You know how every now and then you have a great idea that just dowsn’t work out? Well yesterday being Columbus day I didn’t have to work. I got up aroud 5am to nail down all the hunny-dos. After spening the first 4hrs of my day off in the machine shop fixing the family autos, I thought hmm I bet with this weather the deer will be moving. It had been raining lightly all morning and the wind shifted to the north dropping the temp some 12 to 15 degrees. I ran in the house and told the wife to hold down the fort while i went to the woods. (ok so i really begged her to let me go out for a few hours.)
I thought that still hunting would be the way to hook up since it was nearly 10:00 and the rain had made the leaves soft and not crunchy. I slipped into a gully and began to work the edges. A creek in at the bottom joined a few tributaries in a great looking bowl. “There has to be deer here.” With good buck and doe sign all around oak trees with acorns and all. I hopped up into a windfall for a blind. As I positioned myself for a good sit the branches of the downed tree i was in EXPLODED!!! I nearly took a spill as I watched in horor a 150″ buck run up the ridge line and away from me. I could not have been more than 5 feet from this guy when I crawled up there. Weeping like my two year old after having a toy taken away I got down and headed back to the house.
I was within 200yrds of the barn when my phone began to vibrate. Seeing it was a call from one of the deploying units I answered, I was almost to the house anyway what could happen? As I talked through an issue with another soldier I glanced up ahead. FREZER MEAT!! There not 60yds away was a large doe on her way to luch in the corn field I was walking next to. She ofcourse had heard me talking on the phone and was watching intently while I did my best to not move and still fix the problem my friend was having. As I hung up I watch her stamp her foot and give me that erect white tail as she bounded back to her bed.
“Forget this,” I thought as I stomped back to the house.
Not intending on going back to the woods I went to town to get brake pads for momma’s car. I changed them and was surprised to see it had only taken about 45min. It was about 3pm… Hmm “I should head out to the stand for an evening sit.” I geared up once more and trecked along hte edge of the corn field out to my stand. I was able to make it past the neighbor’s cow lot with out being noticed by the herd. Feeling good about being stealthy I continued on to the stand. When I was within 70yds or so from my stand I looked up the trail to see yet another 140 to 150″ 10pt standing on the farside of my stand. He noticed me at about the same time and turned tail strait back to the woods. I thought about screaming, then crying, then even putting the bow up forsale along with every other piece of gear I own. While walking back to the house the only thing I could think of was, “I can’t wait to get back out here again.” “Next time I’ll get him.”
I will never stop being amazed at how addicted I am to this crazy game.
October 14, 2008 at 5:07 pm
#196753
We look forward to these all year long! 
Hard to get work done the next few hours waiting to get back out there. Sounds like you’ve got some great deer to chase – good luck.
