October 16, 2006
San Diego area
Oh Boy!! Its here!! Deer season, archery only!! Oh Boy!!
I’ve got my bow all clean, string is waxed, and I’ve got my new Fuse bow sight (which I swear the pins light up
with the light from the gleam in my eye), Arrows, hand picked with Shuttle T-Lock 125 grain broadheads,
(sparkling like a fine sword). Tuned and sighted to 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 yards, (as long as I’m feeling steady
enough). My Natural Gear cammies are washed and scent free sitting in a trash bag with a natural scent pine
disk over night. I bounce into bed with the excitement of a child on Christmas Eve.
3am: The alarm goes off and I hit the snooze thinking:
"ugh idon’twannagotoworkyet” then it hits me and I jump up and head for the coffee that was set the night before,
and hop on the computer to check the current weather around my archery hunting spot. An easy 53 degrees and
clear with a mild east breeze, awesome! Now for the shower and the de-scenting soaps. After getting dressed in
the bathroom in the totally scent free (except for the mild pine scent) clothes, I step out to find my dog who was
thinking that this was a great hour for some attention! I fend him off with the trash bag and make it back to the
kitchen without any extra dog odors, Get packed up and head for the hills…. (Literally!)
First sign of a not so good weekend: I turn onto the last little stretch to where I park, In my high beams I see
something large and black along side the road. It’s just sitting there, and I’m trying to think what the heck it could
be, I don’t remember seeing that big black lump ever sitting there before. Then, it looked like it moved! What! Then
it DID move! WHAT?!! My heart starts pounding a little. I’m thinking we don’t have any bears here! Haven’t for
years! What the hell is that?! Then it stands up; it’s a REALLY big Brahma bull! What in the living hell are YOU
doing HERE? Then I see several others of his bovine relatives sitting along a fence line to private property
bordering the forest. I’d never seen this here before but okay, I can deal, as long as you keep your big a** right
over there, we’ll get along just fine. As I’m getting ready I shine my little green streamlight flashlight in his
direction and I can see his eyes shine faintly, watching me. It seems that we had the same idea about keeping
our distance and were both keeping our end of it. …. Fine.
Next signs of a not so good weekend: I get into my spot and everything looks pretty good. This after finding many
cattle prints and manure heaps on my way in, but I’m not yet discouraged. The light starts to scatter in and light
up the forest floor, so awesome. I hear a car approach and park near my jeep. Shortly after, I see a couple of
other bow hunters tiptoe in about 85 yards off my left shoulder. I usually don’t see anyone else here but it’s plenty
big enough to share. Ahh, the quiet, the morning birds chattering, probably about nothing in particular, the smells
of the morning forest floor, and the whish of the light eastern breeze over the tree tops, awesome.
BzzzzzZZZZZZzzzzzzz, Oh yea, I found this really cool bug repellent that was earth scented. So I sprayed some
around my hood. Repellent my a**! This was bug BAIT! They were pummeling me. Then, I saw quite the
commotion in front of me; it was two bugs fist fighting over me! Jeez, I finally got used to the dive bomb attacks,
apparent bickering, and I think, Christmas Caroling and settled in to watch for deer. Not really quiet anymore, at
least not in my vicinity, but OK, I can deal bugs don’t scare away deer. BANG!! ……… No, that WASN’T a
gunshot! BANG, BANG, BANG! Yes it was! You’re kidding me, dove season started yesterday but there really
aren't many doves here. A rabbit hunter? Maybe? I find out the next day that it was a dove hunter. Of course by
the time he ran into some bow hunters, he has thoroughly shot up the area and any deer that may have been
wandering through have left the area. One of the shots came from about 50-75 yards behind me. Not knowing yet
why someone was shooting, this alarmed me slightly, (pucker factor of 8.3). Now, I’m not watching for deer, I’m
watching for some a—hole with a shotgun that probably doesn't’t have any idea that there are camouflaged
hunters hiding out here! Finally, quiet again, but I’m pretty sure that this is a wasted morning, so, after watching
the other bow hunters leave, I finally drag my buttocks out of my hiding spot, pouting every grueling step. I go
home quite unhappy. All my hunting friends start calling to see how I did, ugh!
Sunday, day 2, 3am: The alarm goes off, this time I know why! Oh Boy!! Its here!! Deer season, archery
only!! Oh Boy!!
San Diego area
Oh Boy!! Its here!! Deer season, archery only!! Oh Boy!!
I’ve got my bow all clean, string is waxed, and I’ve got my new Fuse bow sight (which I swear the pins light up
with the light from the gleam in my eye), Arrows, hand picked with Shuttle T-Lock 125 grain broadheads,
(sparkling like a fine sword). Tuned and sighted to 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 yards, (as long as I’m feeling steady
enough). My Natural Gear cammies are washed and scent free sitting in a trash bag with a natural scent pine
disk over night. I bounce into bed with the excitement of a child on Christmas Eve.
3am: The alarm goes off and I hit the snooze thinking:
"ugh idon’twannagotoworkyet” then it hits me and I jump up and head for the coffee that was set the night before,
and hop on the computer to check the current weather around my archery hunting spot. An easy 53 degrees and
clear with a mild east breeze, awesome! Now for the shower and the de-scenting soaps. After getting dressed in
the bathroom in the totally scent free (except for the mild pine scent) clothes, I step out to find my dog who was
thinking that this was a great hour for some attention! I fend him off with the trash bag and make it back to the
kitchen without any extra dog odors, Get packed up and head for the hills…. (Literally!)
First sign of a not so good weekend: I turn onto the last little stretch to where I park, In my high beams I see
something large and black along side the road. It’s just sitting there, and I’m trying to think what the heck it could
be, I don’t remember seeing that big black lump ever sitting there before. Then, it looked like it moved! What! Then
it DID move! WHAT?!! My heart starts pounding a little. I’m thinking we don’t have any bears here! Haven’t for
years! What the hell is that?! Then it stands up; it’s a REALLY big Brahma bull! What in the living hell are YOU
doing HERE? Then I see several others of his bovine relatives sitting along a fence line to private property
bordering the forest. I’d never seen this here before but okay, I can deal, as long as you keep your big a** right
over there, we’ll get along just fine. As I’m getting ready I shine my little green streamlight flashlight in his
direction and I can see his eyes shine faintly, watching me. It seems that we had the same idea about keeping
our distance and were both keeping our end of it. …. Fine.
Next signs of a not so good weekend: I get into my spot and everything looks pretty good. This after finding many
cattle prints and manure heaps on my way in, but I’m not yet discouraged. The light starts to scatter in and light
up the forest floor, so awesome. I hear a car approach and park near my jeep. Shortly after, I see a couple of
other bow hunters tiptoe in about 85 yards off my left shoulder. I usually don’t see anyone else here but it’s plenty
big enough to share. Ahh, the quiet, the morning birds chattering, probably about nothing in particular, the smells
of the morning forest floor, and the whish of the light eastern breeze over the tree tops, awesome.
BzzzzzZZZZZZzzzzzzz, Oh yea, I found this really cool bug repellent that was earth scented. So I sprayed some
around my hood. Repellent my a**! This was bug BAIT! They were pummeling me. Then, I saw quite the
commotion in front of me; it was two bugs fist fighting over me! Jeez, I finally got used to the dive bomb attacks,
apparent bickering, and I think, Christmas Caroling and settled in to watch for deer. Not really quiet anymore, at
least not in my vicinity, but OK, I can deal bugs don’t scare away deer. BANG!! ……… No, that WASN’T a
gunshot! BANG, BANG, BANG! Yes it was! You’re kidding me, dove season started yesterday but there really
aren't many doves here. A rabbit hunter? Maybe? I find out the next day that it was a dove hunter. Of course by
the time he ran into some bow hunters, he has thoroughly shot up the area and any deer that may have been
wandering through have left the area. One of the shots came from about 50-75 yards behind me. Not knowing yet
why someone was shooting, this alarmed me slightly, (pucker factor of 8.3). Now, I’m not watching for deer, I’m
watching for some a—hole with a shotgun that probably doesn't’t have any idea that there are camouflaged
hunters hiding out here! Finally, quiet again, but I’m pretty sure that this is a wasted morning, so, after watching
the other bow hunters leave, I finally drag my buttocks out of my hiding spot, pouting every grueling step. I go
home quite unhappy. All my hunting friends start calling to see how I did, ugh!
Sunday, day 2, 3am: The alarm goes off, this time I know why! Oh Boy!! Its here!! Deer season, archery
only!! Oh Boy!!
I jump up, get ready, avoid my dog, and head for the hills… (Literally!) I look for big black lumps as I’m driving up to
my parking spot, nothing. Cool! There are a couple of hunters parked there too. They are friendly enough, that’s
good. I get ready and start in; it rained quite a lot overnight, perfect! I trod along making hardly any noise. Any
tracks I see I know are going to be fresh, perfect! I get settled into my spot without incident, perfect! Too prefect! It’
s as beautiful as the morning before, but with hardly any bugs, (I didn't’t use the bug bait), no gunshots, Perfect!
I check my cell phone for the time. Its 7:30, it’s awesome out here, and I love this. Suddenly, I see some
movement, and then I see a fork buck come rippin a** around a dead tree that I had ranged out at 40 yards. He
turned and was running directly AT me! Now, I’m not talking that he was hoppity trotting towards me, I mean, this
buck was running balls out, (pardon my French ladies) right up my shooting lane AT me! At first I freeze/hold still,
thinking that he’s going to stop in a moment and maybe give me a shot; Then as I notice how fast he really is
going, I think that another hunter either darted him or scared him and he was running away, so I didn't’t want to dart
another hunter’s bag. Then, as he was passing my 26 yard tree still at full speed and still AT me, I begin to think
that here pretty soon; he is going to notice that I have eyes and may not be a bush! And what is he going to do
when he sees that? Is he going to turn and run in another direction? Or is he going to drop those antlers and
charge? That’s all I need, I’m trying to recover from a messed up back and a young energetic buck just might open
up a can of whipass, muley style, on me! This could get hairy in a hurry. I suddenly have visions of having to go
home and tell my wife, who isn't’t really into me hunting Bambi, that I got my butt kicked by my very prey! The
torment would be merciless, she would tell EVERYONE!! Mind you, we’re talking that this is all transpiring on
about 4-5 seconds! He’s coming up on my 20-yard mark now, not showing any signs of realizing that I’m not a
bush yet. Visions of that guy who sprinkled doe scent on himself and got stomped into a bloody lump are dancing
through my head. I can’t believe that I’m going to have to shoot this fork out of self-defense. I pick a spot on his
chest that should let my arrow pass right through. I raise my bow, get to one knee, and come to full draw at the
same time. I just get my peep to my eye when he digs in all four hoofs, turns to my right at a sharp angle and runs
about 20 yards in. He stops, turns around and offers a great broadside shot, (if it weren’t for the two trees in the
way). I notice that he’s not looking at me. I look where he is looking and spy a button buck staring back at him. He
suddenly turns and runs as fast as he can to my left with the fork HOT on his hind quarters, antlers down and
charging. They start running figure eights through the trees in front of me then just bounce away looking for another
game to play. Leaving me still at full draw and wondering what the heck!?! The whole event was about 20-30
seconds, tops. All I could do was laugh. God I love this stuff!
my parking spot, nothing. Cool! There are a couple of hunters parked there too. They are friendly enough, that’s
good. I get ready and start in; it rained quite a lot overnight, perfect! I trod along making hardly any noise. Any
tracks I see I know are going to be fresh, perfect! I get settled into my spot without incident, perfect! Too prefect! It’
s as beautiful as the morning before, but with hardly any bugs, (I didn't’t use the bug bait), no gunshots, Perfect!
I check my cell phone for the time. Its 7:30, it’s awesome out here, and I love this. Suddenly, I see some
movement, and then I see a fork buck come rippin a** around a dead tree that I had ranged out at 40 yards. He
turned and was running directly AT me! Now, I’m not talking that he was hoppity trotting towards me, I mean, this
buck was running balls out, (pardon my French ladies) right up my shooting lane AT me! At first I freeze/hold still,
thinking that he’s going to stop in a moment and maybe give me a shot; Then as I notice how fast he really is
going, I think that another hunter either darted him or scared him and he was running away, so I didn't’t want to dart
another hunter’s bag. Then, as he was passing my 26 yard tree still at full speed and still AT me, I begin to think
that here pretty soon; he is going to notice that I have eyes and may not be a bush! And what is he going to do
when he sees that? Is he going to turn and run in another direction? Or is he going to drop those antlers and
charge? That’s all I need, I’m trying to recover from a messed up back and a young energetic buck just might open
up a can of whipass, muley style, on me! This could get hairy in a hurry. I suddenly have visions of having to go
home and tell my wife, who isn't’t really into me hunting Bambi, that I got my butt kicked by my very prey! The
torment would be merciless, she would tell EVERYONE!! Mind you, we’re talking that this is all transpiring on
about 4-5 seconds! He’s coming up on my 20-yard mark now, not showing any signs of realizing that I’m not a
bush yet. Visions of that guy who sprinkled doe scent on himself and got stomped into a bloody lump are dancing
through my head. I can’t believe that I’m going to have to shoot this fork out of self-defense. I pick a spot on his
chest that should let my arrow pass right through. I raise my bow, get to one knee, and come to full draw at the
same time. I just get my peep to my eye when he digs in all four hoofs, turns to my right at a sharp angle and runs
about 20 yards in. He stops, turns around and offers a great broadside shot, (if it weren’t for the two trees in the
way). I notice that he’s not looking at me. I look where he is looking and spy a button buck staring back at him. He
suddenly turns and runs as fast as he can to my left with the fork HOT on his hind quarters, antlers down and
charging. They start running figure eights through the trees in front of me then just bounce away looking for another
game to play. Leaving me still at full draw and wondering what the heck!?! The whole event was about 20-30
seconds, tops. All I could do was laugh. God I love this stuff!
| Opening day weekend Blue IRL |
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