Encounters of The Wild Kind !!!

Well it was October 2000

The Archery season was into the third day. It was extra special that year because I was able to take & share that hunt with my Son Jeremy!!. It was October 18,th 2000, I had spent alot of time afield with my son just pryor to deer season. We were huntin at my brother Georges house/ property. He has about 15 acres of woods consisting of acorns , a swamp, that leads to a set of pines & a thicket as well. We also have access to over 500 acres of awesome land surrounding his land, consisting of cornfields & behind the corn field was a large row of clover the farmer next to his land had planted just behind that was a large wild apple orchard. I had scouted an area pryor that I knew had Heavy deer concentrations & activity. The RUT was in the early stages & the Buck activivty was picking up fairly steadily. Deer were starting to show more movement on a regular basis now, as we had a few snows early that year & the cold seemed to give the deer the alert that gun season wasn't far away. But you see this particular area is farmland mostly & the deer are more used to guns because most all year people hunt various animals & shooting is not a strange thing to these animals. However they seem to adjust accordingly to the hunting / shooting . Gun season for deer changes all that due to greater Numbers of hunter presence day's pryor to the shotgun opener with last minute target / sighting in etc. Anyway it was day 3 in archery my Boy & I went to one of the groundblinds we had built a few weeks before the opener.We were there approx 2 hours though we saw lots of fresh tracks etc. It was very cold & windy I seen that Jeremy was getting cold so I told him we would give it ten more minutes or so. Then I pulled out the Can doe in estraus bleat from Primo's & gave out 3 bleats . We knew deer were in that area & had just been there pryor to us entering the apple orchard that bordered a dogleg which led to heavy cover / Bedding, & a watering stream .A few minutes later Jeremy gave me a nudge & drew my attention to my left hearing noise from that direction. I no sooner looked to my left it was approx. 8:30 or 8:45 when I seen a buck duck underneath a fallen tree leaning against other trees. When he stepped out from behind the tree he immediately spotted us.What happend next was unbelievable!! I had not expectetd a deer to approach from there, but again thats hunting!!. What happend next to this day I'll never forget nor will Jeremy!!! The spooked buck put his head down & headed right at me!! My bow because this happend in a split second & I never had a chance to raise it and aim at this deer.I was only able thinking this deer was charging me to raise my bow pull the arrow & swing the bow at the deer trying to avert an attack by this buck.As I did he turned went about 20 yards & started snorting wildly & stomping his front foot , At that point I knocked an arrow & was going to try & get off a shot at him however that never happend.He looked at us when I raised my Bow 4 a possible shot he Bolted like a bolt of lightning,& in a split second was gone but he snorted all the way down the dogleg until he was out of sight. I'll tell ya these two hunters were so full of adreanalin that we were beside ourselves,with my son totally shaking as well sayin man!!! Dad he was mad or nuts or something!!! I told JW well that he was something & explained that in all my years hunting had Dad EVER encountered a deer that acted like that in anyway.!! Man that was a real tence couple of moments. A time that myself nor Jeremy will ever forget anytime soon. However the story doesn't end there.,Jeremy had went home later that day as he Lives with his Mom my now ex wife , Three day's later I was out hunting a treestand on my brothers land.About 150 yards away from where we had that encounter with the 6 point, I was rattling & calling with my rattle bag & the can Bleat call, when I spotted 6 Doe's approaching from the lower cornfield. To the left of them I seen a buck comming right up a treeline that went alongside the cornfield that led right to my brothers land ,back in the pines where I was in my stand that morning , The doe's came up out of the cornfield to the treeline I was in turned & went right by me on a fast trot along the treeline. The buck continued right up the treeline & entered the woods I was in, He caught wind of the doe in estraus urine trail I had laid earlier, His nose hit that trail & he never took his nose off it, Instead he followed it like a bloodhound on a hot bloodtrail. Well that trail led him right out in front of me were I gave out a baat noise as to stop him & stop he did leaving me a perfect spine shot at about 10 yrds or less , The Buck dropped in his tracks.I waited a few min til he expired & then climbed out of my treestand. Upon comming up on the Buck I had realized that this was exactly the same Buck that had charged at Myself & Son Jeremy just 3 day's earlier!!! Well it goes without saying I never expected to see this buck again, after our first nightmare encounter!! nevermind take the very same Deer only 3 day's later!!! I later called my son to tell him about this deer. As that attack nearly chased him away from the woods forever. It shook him up pretty bad that day! As expected he was happy I got a deer & knowing it was that deer eased his young mind , However I explained that what had happend to us that day will never usually happen, as deer do not want anymore of an encounter with humans we do an encounter like we experienced that day!.And that it is just not the norm. However I also explained that it is one of the reasons that good hunters Practice alot because at least when something like that does happen,though Highly unlikely is a distinct possibility though VERY slim you are a better prepared hunter if you keep a level head & not lose it in a situation that neither wildlife nor humans can predict or expect. I Thank GOD we kept our composure that day & I attribute lots of years huntin & practicing worse case senerio's in the outdoors!! That I thank my Father and Brothers for teaching me that you need alway's expect the unexpected while in the wild!!.However never let it take away the thrill of being in the great outdoors over a VERY slim to none chance of an encounter like we had that day!!!! .

Folks I hope you enjoyed this hunt as did I sharing it with you's & Until next time Have A Safe Great hunt!!!!! & Enjoy the Great outdoors

Remember: Every Outdoor trip is a learning experience of some sort Learn from it & Enjoy!!!

And may You Bag A deer of A lifetime!!!

Wally