Sunday I rode over to WV (I only live 15 min. away), and picked up my NR license and a bow tag. For the past three nights, I've been down there hanging stands or hunting. Last night, I went straight over from work, and I finally had some action.

I got there at 5:40, and set up in a lock-on that I had put in a field corner. There's an active scrape in a field corner about 600 yards away, and I can see it from my stand. At 6:15 last night, two bucks came out there, and started pawing it up. One nice one and a scrubster. Then, they started meandering across the open field toward me, feeding in the old cut cornrows. For some reason, they got edgy and started walking my way - double-timing it. They came straight in to my corner, and I got a good look at them. The small one was a 5 pointer, with a really dark,busted uprack. The big one was a hog of a deer, with about 4 on each side. He was only about 13" wide, but his antlers stuck straight up about 12", in a big, palmated beam with little tines coming off. He was symmetrical, somehow. Quite an oddity.

I had him at 25 yards, and opted to pass. I know I'm gonna wish I took him, but I'm hunting something big now. He probably wouldn't have scored 100", but he had a crazy looking rack, and was a huge deer. He had his little buddy by fifty pounds on the hoof, I'd bet.

Then, as it's getting dark, I heard something approaching from behind me. It's too dark to see in the woods, but I could see the movement, and heard it walk right under my stand,and into the light of the field. It was another buck, but he was small. Bright yellow antlers, way inside his ears. I was really straining to see, but I know he wasn't very big. I wound up spooking him on my way out. I'd guess he's a fork or a six pointer.

I also saw a flock of 14 hens, and drew on the last one as they were passing. Thenit hit me:"what the hell are you going to do with a dead turkey? ... and you don't even know if it's TURKEY SEASON" So I let down.

Non-stop action, my best evening hunt so far this season - 3 bucks and a turkey, all in bow-range.