MUSHY'S MOOCHINGS: THE DISAPPEARING DEER TRICK

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

THE DISAPPEARING DEER TRICK

As I stated in a previous post, I hunted the Land Between the Lakes (LBL) twice during my hunting career, the first time scoring my first kill, but the second time was a heart breaking experience. This story is about the second time.

The second hunt was with Allen and Judie Henegar, her brother Buzz, and a mutual friend Art Mallard. As a side note, Art’s wife was named Debbie, and we often referred to her as “Debbie Duck” for obvious reasons! Always thought that was great!

Art and I bunked together in his pop-up camper and after setting up camp we scouted the hills and valleys in walking distance of our camp site. Later, we sat up most of the first night talking, drinking, and playing cards with the others.

Art is a funny drinker. After a couple, he piddles around the camp, or camper, making a sound like “Huum” almost as a punctuation mark of some sort at the end of this thoughts. As the evening progresses, the “Huum’s” get more and more numerous until it makes you want to drink more so you don’t notice them!

On another hunt, years later, we again camped on a bitterly cold night, with a light snow falling into our food, while we sat eating our supper in lawn chairs, and watching UT play in some bowl game on a 6-inch TV he had brought. By the time the game ended we were out of booze, and I threatened to drain the radiator for us to drink, but luckily Art knew I was just kidding…I think! He just said, “Huum,” and wobbled off to bed.

Bright and early that morning at LBL, well before daybreak, I walked directly across the road from camp, jumped across a small ditch, and stepped over into the dark forest to allow my eyes to adjust.

The fall leaves took turns dropping dew from leaf-to-leaf, drop-by-drop, to the forest floor, smothering all other sounds. My darting wide eyes suddenly caught movement just 20 yards from where I stood. I froze, not daring to move a muscle, even though I was also blurred by the morning fog, so I waited until the buck passed behind a large oak just ahead of him.

The buck’s head was decked by a huge rack; I estimated at least 8 points with a wide separation. I could not believe my eyes or my luck! My heart was about to pound out of my chest!

The huge rack soon disappeared behind the oak tree, so I raised the Ruger .270 to my shoulder, found the tree in my scope, pulled the rifle hard into my shoulder, leaned slightly forward anticipating the recoil, made the perfect crosshair picture, laid my finger lightly on the trigger, held my breath, and waited.

How easy this has been,” I thought! The guys will never believe the size of this big boy, and how I just walked into the woods…man!”

I continued holding the sight picture and released half my breath and began to tighten my squeeze. I waited…and waited…finally I had to take in another gulp of air and held it. Nothing!

I finally raised my head and looked over the scope…still nothing!

I stood frozen for at least 5 minutes before I began to inch slowing in the wet leaves toward the oak. He’s hiding…must have seen me…I’ll get’em though,” I said to myself.

I reached the tree, which must have been three feet wide, and peered around its side, slowing scooping out the area on the other side. Nothing! What the…? This can’t be,” I now said out loud.

I later surmised that the seasoned buck had seen me and turned after reaching the tree and angled straight off with the tree been him and me. Don’t tell me deer aren’t smart…this ol’ boy knew exactly what he was doing and he certainly made a fool of me that day.

That night I went over and over the tale until I’m sure everyone was sick of it, but finally we all, being worn out, went to bed early. However, not long after lights out, the rains came, and I mean came down hard. The huge drops beat against the canvas top of the camper’s pop-out wings so hard that you could feel tiny bits of spray on your face. It really rained and it seemed to have rained most of what I remember of the night.

The night was also filled with dreams of the huge buck. I kept seeing him walk by me in the fog, snickering to himself, and finally tip-toe behind the tree. I awoke with new resolve and excitement. I was determined to get in the woods even earlier and ambush this ol’ boy!

I quickly dressed and tossed down a breakfast bar and headed off filled with anticipation of that being the day I would score my first buck.

I did not get half way across the road before I head the sound of rushing water. The little ditch I had easily hopped across the morning before was now a 10-foot wide raging creek! My heart sank…but I was determined and turned and walked first up the road and then back the other way. There was no use…the water did not subside until after noon that day…much too late for an early morning ambush.

The hunt ended with no further sightings, but I was again armed with lessons for the future. I would never again be fooled by the ol’ disappearing deer trick!

14 comments:

That 1 Guy said...

Ah... the disappearing whitetail. I'm pretty sure that it is a sub species. I've seen (not seen) a few of them, too, in Northern Wisconsin, so we know the range covers a pretty decent area!

imac said...

Hi Mushy,Ive come from Davids Sunday Roast, what a great blog you got here, And to chat about beer too.

Sorry late tho, have been away a few days visiting.

Shrinky said...

Ah Mushy, he didn't manage to grow that big without learning a thing or two, huh?

You always take us right there by your side when you relate these tales, I love the way you do that. (But next time, take me somewhere warmer, will you?)

Buck said...

Ahhh. Snow. Rain. Bitter cold. Gosh, that sounds like a lot of fun! ;-)

Suldog said...

Good story, as always. Just wanted to give you a shout out for your Vols. Both men and women are still in the hunt (and I hope you don't mind me using that word, considering the topic of this post :-) )

Grandpa-Old Soldier said...

Hmmm

FHB said...

Man, I had a thing like that happen to me. I was hunting on Ft. Hood around 2000, sitting in a tree stand that made a hell of a lot of noise every time I moved. As the sun slowly came up I watched a deer walk from one fog covered bush to another and then never come out again'. No tellin' where the hell it went. It was the only live deer I ever saw on a hunt out there. Eventually stopped goin'.

Not a Granny said...

That sounds eerily familiar. Only it was my husband, when we were stationed in Kodiak and had to do with a halibut....that got away..

Seriously, though, bucks with that large of a rack are definitely smart enough to keep themselves "healthy".

BRUNO said...

Well, at least you didn't do somethin' STUPID, like shoot through the tree trunk!

No, really. As you know yourself, there are way too many "hunters" nowadays who have no business with a BB-gun, let alone a rifle. And I enforce my NO TRESPASS "purple-paint" markers, too!

Hell, when I go into my fields and woodslot around here, I go "loaded for bear". Except it ain't to HUNT---it's so I can make it EVEN! Meth labs in this area are way outta control, the law can only do so much, even with the publics' support.

Nasty stuff, man. Gee, whatever happened to just plain ol' "weed"? At least we could all enjoy that, while they burned it...!

Lin said...

I just LOVE your hunting stories and your descriptions of hanging out with your comrades.
I camped in LBL once - never saw so many ticks as landed on the tent that night but at least we didn't get downpoured on like you did.

PRH said...

Last deer hunt was back in 1976, down in southeast Ohio near Nelsonville.....didn't see a damn thing. At least you got to view this guy up close.

Good story!

Right Truth said...

I think I told you this before, but my daddy used to go deer hunting. He would get all dressed up, get the gun, ammo, walk way into our woods, sit there for hours. Then the deer would mosey up to where he was sitting. He would raise his rifle ...

only to look through the sight in order to get a better look at the deer. He never shot at them, ever. He only watch them.

He was so soft hearted, he could never bring himself to shoot.

Of course we had friends and family who DID pull the trigger, so we always had plenty of deer meat.

Debbie Hamilton
Right Truth

fuzzbert_1999@yahoo.com said...

Debbie...that's the state I'm in today...however, they are good memories for me.

Misty DawnS said...

You're making me hungry for some tenderloin!!!

This reminds me of my quest to get a good hawk photo and how they are all conspiring against me and taunting me!