what a day dark to darker..

Hoss · Post by **Hoss** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 9:50 pm

I decide to go via motor boat down the river a few miles and into a creek I know has some nice deer. I don’t do this often enough; it’s a lot of work. Well this turned out to be a hell of a day and in fact I really enjoyed it even though it was tough...I could not go to sleep thinking of this area to hunt. I lay in bed and listened to that stupid clock ding every half hour and on the hour... I finally said the heck with this trying to sleep and I got up at 2 am. I packed my stuff hooked up the boat and took off. I stopped for coffee and a biscuit and a splash of gas in my 18fter with a 90 hp 4 strokes. It’s very quite and stealthy I guess that’s why I took this one.. I head on to the river with great anticipation. I get there get unhooked and park the truck. The ole dodge is running great. I get in for a trip down river and I go slow watching for logs and stuff. I’m all alone so safety is number one. I get to the creek mouth and start in its cool and damp and foggy. I’m thinking its going to be a good morning. I travel down the creek a small piece. The bigger buck run the river but the like the little cut backs the creek provide and the place I was headed to puts me high in the sky to avoid unwanted noses. I had to go back and fourth 3 times to find my hole—nothing funny intended-- I tie up the boat and proceed to my tree. I find my tree in little time and start the very quite process off getting up and squared away quietly..All of you know the stress involved here and how nerve racking it is to account for every move as to not make noise..I did it. I’m up its over and it didn’t make a noise..Dang its early 5 am and the sun don’t come up until 7; 30am. I just kick back in my lonewolf and relax..I listen and contemplate my every move to come. As the morning comes and legal shooting time arrives I start to glance around. I have to tell you this is a premium spot. I’m about20yds from the ridge of the creek bed, down towards the water. I’m up 30ft, so I am about 15 ft above the ridge. The tree I am in is TALL great even climber. The ridge is level with the field the edge of the field runs just next to the ridge 40yds from me. This creek thicket runs north and south I got my back to the water and the east wind is hitting me in the face. To my right is a drainage ditch from the center of the bean field that has a thicket 30ft wide running around it all the way out to the middle. The drainage pours into the creek. This is a major intersection that has what looks like caribou migrations on it..lmao.I pull out my range finder and start to look around and range targets trees for reference. I almost pulled my tree trimmer out of my boot as I was pulling on my yardage pro. I put the yardage pro under my chin and got to grab the trimmers. I can’t get the trimmers to release from inside my boot. I need to take it out its half way out now and won’t go back in.. I pull and twist and trying to be quite and then finally it comes loose.. got it stuffed down into my boot and then looked up to see if anything was around BOING BOING down and off the tree stand it fly’s air born to the ground..GREAT. PERFECT I’m POd now after working so hard to be quiet I go and make a loud stupid move…well there it lay on the ground and I’m not moving. The heck with it it’s so tight in here I can tell 20-30 with no problem..30 minutes go by and I see a doe to my left. I grunt very light and she whips her head around with interest. She’s coming. I see more movement behind her..OH come on big boy come to daddy..She wanders over and now with her not seeing the buck she heard she is unnerved to say the least. There were 5, of the 5 there were 3 doe a button buck and one fawn. They hung around the base of my tree for at least and hour and the OH KNOW they found my range finder. That did not go over well. The doe that found it sniffed it and jumped back and blew..GREAT..Tell the whole dang woods something is wrong over here..Wonderful..She would not stop. She kept coming back to the range finder and stomping at it and blowing. I should have wacked her and left then but I was determined to stay all day. They hung around walked away a few steps and then back ate a bit then walked away then back. Once one of the doe even looked right at me as to try to put a fix on me but I was in leaves and good cover there was no way she could but she stared up at me for awhile then stopped.. Finally after what seemed for ever they left not ever knowing where I was. Its quite nothing is happening. NOON time to eat. I pull out my bag of trail mix I made on my own and went to fueling up. I drank a small bit of water and called it quits. The hours drag on and drag on and then the golden hour comes and I’m stoked its time I’m thinking.. It’s going to happen. BS All I saw was a little fawn by herself cut the corner of the bean field and run down the ridge. That doe either told everyone this morn on me or my luck just sucked today, and little did I know.. Crap its dark now time to go. The best thing I don’t have to walk far the boat is parked just tight to the steep bank right here. It’s a steep bank 10-15ft but there is a tree leaning down into it so I can just make my way down to the boat and done. I climb down and get all my stuff together. I had retrieved my range finder earlier so I had that. Now time to go. I get to the boat throw my stuff in and untie. WTF is going on the boat is bottomed out close to the bank.. No problem I got out my paddle and pushed and pushed..IT WOULD NOT MOVE! I stuck my paddle in the water and it was barely 12 inches deep. Now I’m getting perturbed. Ok what’s the deal? I try the trolling motor it won’t budge it. I try and try. I eventually blow the ONLY fuse I had for it overloading it trying to get it to go… I start the 90hp and try to rip thru NO way Now I’m all wet and the boat is muddy and well you can stop laughing now….UUUUUUUURRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH…I had to step off in the creek and commit to finding the channel and there was NONE. It was a sandy bottom and very shallow. I just grabbed the rope and pulled yea right. It aint going no where. I got behind and lifted and pushed ok movement ok now were moving some not much but some. It was sliding on the sand oh so few inches at a time but moving.. I don’t remember the water being this low what’s up and then It hit me.. They shut the gates off at the dam on this navigation channel and the water has dropped 2.5 to 3 ft since morning..Great..What wonderful evening it is. Hell now I’m glad I didn’t kill a bruiser I would be camping till water rose again..I kept pushing and finding the small channel in the sand. I would push left and then right get it in the channel push this way and that. It finally got deep enough it wasn’t so bad but my boots were wet. After sinking in the sand the water got in my boats and well one more thing so what..You know this a may sound crazy but I started enjoying it I thought oh well. Here I am 5 miles from the boat ramp stuck walking down a creek with my boat. It kind of reminded me of frog hunting so the walking in the creek didn’t freak me out it was just that my feet are wet now and that always sucks. Well the sand got worse and the boat slowed down. I guess this is where that drainage ditch dumps all that soil into the creek because this was the shallowest spot yet.. Oh well I will just call my buddies and tell them were HOSS is stuck and have them come rescue me. PHONE? PHONE? OH CRAP it’s in my boot, swimming….great I can’t help but laugh. Ok no phone. I unload my boots and drink some water bottled water yall.. Reposition stuff forward in boat and go at it awhile till I finally reach some deeper water. It took about 100yds of that to help me decide I didn’t want to bring this lard ass boat in here again. Next time the duck boat is coming.. I KNOW why not this time..Don’t ask I wasn’t thinking ok! I get to where I can start the 90 GLORY BE it starts and I’m off to the ramp.. I go slow tired I have not slept in 42 hours now..I’m what you call rum dum at this point..Just wish I had some. I get to the ramp and roll up on shore. I get my dodge keys and commence to climbing this huge steep boat ramp to get the truck. I made it with glee. I see the truck and its 11 30 pm. It’s a pretty sight..It’s all down hill from here and as I unlock the truck I realize that it in fact is down hill from here. The dang club I put on my steering wheel is locked…The key is on my other key chain in the boat..GREAT.. I laugh again not believing my luck.. I h ump my butt down to the boat and get my keys and make my way back. I start ole smoky and load the boat with no issues. I’m off and headed home. I stop for a midnight 6 pack to top it off. I get home drink my beer ALL OF IT>>and have a bite to eat. The hell with the boat till tomorrow. My head no more hit the pillow and I was gone. I had nightmares or did that really happen?

huntman · Post by **huntman** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 10:04 pm

sounds like a hell of a hunt!!

one shot scott · Post by **one shot scott** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 10:25 pm

Phoenix_Tom · Post by **Phoenix_Tom** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 10:42 pm

You should ask Peter to change your name to Job. Sounds like you had a heck of a day of trials and tribulations! The best part is that you continued to laugh at yourself and your situations but then carried on with the task at hand. Excellent story Hoss!!!

VixChix · Post by **VixChix** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 11:26 pm

Sounds like your sense of humour survived intact!

Now, that wasn't nearly as bad as the time you roped that deer, was it?

dick195252 · Post by **dick195252** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 3:13 am

Now thats Hunting

fratri · Post by **fratri** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 4:26 am

now thats a hunting story....glad it all worked out....

Mike P · Post by **Mike P** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 8:10 am

Great Story Hoss!!!

And you know what, we have all been there. Well, not exactly those circumstances, but we have all had hunts where everything went wrong.

Hoss wrote:I stop for a midnight 6 pack to top it off. I get home drink my beer ALL OF IT>>and have a bite to eat.

Now to me, this makes perfect sense. This is the absolute perfect closure for an absolutely imperfect hunt.

Come to think of it, it is also the perfect closure for a perfect hunt.

bucont · Post by **bucont** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 8:59 am

Good story Hoss. You had me thinking the truck was going to roll backwards down the ramp to top it all off.

wabi · Post by **wabi** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 9:08 am

Sounds like an adventure.

vixenmaster · Post by **vixenmaster** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 10:18 am

Ah that brings back old memories, glad you had a grand time doing it

Hoss · Post by **Hoss** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 12:00 pm

Mike P wrote:Great Story Hoss!!!

And you know what, we have all been there.

you had me there for a minute Mike.. I thought NO wonder I didnt see deer..lmao..

The deer roping incident was top of the chart Moni...

Bucont how dare you say that.

.but let me tell you the way my luck was going..I did block the tire with a big rock and I used the emergency brake and I was very careful...

Yes I did enjoy it. I was thinking how good it felt to be there. Im getting older and I hate to admit that Im slowing down a bit. So I releshed in it to tell you the truth. Someday I wont be able to go and Ive got to many more of those hunts Im trying to get in..water or not deer or not here I come..laughing all the way...

Missouri_Hunter · Post by **Missouri_Hunter** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 12:38 pm

Good story...sorry to hear about all the bad luck...it sounded like you still enjoyed yourself and thats what counts...

maple · Post by **maple** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:04 pm

Hoss,

Good thing you have a strong heart and a good sense of humour.

I just imagine what could have happened if you had decided to kick the boat. Hard.

Maple

Hoss · Post by **Hoss** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 2:05 pm

maple wrote:Hoss,

Good thing you have a strong heart and a good sense of humour.

I just imagine what could have happened if you had decided to kick the boat. Hard.

Maple

It sure as heck wouldnt have sank thats for dang sure..

.