Out of desparation I tried rattling last year. Sitting in my climber I heard rattling and scraping 100 yards down the ridge from me for hours. This was the real deal. Bucks were close but no calling was bringing them in.

When I came out of my stand I inadvertently kicked up a monster 16 pointer that must have bedded down before dawn not 40 yards away in a clump of deadfall.

Shaken, humbled, excited, sweating and breathing hard I just sat down for a while. It wasn' t long and I heard those bucks again. I picked up a good stick and began rubing it against a sapling (imitating a buck rubbing) I stomped and scraped the earth with my feet ( a buck scraping). Gave a few quick grunts and ducked into concealment. 15 minutes later another buck came looking. I never did get a shot but I' ll never forget matching wits against that 8 pointer for hours on that wooded hillside and oak flats after my encounter with an Ozark Mountain Monster.

GUESS WHERE I' ll be opening day?"