Most People Would Pay For The Ride I Had Tonight!
10-13-2008, 05:09 PM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Iowa (Heartland USA)
Posts: 3,249
Most People Would Pay For The Ride I Had Tonight!
LONG STORY
It's been drizzley and raining all day. This afternoon at 3:45 light drizzle and I thought to myself "Self, the deer are coming out early in this weather. Which stand would be most productive?" After a couple of minutes, I decided to go to the Southwest stand which sits on the corner of Buck Blvd and Doe Road. I rode the 4 wheeler 1/2 way there and then parked it under a tree and started towards the stand. I have not been to this stand in a couple of months and 100 yards out the weeds had really grown over the trail. I slow down to not make noise and keep walking. 25 yards from the stand, there is an area where the deer have clearly been bedding, but fortunately, no one is home. I get to the stand and look around. Luckly, it's not grown up in my shooting lanes. I hooked my bow to the pull rope and start climbing the ladder facing outwards to see any deer hopefully before they see me. On the 3rd rung, I see a doe and fawn in the neighbors pasture 40 yards out. 7th step up, there are two more does and two more fawns coming out of the ravine to my right. I get to the top and strap in and then s l o w l ypull my bow up to me. None of the deer have seen me and continue browsing. Five minutes in the stand and the guy who owns the pasture (and the horses out there too) starts his 4 wheeler and the deer run to the fenceline between my property and his. The stop right at the fence and look in the direction of the farmer. All they have to do is come over that fence onto my side and one of them nannys' isgetting whacked! They stand there for a couple of minutes and determine he is no threat and slowly make their way back into his pasture. I then hear a couple of buck doing a little light sparring in the woods to my right. One of the does stops browsing and gazes in that direction. Hehehe, "Okay, I'm not going to whack a nanny but Coop's gonna get a buck tonight!", I thought. I've been in the stand an hour in what is now a steady rain and it's showtime!
Out of nowhere the wind picked up fast! The does all sprinted into the ravine across the fenceline and the elm tree I'm in (which is about 2' in diameter) is starting to rock n roll! I wasn't paying too much attention to the amount of sway at first as I was busy watching the deer head towards the bottom of the ravine. After I couldn't see them anymore I noticed that this tree was bending back and forth at least 20 degrees in both directions. Each sway seemed to be going a little further out. I looked at the ground and I could see the roots coming up on both sides of the swing. The wind now has my full and undivided attention. So what do I do? I calmly hang the bow back on the hanger and hang on to the seat with both hands. Logical thinking right? I see one more wind burst coming from the West and I look to my East to see where I figure I am going to hit. Thank goodness! It's just an old wood burning stove that the previous owners disposed of back here! I then think, I have a safety harness to keep me from falling out of the tree, but where the @#$& is the safety harness for the tree?!?!
The wind hits and the tree sways way to the left and comes back to the upright position and then ever so gently starts leaning more and more to the right. It stopped with the top limbs resting on the limbs of an oak tree.With my cat like reflexes I decide it's time to get the heck out of here! I quickly lower my bow and start down the ladder once again facing outwards. I go to lower my foot the the 3rd rung from the top and I'm stuck! CRAP! I forgot to unhook my safety harness! I climb back up and disconnect and am climbing down the ladder which is on a slant from right to left. I get to the last rung and jump the 3' to the ground. I picked up the bow, and then why I don't know, tied the pull rope back to the last rung. I look up and 5 of the does are back in the field and just watching me! So what do I do? I bowed ever so gentlemanly to them and made my way back to the 4 wheeler. The ride home, all I could think of was "I need a cigarette!"
Tomorrow morning, weather permitting, I am going to go out there and figure out how to save the stand and then pick a much bigger tree to hook it back up to.
There you have it.
It's been drizzley and raining all day. This afternoon at 3:45 light drizzle and I thought to myself "Self, the deer are coming out early in this weather. Which stand would be most productive?" After a couple of minutes, I decided to go to the Southwest stand which sits on the corner of Buck Blvd and Doe Road. I rode the 4 wheeler 1/2 way there and then parked it under a tree and started towards the stand. I have not been to this stand in a couple of months and 100 yards out the weeds had really grown over the trail. I slow down to not make noise and keep walking. 25 yards from the stand, there is an area where the deer have clearly been bedding, but fortunately, no one is home. I get to the stand and look around. Luckly, it's not grown up in my shooting lanes. I hooked my bow to the pull rope and start climbing the ladder facing outwards to see any deer hopefully before they see me. On the 3rd rung, I see a doe and fawn in the neighbors pasture 40 yards out. 7th step up, there are two more does and two more fawns coming out of the ravine to my right. I get to the top and strap in and then s l o w l ypull my bow up to me. None of the deer have seen me and continue browsing. Five minutes in the stand and the guy who owns the pasture (and the horses out there too) starts his 4 wheeler and the deer run to the fenceline between my property and his. The stop right at the fence and look in the direction of the farmer. All they have to do is come over that fence onto my side and one of them nannys' isgetting whacked! They stand there for a couple of minutes and determine he is no threat and slowly make their way back into his pasture. I then hear a couple of buck doing a little light sparring in the woods to my right. One of the does stops browsing and gazes in that direction. Hehehe, "Okay, I'm not going to whack a nanny but Coop's gonna get a buck tonight!", I thought. I've been in the stand an hour in what is now a steady rain and it's showtime!
Out of nowhere the wind picked up fast! The does all sprinted into the ravine across the fenceline and the elm tree I'm in (which is about 2' in diameter) is starting to rock n roll! I wasn't paying too much attention to the amount of sway at first as I was busy watching the deer head towards the bottom of the ravine. After I couldn't see them anymore I noticed that this tree was bending back and forth at least 20 degrees in both directions. Each sway seemed to be going a little further out. I looked at the ground and I could see the roots coming up on both sides of the swing. The wind now has my full and undivided attention. So what do I do? I calmly hang the bow back on the hanger and hang on to the seat with both hands. Logical thinking right? I see one more wind burst coming from the West and I look to my East to see where I figure I am going to hit. Thank goodness! It's just an old wood burning stove that the previous owners disposed of back here! I then think, I have a safety harness to keep me from falling out of the tree, but where the @#$& is the safety harness for the tree?!?!
The wind hits and the tree sways way to the left and comes back to the upright position and then ever so gently starts leaning more and more to the right. It stopped with the top limbs resting on the limbs of an oak tree.With my cat like reflexes I decide it's time to get the heck out of here! I quickly lower my bow and start down the ladder once again facing outwards. I go to lower my foot the the 3rd rung from the top and I'm stuck! CRAP! I forgot to unhook my safety harness! I climb back up and disconnect and am climbing down the ladder which is on a slant from right to left. I get to the last rung and jump the 3' to the ground. I picked up the bow, and then why I don't know, tied the pull rope back to the last rung. I look up and 5 of the does are back in the field and just watching me! So what do I do? I bowed ever so gentlemanly to them and made my way back to the 4 wheeler. The ride home, all I could think of was "I need a cigarette!"
Tomorrow morning, weather permitting, I am going to go out there and figure out how to save the stand and then pick a much bigger tree to hook it back up to.
There you have it.
) I think I have a ton more gray now though!
10-13-2008, 05:29 PM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Horseheads NY
Posts: 1,138
RE: Most People Would Pay For The Ride I Had Tonight!
I have often wonder what I would do if in that situation. There has been a few time I have wondered if my tree would stay or fall. I have unhooked my harness a couple of time wondering if the tree was going over. I didn't want to be attached to the tree if it was going over
