Seeing that this discussion group is about hunting stories, I though I would share one with you.

Seeing that this post is just one week from the first Saturday of the 1989 opening of bow season, I was reminded of two years ago on the first Saturday of bow season.

I was about 24 feet off of the ground and the first crack of light had made things just visible enough to make out a few shapes within 15 feet or so from the tree. I heard a soft rumbling noise slowing making its way toward me. The first Saturday, just getting started and already one was coming my way. My heart began to pickup speed and excitement started to build. I slowly retrieved my bow from the prongs on the side of my tree stand.

The noise kept getting closer and closer so drew back and got prepared for what I knew was going to be a nice one. To my disappointment, an armadillo was making the noise. My heart sank, but it was still early, I just knew one would be coming by just any time.

After about 10 mins the sun had moved a little higher and everything was much more visible, when I heard another noise. It was a little louder than the first one and was definitely headed in my direction. Having already been skunked once, I was a little slower in getting my bow and drawing this time, but the noise seemed to be just behind a group of bushes where I could not have seen a deer approaching from that direction.

So I drew my bow and turned to face the direction of the noise and right out of the bushes came two (count them 1, 2) squirrels. My heart had had begun to pump again and excitement building just to have the air taken out AGAIN!

Well this was turning out to be an interesting hunting day. And about 20 mins later I heard a noise that sounded like a heard of elephants storming through the woods. I though to myself, here we go again. I figured it was a cow that had gotten out of a neighboring pastor and was lost and scaring all the deer away. Needless to say I was not about to get burned a third time. So I simple stood in the stand and waited for whatever it was to run on by.

The noise got louder and louder and then I saw the hint of antlers moving my way at a dead run. I grab my bow and drew back. My heart was really pumping now; I could see just a plain as day. But because of his movement and speed, I could not tell if it was a 4 or 6 point. All I knew was if I didn't do something fast, this buck was gone.

The time frame had to be only seconds because I didn't have time to whistle or enough spit to yell, I could only try to compensate for his speed and release the arrow. Well needless to say I missed. He was running straight for the tree I was in and in trying to hit him my arrow might have trimmed a hair from this tale, but I had waited just another second, I could have shot straight down. Because he brushed against the tree I was in as he ran by.

After all I saw was a white tale fading away, I discovered why he was running. Four dogs were hot on his trail. (One thing I failed to mention is that the management areas where I hunt no dogs or guns are allowed.)

All I could do was sit back down and hope that next time, I would be better prepared and that there would be no dogs to mess things up. I have to admit that the thought did cross my mind to use the dogs for practice, but I didn't.

-- Steve Shuemake (SportronAL@aol.com), October 11, 1998