Warning long winded but must read.
Can't wait to see the pictures Brad
Thanks Hawkdancer
Thanks Clint, when I was younger I didn't realize how blessed I was to have this view. It was taken for granted. Not anymore. I fact sometimes I get distracted by it and it costs me. Today I got distracted. The big lake really mess's with our wind. It was blowing about 9mph out of the west when I picked my hunting spot. I decided to sneak up the hill from the lake side and hunt a new brush blind that actually a stump blind. There were already deer out in the field about 200 yard away. The soybeans next to me have ripened and lost their appeal compared to the sugarbeets 200 yards away. The sun is beating down and I'm trying to stand up and hide in the shade of the stump. I need to take a step closer to the saplings next to the stump to have the benefit of the shade. Suddenly I hear thump. It's sounds like a Apple falling from a tree. I realize it must be a Black Walnut and I hear it again. Thump. Thump, Thump. I look into a huge Black Walnut tree and see a small squirrel scampering around from limb to limb shacking them until the walnuts fall. Then I see another squirrel coming down the lane, he stops several times to stand and look around. I decided I'm going to try take his picture with my phone. I slowly get out my phone, put in its password and turn on its camera just as the squirrel passes my stump. I slowly turn my head trying to see him come out from behind other side of stump. He never does and I slowly turn my head back as I turn off phone and start to put it away. As I almost have phone back in pocket and not quite totally turned around a small four point just materializes like magic from a hole in a cedar tree. I see him before he sees me but he is standing less than 6 yards from me right broadside. I'm screwed, I can't move. He doesn't see me but he is at the edge of cover and looking all around. I can't move. I can't draw my bow. I couldn't shoot even if I could because I'm standing to close to the saplings to be in the shade. I'm still holding my phone and can't decide if I should put it in my pocket or try to get a picture with it. I slowly put it in my pocket. The buck is still standing there looking all around. Finally he stares right at me. I can see the puzzled look on his face. He's not really spooked but he doesn't remember that stump " me" standing there before. He turns and pops back out the hole in the cedar tree. Dang, you idiot that's what you get for playing with the squirrel. I decided to sit down after awhile. The buck wasn't really spooked and I'm thinking maybe he might even let curiosity get the best of him. After about 45 minutes I'm pretty sure he's not coming back. I forgot to mention that before he came out the wind had started changing. It was very feckle. One minute blowing straight out of the west and seconds later switching straight out of the east off the lake. The buck had come from what would have been down wind when I originally set up. Anyway I'm sitting ready and on high alert. Suddenly a spike horn steps out from behind the same cedar tree. I can see his head and neck but not his body. He also is at the edge of cover and looking all around. I very slowly try to stand but he seems to sense me. I sit back down. He moves a little further out of the cover and now I can't see him behind the log of the stump. Again I try to stand nope he's looking right my way now. I watch him from under the log as he take several more steps away until he catches a wiff of my scent. He's confused because the feckle wind is not giving him my full scent and he moves around some to try to find it. Finally he just decides to leave and again I'm left hold my bow without being able to draw it. This is a good spot but I see a few things I need to change. It really was a very exciting hunt though. Although I didn't get a shot or wasn't even able to draw my bow it was one of the most memorable hunts I've ever had. I kept waiting till dark for the big one to come out, but he never did. I made my way back to my pickup parked by the lake by the light of the hunters moon. I stood and watched it for awhile. As Pappy says "life is good". I guess those two bucks might be saying it to.
Bjrogg
