The Outdoors on borrowed time

Thursday, April 12, 2007

A real deer hunter

I received a package a couple of days before my birthday and when I opened it I found this sleeping hunter statue inside. I busted out laughing and Alma wanted to know what I was laughing about. I think someone's got surveillance cameras in them woods in Tennessee. I really do like it and thanks Joan and Ronnie. I really do like it and of course it did bring back good memories. I couldn't figure out where it would look good at so I took a few pictures for this blog so you could see it in different areas of the room.

A few years ago Mark J., and I drove all night and arrived at Jay and Malissa's house early in the morning. All thru the night I planned out and rehearsed in my mind what I would do when I saw that big one. Breathe, stay calm take deep slow breaths, and slowly pull the trigger. As we drove thru the night I also thought of the lay out of the land and where I thought the deer might be going thru. I was excited as I always am when I go to Tennessee, and told my self "self, even if I don't get a deer, I'm still going to have a great time with some great people". Oh, one other thing I forgot was the food. What would my blog be without some food in it. It wouldn't be like me to forget about the food. The food was fabulous.

So we arrive and we are itching to get out in the woods and possibly get a deer. It's about 0800 and (remember we drove all night) as we walk into the woods up that trail next to the shed by the pond, I'm thinking I'm a little tired but I want to hunt. I want to get in the woods and possibly get something. So Mark and I get to the tree stand on the left and we both decide not this morning, but on the right it looks like a big bowl. The lay out of the land is like three fourths of a huge bowl with trees standing in it. In the winter time you can practically see down to the bottom and so I tell Mark I think I'm going to stay here by a big tree that had fallen down. Now remember it's pretty cold this morning and of course I'm dressed appropriately but as I sat next to that log it got real cold. So I positioned myself to where the log was at my back to block the wind and the bowl was in front of me and I could see quite a bit of the area. I had a perfect shot if a deer was to walk out. What more could I ask for! After about 30 minutes of that I told myself "self, a gallon of hot coffee would sure be great right about now". Some how I've got to keep that wind off me because it seems like it's getting colder. So I lay down next to that log and sure enough it works. The fallen timber completely blocks the wind. You know that's some big timber if it blocks the wind from me.

As I'm laying there watching the area, I don't know how long it was but all of a sudden there it was. A big buck down towards the bottom of the hill. I watched it for a few minutes and it was working it's way towards me up the hill. I remembered my thoughts while traveling, keep calm, breathe in slowly, exhale slowly. Slow down the heart rate, don't get excited, reach for the rifle , reach for the rifle, reach for the rifle.......where's the rifle dude? I know I brought my rifle with me so where is it. Oh no the deer is getting closer, don't move fast, but get the rifle so you can shoot. The rifle, The rifle, The rifle,,,,where is the rifle. Now my heart is racing as I try to slowly search for my rifle. The buck, where's the buck, where's the rifle, so many things going thru my mind that's when I sat up looking for my rifle and realized I WAS ASLEEP!!!!

There was no buck, the rifle was right next to me, the wind was still blowing, it was still cold, and I was haveing a nightmare. Why couldn't I dream of some hot coffee so I could stay awake. Oh well, I think I've had enough this morning I'm heading in to get some sleep, or should I say get some more sleep. That's when I heard Mark J., walking down the trail. He asked if I had seen anything and I told him yeah, I saw the inside of my eyelids.

Since I received the sleeping hunter, everytime I see it on that shelf I can't help but chuckle, since I can relate to it.






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