Singing In The Rain

Guess what. Its raining. In Georgia. Odd isn’t it. I know. Haven’t seen it in a while. As I sit huddled under a hemlock trying to minimize the amount of rain I take on I figured now was as good a time as any to finally catch up on my blog posting. Where to begin.

After all the excitement Carrie and I enjoyed over two weeks in Africa and then the one week I enjoyed on my annual pilgrimage to Wyoming its been pretty slow here in Georgia. But not for a lack of trying.

First weekend back that Carrie and I could get out we ventured up to Ellijay to hunt with “Chief” on his farm. This beautiful place backs up to Cohutta National Forest and is loaded with deer, bear, hogs, and turkeys. The plan was to hike to the top of the ridge as that’s where all the acorns are and really the only bear sign at the moment. We made it about halfway up and the mountain had schooled carrie. I got up the next morning and due to an extended recovery period needed for her I hunted one of my favorite nearby public archery only spots. Nothing.

Our next outing took us to the Big Buck Contest opening weekend in Alma. I was bound and determined that I was gonna kill the big buck and win the truck. Unfortunately someone decided they’d enjoy a few laughs at the expense of this ol stick slinger. I got up Saturday ready to go. Carrie’s girlfriends dad whose gorgeous farm we were hunting had the perfect spot for me. I got in the stand well before dark. I was all settled and all of a sudden I heard what sounded like someone in a climber stand going up a tree right next to me. I saw no light and things settled down so I forgot about it. That is until the reenactment of the battle of the bulge. When the shooting started it didn’t quit. If it did it wasn’t for very long. Then out of nowhere. Boom. Someone shot right next to me. As I cowered in the stand ducking for cover assuming an initial assault I said I’m finding out what in the heck that was. I walked to the edge of the field looked at the box stand and sure enough. There is Carries girlfriends husband and son sitting with two big grins. Supposedly Scott said there was a deer in the field and his son Caleb kept telling him “shoot daddy”. Later I figure out that doe was every bit of 250 yards away. Oh well. A short while later about 20 or 30 hen turkeys stroll through. Other than that. Nothing.

So we wrapped up the morning hunt. All of us empty handed. But we went back to the house and what we were about to get was a belly full of an opening day smorgasbord. The food started at one end of the counter and wrapped through the kitchen. And that was the main course. The desserts covered the island. I ate. And I ate. And we all almost ended up in a food coma. now we wanted to go back out in the woods. to sleep. Ha. I mean hunt. Well Scott and I first had to bring the chairs to the tobacco warehouse where that nights events would transpire. When we got in at lunchtime the chairs were in rows almost all the way to the back. I dreweled at all the prizes being given away. Besides the pick up they had almost 40 deer stands. Ladders tripods towers you name it. Then they had trail cameras feeders climber stands. I said this was hitting the hunter lottery jackpot.

So we headed back to the farm for the evening hunt. I daringly decided to give my hot spot a second shot. I got in the stand early that afternoon. Fighting off the blueberry tart nap jerk I was enjoying the afternoon. The weather was perfect. Not too warm. Nice and cool. Wind picked up a bit but I said all the better to blow my scent out. Then I heard a truck door slam. I said to myself you’ve got to be kidding me. The sound subsided and I ignored it. That is until later that afternoon and I start hearing a deer blowing. From the wind direction I knew with certainty it wasn’t me. It all got quiet again. Then boom to the front of me. I again sunk in my seat preparing for the invasion. Boom behind me. I sit in shell shock gathering the fleeting peace and calm I’d enjoyed earlier. As I glance to my left I see two idiots walking through the woods. My woods. No orange. Guns on their shoulders. I assumed they shot the deer and were trailing it up though I remember seeing or hearing no death march nearby earlier. Well these two proceed to walk a perimeter around me. Just great. Two boneheads have just left their scent all over my hunting area. They walked right by me and had no idea I was even there. Wish I had some doe pee to throw on them. They finally left empty handed. The area settled back down as the sun was setting. I assumed the day was a bust till I heard the crunching of leaves. Darkness was setting in quick. I blew my grunt call. It was coming right in almost as if on a string. Then it stopped walking. I was ready for the shot. I couldn’t see it. It got dark and I was getting ready to get down. I turned on my headlamp and looked in that direction. Eyeballs. Looking right up at me. Good heavens.

So we headed to the Big Buck gala. Numbers are being called. Prizes are being claimed. There’s enough chili and sausage dogs to feed an infantry. Then I hear a name that was all too familiar. Higginson. Flashback to my fraternity days in Macon, Ga. It was one of my fraternity brothers brothers. He ended up with a nice stand. As the evening was winding down they called Calebs name. This little rascal had won a nice tripod stand last year. Guess what. Make it two. He was all grins next to his new toy. Well we didn’t get a buck. Biggest deer was a 129 inch 9 point. We didn’t win the truck either. But we sure had a good time. And we’d be back in the woods in the am. Life is good.
So Scott shows up the next morning to take me to a new spot. We ease down the fire break to a ladder stand at a major crossing area. I got this I think to myself. Weather is cool. Light breeze. A short while later I see movement. Twenty yards in front to my left. The young doe feeds in front of me. She’s fixed on looking back over her shoulder in the pines. She hangs out for about thirty or forty minutes. Nothing ever did show up but I enjoyed watching her anyway.

The next weekend we’d get out we planned to head back up to North, Ga. I think Carrie was determined this time to make it up the mountain. And we did. Wind was a bit much. It was cold. And she’d been sick for most of the week. I’d built a brush blind at the top of the ridge where you could tell some bears had been feeding heavily on acorns. A short while after wed set up I could tell she wasn’t comfortable. She fought off the cold as long as she could and I knew wed need to move. Chief hadn’t seen anything so he was walking down through the creek bottom. Wed stay on top of the ridge. The wind was blowing heavy enough we could walk slowly and keep our sound covered. We eased along finding trees the bears had clawed up. Lots of acorns on top. Just no critters. As we head down the mountain to the truck we get to the food plot. Through the break in the christmas trees all I see are heads and tails. We were busted.

Next afternoon Carrie opted to stay home while I hit my archery spot again. I eased along the edge of a food plot along the river. I get all the way to the end and climb a tree. There are lots of tracks coming from some heavily used trails into the field. Late in the afternoon I see a visitor. This guy skirts the edge of the field my way. I’m thinking to myself surely not. Yep. He walked all the way to me. Waves. And walks in the woods right behind me. Great. A while later I hear a plane flying in low. The pilot banks it hard and then straight up. As the plane stalls he starts a series of loops as its falling down. He pulls it out and begins a fifteen minute aerobatic show over my head. I’m thinking this is a cheap show but not what I’m here for. Looks like this hunt too is a bust.

So here I am. Sitting in the rain. Laughing at the comedy of errors thus far this year. And who says hunting is easy. Come join me. I promise it’ll be an adventure you won’t forget in the morning.

The Flies and Fletching gang in Alma

Caleb with his second stand in two years.