers.

Deer and deer hunting

Although my father was an expert marksman when he was in the military, he had no interest in hunting.

My grandfather also had no desire to hunt but my one brother John, as an adult, became a hunter for a time in his life.

My entire family was very tender hearted when it came to animals.

I knew from what John said and how he acted that my brother would have been a good hunter.

Trophy deer hunting was of no interest to him and anything that he shot would have been processed for food.

Recreation as well as conservation would have been my brother's prime motives for hunting.

We had grown up hearing stories of my other brother's Godparents who were hunters. If they thought that they had shot and wounded an animal they would have continued tracking that bird or animal until they found it even if it took all day or into the night.

Thus those values were instilled and taken to heart when John was hunting.

South Texas hunting

For the most part the two types of deer that are most often hunted and bagged in south Texas and other parts of the state are whitetail deer and mule deer.

White-tailed deer are the most popular and average about 150 pounds although they can get larger.

Whitetail deer (like most deer) are herbivores who feed on roots, nuts, berries and other vegetation.

They breed in the Fall and early Winter giving birth in late Spring to early Summer.

What sets them apart and gives them their name is the white on the underside of their tail and their uniform antlers. Mule deer in comparison have a blackish tint to their hair and exhibit a black patch on the tip of their tail. Mule deer are also a bit heavier in weight on average.

Hunting licenses are mandatory for anyone over the age of 17 in Texas and (as of 2010) cost $25 for state residents and $315 for out of state visitors.

An archery hunting stamp costing $7 is for those who hunt deer with bows and arrows.

Hunting safety courses must also be completed satisfactorily prior to obtaining a deer hunting license.

Once a deer is killed it must be tagged and reported. 

Check with the Texas Parks and Wildlife department prior to hunting to find out the exact dates each year when hunting is allowed and any other requirements such as size of deer permitted and bagging limits.

Generally speaking archery season begins the first week in October and goes until the first week in November when gun hunting begins.  That lasts until the first week in January for the northern counties of the state of Texas with the lower 30 counties going until mid-January.

Hunting ranches

Farmers often lease their land for deer hunting during the season of the year when it is allowed.

There are also Texas deer hunting ranches where guided hunts are provided along with room and board and any needed deer hunting supplies.

Most often people going this route are often seeking trophy deer hunts and Texas is near the top of the list for trophy sized whitetail deer.

My brother was often invited to join other friends and they would sit up in deer blinds and visit in muted tones waiting for just the right sized deer to come into view.

Obviously John was a good shot.  He always came home from those hunting trips with his allowed catch and more than once he shared some of the good processed venison with us. 

My brother John and Nacho...

My brother and sister-in-law once rented a house near Kerrville, Texas.

The subdivision was unique in that it was open cattle grazing land everywhere and the homes were fenced with cattle guards across the driveways to keep the cattle outside the homes and yards. 

Driving into this area one could see not only roaming cattle but deer, wild turkeys and even other wild critters who called this area home.

John put up an automatic deer feeder in the back (outside the fence) of the property that they were leasing and loved watching the deer.

Eventually he was able to hand feed some of them and the one he named Nacho had a notch in one ear...thus the easy identification and name.

Once John started doing this...especially when "Nacho" brought her twin fawns up to him, he stopped hunting.

Even knowing that hunting is a humane way of preventing deer from dying of hunger once they become over-populated, John could no longer look into those soft brown deer eyes and pull the trigger.

So now you know the story going from our youth and the Bambi movie to whitetail hunting trips and my brother becoming a Nacho lover.  If you enjoyed this hub, please leave a comment below.  Enjoy the picture of John and "Nacho."