I AM 45 YEARS OLD AND HAVE BEEN HUNTING SINCE I WAS 12. I CAN TELL YOU THAT THERE IS A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING.

I WAS HUNTING LAST NIGHT. AS I HAVE POSTED EARLIER THERE ARE ALWAYS 6 TO 12 DOES AROUND ME ALL THE TIME. LAST NIGHT THERE WERE NONE. STRANGE I THOUGHT, UNTIL I SAW WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE PROBLEM. THERE WERE TWO FOXES HANGING AROUND THE CORN.

WELL THEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN I HEARD THIS BIG CRASH COMMING THROUGH THE TREES. HOLY @#$T. THERE STOOD THE BIGGEST BUCK THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN IN ALL MY YEARS HUNTING. HE WAS STANDING 5 FEET FROM ME(AS I WAS HUNTING IN A GROUND BLIND). HE WAS SLOWLY MAKING HIS WAY TO THE CORN. I WAS HAVING TROUBLE KEEPING CALM. I TRIED TO COUNT HIS RACK BUT WAS TOO NERVOUS. I THINK I STOPPED AT 12 , AND THERE WERE STILL MORE.

WELL AS I WAS TRYING TO PICK UP MY BOW WHAT DO YOU THINK HAPPENED? OUT CAME A FOX. AND MR. BIG BOY WAS GONE IN A FLASH. AT FIRST I THOUGHT THAT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN ME MAKING TO MUCH NOISE, BUT I NOTICED THAT THE BUCK NEVER LOOKED BACK AT ME. HE LOOKED TO THE SIDE THEN WAS GONE IN A SECOND.

HERES MY QUESTION - DO YOU THINK THAT THIS MATURE BUCK WAS RUN OFF BY THE FOX OR DO YOU THINK HE JUST NEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG? DO YOU BELEIVE THAT THE MATURE BUCK HAD A PERCEPTION THAT SOMETHING IS JUST NOT RIGHT. I DO NOT KNOW. AND THE BIG QUESTION IS - DO YOU THINK THAT HE WILL BE BACK?

THERE IS ONE THING THAT I LEARNED OUT OF THIS WHOLE SITUATION -- YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN SO ALWAYS BE READY. DO NOT BE STUPID LIKE ME AND NOT HAVE YOUR BOW IN HAND DURING THE CRITICAL TIME PERIODS. I COULD JUST KICK MYSELF.

OH WELL AHY THOUGHTS WOULD BE WELCOME

HUNT ON HUNT HARD AND EAT WELL