After a 15 hour drive we arrived at our destination which is Vanleer Tennessee, or about 10 miles just north of there. As we drove up the driveway we noticed signs strategically placed that were nailed to trees that the east coast crew left for us. I noticed the east coast guys were pointing us in the direction where they slew their many deer, and I told Johnson, “Johnson, that sure was might nice of them to point us where they slew all their deer”.
After getting settled in for the night and getting a good night sleep we got up and out into the woods about 0930. You guys pointed us in the right direction but didn’t tell us what time to get up so we elected to get up late. Jacinto was our guide for the day and we started up the hill and we weren’t to far when we spooked 3 does. We continued on and it wasn’t too long when we spooked another doe, and I told myself, “self it sure was nice of those guys to point us in the right direction, heck there are deer all over the place”. We were working our way up the hill to the main ridge road when we spooked another doe and adrenalin was pumping through m veins as we got closer to the happy hunting grounds that you east coast guys pointed us too. We reached the main ridge road and as we surveyed the area and talked we noticed 2 more does walk out onto the same road we were standing on not more that 25 yards from us. Instantaneously visions of venison being cooked in the skillet flashed through my mind as we tried to get a bead on them, but with no luck since they ran back into the woods. This has to be the place those east coast guys were pointing us too. This has to be the place where they took a chance, after surveying all that was around them. This has to be the place where those guys let lead fly down range, where blood from all those deer ran through the holler. I told myself this has to be the place where they matched their wits with nature and they took a stand, and now we were going to do the same. Johnson said lets take a stand right here, I’ll face east along the road and you face west and Jacinto elected to continue on into another holler. I wanted to tell him, dude there’s no need to go any further since those east coast guys didn’t leave any signs anywhere else. THIS IS THE PLACE!!!!
It was close to 15 minutes when we saw a 7 point buck walking down a trail to my left and once again adrenaline started flowing through my veins, visions of ……….you get the picture, same as a minute ago. I waited for the buck to cross in front or me but instead it continued on down the trail with its nose close to the ground to my left not more than 10 yards from me. Not wanting to alert the buck I watched in my peripheral vision as he walked past me but knowing that Johnson was behind me and surely he has seen it. Seconds later I heard the loud explosion of Johnson’s 30-06 being fired and it was very loud. I turned around and as Johnson and I looked at each other I asked ole eagle eye if he got him. Yeah I got him was the reply. Yeah baby, we got venison thanks to those east coast guys. YAHOO YIPPEE KAYEE, we got backstrap laying just a few yards away. So after field dressing and getting the deer on the atv we headed for t
he barn to hang our buck on the rafters.
Those same hallowed rafters that those east coast guys hung ALL the deer they slew a month ago and surely it had to have been a lot since they were kind enough to point us in the right direction, and after driving 15 hours and sitting in the woods 15 minutes we scored. As we prepared the buck Johnson and I noticed shirt tails hanging from the same rafters and curiosity got the best of us so we asked Jacinto, whats up with the shirttails? That’s when Jacinto told us the first one belongs to my grandpa, the next one belongs to Danny, actually he has two shirttails up there, and then there’s Uncle Steve, and Uncle Gary didn’t want to put his up there but it’s suppose to be there. Jacinto, why in the world would they ruin a good shirt to write dates and different words on them. Because they missed a deer was his reply, and when you miss you have to cut your shirt tail and hang it from the rafters with the date and excuse why you missed. WWWWHHHAAAATTTTT!!!!!!!!! But they left signs for us pointing us in the right direction, even a sign where to pee. Whats up with that guys???? Uh Jacinto exactly how many deer did they get? Jacinto said 3, but I got that beat. BooHoo, so much for matching wits with nature.
I just know that I’m going to jinx myself by posting this so early in the game, but oh well. See you all on the next post, and enjoy the pictures.
Between the port-o-john runs and the down pour, this hunting thing is tough. But once again thanks to the east coast crew we scored again. We got more meat in the freezer, man you guys are great. We took your advice about staying on the porch and using a Remington rifle. Oooppss I mean ReMMington, as your sign reads. Lucious Lou woke up around 0700 and while checking outside saw a good sized spike just hanging around the yard. After watching it and two does walking in the woods so close to the house we came to the conclusion they felt safe because they thought the east coast crew was in town. As a matter of fact deer have been walking around the yard every day we’ve been here. If the deer could talk they would probably be saying something like, “those guys missed 5 times at the beginning of the month so it’s safe, lets move in for some chow”. Little did they know it wasn’t the east coast crew, it was the gulf coast crew that is in town and we’re here to knock some deer down. I know what you’re thinking about now, but honestly, I missed because the deer blind wasn’t level, it seems to be leaning to the right. 
. Thanks for the advice, it’s been most helpful. Pictures will be on here when I can download them. See you on the next post
