What about walking to your stand in the morning??

[RidgeHunter]

One morning last year I saw an extraterrestrial being on the way to my stand. Or that's what a possum about 7' up a tree appears to be when you hit it with your green LED flashlight near the end of the rut when you're running on no sleep and junk food while putting in as many all-day sits as you can.

Walking in the moonlight on a logged hillside scattered with stumps and a few hundred grey rocks - and one grey rock that jumps and squeals when you almost step on it. Fawking armadillos.

After all these years I'm almost used to jumping birds from grass or bushes. Almost used to coming face to face with a drowsy cow in the oddest places, too. I can't begin to remember all things I've ran into on walks in or out. I did a really funny dance over a fat rat snake one night after almost stepping on him (didn't know he was a rat snake until after the dance was complete). Had to yield to many a skunk. Had to prepare to do battle with a coon dead set on climbing my tree a few times.

Last but not least, deer themselves have scared the ever-loving crap out of me a few times. Smart deer don't jump and run until you literally are about to step on them (actually smart deer bed where they can smell you before they see you, but wind plays hell on deer as much as it does hunters). I've seen deer explode out of places I didn't think could hide a deer.

 

[WFT]

I didn't know that my cell phone, on vibrate, fell in one of my rubber boots while I was walking thru some brush and my wife calls. I jump and dance and squealled like a 6 year old girl. I just knew I had been bitten by a snake!

Ohhhh Man, that would have been bad. Would have been a great video though.

 

[Stan Upchurch]

Went hunting early one morning before dark in Pauls Valley. Had seen a lot of sign and some deer befor the season. Went in through the and was met by Teddy. The owner of the land had a pet Bhramen Bull that followed him around. He had promised me that Teddy would be put away for the hunt. He forgot. If you would feed Teddy a candy bar he generally left you alone. So I fed him my snack that I was going to use while sitting on my stand. Wouldn't you know it, he liked it so much he followed me to my stand. So when I got there i tried to quietly shoo him off. He didn't leave. I climbed in my stand thinking he would forget me. Instead he used my stand as a rubbing post. Then he laid down in the front of the ladder.I saw two deer. The owner had told me Teddy didn't like loud noises. The deer were well within shooting range but Teddy was asleep at the foot of my stand. No deer that trip and Teddy and I became great friends.Next trip out he did the same thing and as I leaving I forgot he was behind me. I knelt and shot a deer. He just pushed me over after I'd fired. On my back I gave him my last candy bar and he was fine. He even followed me after I had dressed the deer as i moved it back to my truck but he wouldn't let me put the deer in the back of the truck. So I walked 3 miles to the owners house and got the owner to walk Teddy to another pasture. Then I loaded the truck. I hunted there for 8 years, always got a deer and Teddy always follwed me wherever I went.

 

[shootermcgavin]

Not my story, but a guy a friend of a friend. (i know I know.. but I promise the story is true. My friend was on the trip with him and I've seen pictures.)

They were elk hunting in Colorado and the guy has a mountain lion walk under his stand. Got about 8 yards away then stopped, turned around and stared at him.... At that point he was scared enough for his life to shoot it but caught it in the front leg and somehow the bullet stopped before penetrating vitals he later found out.) He tracked it down to a den on the side of a massively steep cliff. About that time it comes charging out of the den after him. He shot it and put it down just before reaching him. So to get out of the steep cliff, he had to use all 4 appendages and set his gun down and come back later with help. Took his orange hat off to mark the place for him, and climbed the hill. 20 yard above him there were about 5 more dens he said. No cats came out of them, but needless to say he was pretty scared since he was unarmed at that point.

As for me, I once was in a stand at saw bigfoot mating with a yetti. I got video of it, but bigfoot caught me and made me destroy the tape. Something about his girlfriend not wanting to be another one of those internet sex-tapes.

 

[walker]

Fell asleep in a stand one evening and was woken by squealing right before the two fighting squirrels ran across my lap. First one never knew I was there and the second got spooked by my jumping and flew over me.
Had a doe not make a sound til I just passed her and she blew the loudest ive ever heard only about 5 yards behind me. Jumped so hard I hurt myself. I knew which one it was, had left her alone for 2 years. Blew her away first day of Muzz season.
A horned owl decided to come roost in my stand buried in a big cedar while I was in it. He threw on the air brakes and got turned around just in time. I thought i was gonna get a free vasectomy out of that deal.

 

[deerwhacker444]

Walking to the stand one partially moonlit morning, look over 75 yard into a patch of oaks and I'm being paralleled by what my brain is telling me as a ghost. It would appear right out of thin air, and then disappear again behind some trees. Really made a the hair on the back of the neck stand up. My rifle ceased to be slung over my shoulder at that point.

Finally figure out it was a danged ol mostly black Holstein cow. Couldn't see the black parts, but the white sure stood out.

 

[AllOut]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who's felt like a wuss walking to the stand.
I've screamed like a ***** a time or two LOL

 

[APeterson]

Only a deer hunter can understand that satisfaction of looking up and spotting your tree stand after a long walk in the dark. And when you get settled in that stand with your bow set up and ready, and you just kinda set back, take a deep breath and start listening to the sounds around you. Nothing like it my friends.

Yes sir, I know that feeling well.
After settling down you are all flush with enthusiasm at the prospect of seeing and harvesting a deer.
The one thing that comforts me on that lonely stroll to the stand at 0 dark thirty is the thought that I am armed and the wildlife is not.

 

[MDT]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who's felt like a wuss walking to the stand.
I've screamed like a ***** a time or two LOL

How about walking face first into a HUGE spider web at zero-dark thirty....yes, I screamed and did the "icky dance".

 

[dennishoddy]

Yes sir, I know that feeling well.
After settling down you are all flush with enthusiasm at the prospect of seeing and harvesting a deer.
The one thing that comforts me on that lonely stroll to the stand at 0 dark thirty is the thought that I am armed and the wildlife is not.

Not so, they have fang, claw, and spray scent!