Just too old...

[growalot]

To have to make split life and death decisions while trying to relax hunting...This morning I pulled out the extreme wear...AAAhhh love this suit...head out with a 1/2 in . of snow on the ground ...deer tracks every where..walking up to ridge trail for the walk to middle woods stand...we must have been walking in step for neither of us heard each other until we were(paced it) 7 yrds away...face to face with a buck...it's so dark all I can see is his body out line against the snow and wht curving from the middle of his head..we both froze....after a while of head bobbing and a couple of throaty sounds ..that scared me..not a tree near by...he backed up twirled while giving a huff and left...

 

I get to ladder stand in a 18 in diameter maple...settle in ...a fawn then two fat turkeys  and at 7 a buck I couldn't turn...the whole time wind is whipping  and trees are popping and creaking all over the woods...I was standing when I heard a strange ...loud snapping cracking in a 12in beech infront of me ...my stomach flipped I knew in an instant what was coming-grabbing harness strap I hopped up on the seat...found the step I put in to hold gear...thank God on opposite side and was about to swing out when she let loose...12 or so feet up she snapped off thankfully going west and not north at me...THAT'S IT...pretty much done with the wind....

Trying to settle down and warm up with coffee safe at home....All this time I thought roller coasters were scary...not so much any more...lol

[Pygmy]

I know what you mean, Growie.. I was up on a ladder cleaning out single story eaves troughs yesterday, and just THAT had me shaky...

I sure don't have the balance, co-ordination and agility that I once had.

The mere thought of doing things that I did just 10 or 15 years ago SCARES me now..

[Five Seasons]

you sure do have some adventures. haha.

[blackradio]

I was clearing a shooting lane 2 days ago for a new stand. There was a broken, hanging branch about 25 feet up in my way so I grabbed a hold of a branch i could reach and ran with it trying to pull it down without it falling on me. The branch jerked me back underneath it then it  then broke and I slipped and fell on my stomach, tried to cover up and the branch fell right next to me with a loud thud. Definitely a reminded to be more careful.

[growalot]

Adventures like that I can do without...I'm not young nor admittedly small ....so things like that are getting harder to avoid...I hold my bow...and had no place to go with it except to drop it over the very short  neck of the water bottle I  had hanging off the stand...just too lucky it didn't take a 16 ft drop to the ground...my back and chest muscles hurt!...

[landtracdeerhunter]

I've sat on the ground, away from good size trees more this season, than any other season just for this reason. I had a  " near" widow maker teach me years ago, to respect the wind

[growalot]

unless things calm down it will be the shooting blind or old reliable...and one stand close to house...all others are just too risky...all the rains this year coupled with the winds...and some real hard freezing temps followed by warm ones...you can't tell which tree is safe and which isn't any more

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[silent death]

Nothing like bein in the woods in the dark and

hearing trees breaking and cracking that will

Wake you up for sure...i wonder how do the

deer react to those kind of sounds especially

if they are on high alert already

[growalot]

It didn't seem to phase either the deer or the turkey this morning...but I think I know why the buck grunts aren't working well...half the trees seem to be make really good sounding deer grunts.....lol

[silent death]

Lol

[BUCKANDAQUARTER]

that sounds scary as all heck. I haven't been trapped in a tree when that has happened, but when I was in high school i brought two of my buddies out scouting. we were in the middle of a bunch of pines and a front came through. the wind picked up and i said lets get the hell out of here. we made it about 30 yards and directly where we were standing a big pine blew down. we would have been smushed or sqewered. call it divine intervention or whatever.

[Five Seasons]

Nothing like bein in the woods in the dark and

hearing trees breaking and cracking that will

Wake you up for sure...i wonder how do the

deer react to those kind of sounds especially

if they are on high alert already

 

I avoid any days in the woods where the gusts are over 20. it's just not worth it and it's not just because your likelihood of being winded is greater. Hurting yourself bad is just doesn't pay back the risk. I try to choose bigger trees on windy days too.

 

[josephmrtn]

I've sat on the ground, away from good size trees more this season, than any other season just for this reason. I had a  " near" widow maker teach me years ago, to respect the wind

one like this? this is one tree i dont walk under... esp in high winds