A typical day on the stand...

[Cap'n]

This is a story I made up and text to a buddy of mine that was hunting @ 70 miles away. We kept reporting what we were seeing, complaining about the weather and so on. It was almost 3:00 pm and I hadn't seen a deer in hours so out of boredom I wrote this and sent it to him.
It was opening day of muzzle loader season 2017. The forecast was 28 degrees with a NW wind. Dang that ought to get them moving. I settled into my stand at 6:50 am. 30 min. before legal shooting light.
Unaware of the cold, too hyped up on black coffee and big buck fever I sat and prepared myself for what was most likely going to be the best hunt of my life.
As the gray and black shadows of pre dawn slowly changed from massive 10 pointer browsing along the tree line, into clumps of greenbriar and frozen poke, I heard it.....
crunch, crunch, crunch.
Deep in the woods behind me I heard just what I had expected to hear. Just what I had waited all my life for. That crunch, crunch was no doubt that big old buck that I've been waiting on for so long. And even if it was just the big 9 pt. with the split brow tine, or that perfect 10 with the little kicker on the left beam, that would work too.
crunch, crunch, crunch.
I heard him getting closer. I checked my watch. 14 min till shooting time.
crunch, crunch, twig snap.... silence. Dead still silence.
Then he started to move again, but he took a left. Oh good Lord don't let him turn west on me, he's sure to wind me if he does. Crunch, crunch twig snap...silence.
I held my breath until I nearly passed out. Cussing myself for downing that last bit of coffee before I got out of my truck, I was sure i was BUSTED. But no. As luck would have it he turn back north.
Crunch, crunch twig snap...my whole body was shaking from a toxic mixture of cold, needing to pee, and big buck fever as I took one more look at my watch. 2 min till the season opens.
I shoulder my old smoke pole and move ever so quietly to my right.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
Just as the first rays of sunlight beam across the field he comes into view. The sun glistening off of his....SHELL???
#*#*#*#*#*
ARMADILLO !!!

 

[DocHolladay]

LOL. That's good. Had me going for a minute.

 

[OkieKubota]

On the final day of my draw in hunt in McAlester on October 24th 2004 I decided a change of scenery was in order so I grab my old Gorilla aluminum stand and my recurve and head into the woods near an area called "the Cemetary". The weather is cool and sunny with little wind and it is very dry so the noise made while I am walking in the leaves seemed amplified to cartoonish proportion...what is that shining down in the woods, a few steps shows a huge rub surrounded by other huge rubs on trees larger than my leg. I check closer and find a car hood sized scrape under a small red oak and the area is littered with large red oak trees and acorns on the ground...to say I am now excited is an understatement!

I quickly scan the area for a suitable tree and as luck would have it I find a large branching post oak within 25 yards of the rub line and primary scrape. As I am putting my stand up I daydream about the giant drop tine monster I saw pictures of back at camp and had been told typically hangs out in the very area I am now in. I get settled in without incident and have a perfect NE breeze and the sun is at my back. As the shadows start to lengthen on what I have always called "killing time" I hear something in the leaves headed my way and it sounds big! Crunch, crunch, crunch, pause........crunch crunch crunch....headed right toward me. I am intently scanning the woods but can't see anything yet, I say to myself it's because of the dryness of the leaves and he is further than I think but coming my way. I am now standing with bow in hand with a little pressure on the string...is that small limb between me and the scrape in my arrow flight path if I take that shot? Is my glove going to creak against the string? Breathing harder now as the approaching foot steps continue my way. I am intently scanning downhill and the anticipation of what could be is killing me...suddenly I see him...much closer than I thought!

Raccoon anyone?

 

[Cap'n]

LOL. That is a typical day in the stand. Just getting drawn for McAlister is enough to put you on edge. I know at least 2 bucks over 170 B/C were taken down there this year. I've never been drawn. And don't even have a recurve anymore because I never used it.

 

[Bigeight]

Other woodland creatures have sure got my heart beating out of my chest a x or 2 that's for sure !!! Always a shocker when I look and they ain't a Booner!