Since it's Veteran's Day (one of the best rut days in my areas) and since I saw the "big 8" I've been after walk right under the stand I wasn't hunting on Saturday morning, I decided to sit there this morning and hope he returned enroute to his nearby bedding area. High winds, high temps and rain were predicted, but I thought, "it's the rut, anything can happen." The wind didn't start until I left the house. The rain didn't start until I got in the stand. The high temps were already there (62 degrees at 4:30am) and just before I left, they announced the tornado watch in effect until 11:00am in my area. The lightning began as I secured myself to the tree. I was toughing it out for the hour or so before daylight when one of the lightning strikes was a bit too close with the immediate thunder following. Since I was standing on a metal stand, using strap-on metal ladder sections on the tree and was in one of the taller trees in the area, I decided that becoming a lightning rod wasn't the brightest idea after all. After sitting there in the wind, rain and lightning for over an hour, I descended the tree. I was back at the house before sunrise.

The rain is so hard at times you can't even see out the windows and winds of 55mph are being predicted as I type this. Is anyone else this stupid?

Today's small bucks are tomorrow's trophies.

It took you an hour to realize you should get out of the tree?

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>Is anyone else this stupid? <hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>I hope not! lol.

I am off this week, and today I set the alarm to be in the tree by 5:45, well we had thunder storms and high winds as well. I will head out this evening, but no way I am hunting in a thuder storm! I don't mind the rain, but lighting is another story.

TAKE YOUR KIDS HUNTING AND YOU WON'T BE HUNTING FOR YOUR KIDS

Now they're saying the winds may be be as high as 70 mph! Dangerous lightning, 2&quot; hail and downpours along with a tornado watch are all in effect too. Sounds like a good huntin' day huh? Hopefully the tornado watch and lightning will end. The rain will still be here, but at least I could go out this afternoon. Can't get one sitting inside!

Today's small bucks are tomorrow's trophies.

Saturday morning I about half an old tree fell about 100 yards from me.Kinda makes you think for a minute.

I have been within 30 yards of three different lightning strikes,I hear thunder coming and I'm out of there quick.

hunting in a thunder storm probably is not the brightest idea i think you made a good choice to get down and go home

Dave that sounds more than scary to me, I got stuck in a wooden permanent stand about 15 years ago, I had been in it for about 20 minutes when a front started through, the wind picked up to a gale!!! Man I put my gun up and held on for about 20 minutes and got down the second it slowed down.

BTW I live in Fredericksburg and work in springfield, man the weather was nasty!!! I am hoping by the time I get home the wind and rain will just be letting up, I have been wanting to hunt this hill that runs parrelell to a swampy bedding area, the wind should be right.

Are you going back out htis afternoon if it lets up?

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club

I was up in my stand Monday morning at 5am and as soon as I sat down, the rain came along w/ thunder. When the sky lit up, i got down. No way I was going to be out there w/ lightning.

DaveH, I was out there also Monday. I was on my stand on the ground. For about 3 hours everything was fine except it was too hot. Then without warning it got real dark and I could see clouds going by very fast. Then it started thundering very close and loud. Then came the rain. I was soaked in 1 minute and only had a camo tee shirt on. It was a mile long walk back to the truck.

When I got back home my wife and kids said they were really worried about me because we had tornado warnings. And we had a deadly tornado here in April.

I got to thinking geeze, I didnt even tell anyone where I was going (I hunt several different places)and I left my cell phone in the truck.

So yes someone else is that stupid.

Also over the years Nov 11 has been my best day.

I did get caught in one a few years ago.

In Florida we have daily storms and they are fast moving, and short lived. They start at the beach and go inland getting stronger. However they only make it 30-50 miles before they die.

Once they made it to where I hunt and it caught me off guard. I heard the thunder in the distance but thought nothing of it, cause the storms don't make it that far. The wind started first, then the heavy rain and fierce and frequent lightning. I never came down a tree so fast and laid in the mud for so long, that scared, as I did that day.



FOOLPROOF?
Never underestimate the power of a fool!

What if the &quot;Hokey Pokey&quot; really is what it's all about?