Oh and I found out that the banging was the metal expanding because of the sun. I didn't even think about that.

I was about 11 and it was the first day i was going to deer hunt. My dad had taken me out scouting afew times in the weeks prior to the first day of gun season. We followed a creek bed where we had seen scrapes all over. So we woke up at 5am. My dad took me out to a ground blind he had set up for me afew days before and told me that if any deer walked across the path where i was sitting. So i fell asleep. i woke alittle while later because something startled me. I look toward the path (it was a bout thirty yards away) and see a "huge" buck (it was prolly a1 yr old 6 pointer. Really small rack and body but it has six points. I was 11 and this was awesome to me) I calmly and slowlyraised my gun and took aim. I shot. The slug from my twenty gauge went right where i had been taught to put it. The deer ran about thirty yards down the path and dropped. I know it wasn't a huge buck but it was the first time i'd ever felt that rush ya get when a buck comes unknowingly right infront of your stand. God what a rush.

This was last year on opening day of rifle season. I have what I call "the tower stand" which is a section of 4' diameter culvert 30 feet up on top of a pipe stand. East of the tower is an old pipeline clearing which is about 50' wide and about 100 yards long. I always plant rye in that area. On opening morning I got to the stand 30 minutes before shooting light. In the clearing east of me I put 2 scent stones with estrous doe scent about 30 yards apart. The wind was blowing lightly from the south. I had high expectations since it was opening day. Just a little after sunrise I saw movement to the south about 100 yards along a fence line. It was a coyote, then another, then another, then another! Four in all! But no deer. I had already decided I would stay til 11:00. Some time around 8:00 a front came through and the wind changed to North, but fairly light. Finally at 9:00 I saw my first deer, but it was a yearling West of me on the neighboring property. Then I saw a deer East at the end of the clearing, but it was gone before I could get my scope on it and see what it was. Then a doe made its way across the clearing. Then about 10:00 the yearling appeared from the west with another yearling and they came in under the stand. They milled around under the stand just in front of me for quite a while, grazing on acorns. After about 30 minutes one of the yearlings ran back where they came from like he was spooked. Then I watched the other yearling for a few more minutes. Then he took off the same way the other yearling went. I leaned back in my seat and looked at my watch and it was 10 til 11. I looked to my left down the clearing and THERE HE WAS!!! A shooter buck and he walked from the south right out between the scent stones! He was zig-zagging like he was trying to locate something he was smelling. He was actually angling toward me. I already had my rifle laying up on the stand in front of me and all I had to do was get it on him andthe safety offand BOOM, he was down!! 11points, 19" inside spread and 174#. I just got my mount back about a month ago and now he is on the wall. That was the first time the scent worked for me.