Openig Day 2007

Opening day found myself, my son Kevin and my buddy Big Jim hunting the home farm of BC Hunt Club. The night before, as we prepared for the mornings hunt, we laid out our plan for where each of us was to hunt. Jim was to go to the prestigious high in the sky stand that has been known to bag a minimum of at least one deer a year since it was first erected. Kevin was to go to the tree stand, that was midway down the East hedgerow, that I bagged a buck out of last year and Brent bagged a beautiful, but not yet mature, red oak tree. I was to go to the ladder stand about 100 yards to the west of Jim where there was a "deer road" blazed through the woods. I can see both Jim and Kevin from my perch on what has to be the shakiest of all ladder stands made to date. I probably paid way to much for it, $20.00 used from a "friend", but it was at least positioned against a nice shady aspen tree that provided adequate cover. At about 7:30, while wrestling with my balance, I looked over and noticed Jim raising his gun to the point. Seconds later I heard his first shot ring out, to be followed by a second, then a third. There was a calm for a few seconds and then a forth shot rang out. I paused for a couple of minutes and then with great delight found my way to the ground from that rickety stand. All of us have our "talkie walkies", as Jim calls them, so by the time I set foot on stable ground I hear Jim whispering into his "I got a big buck down here". Jim thinks he has his talkie walkie on but in all the excitement he didn't get it properly powered up. I am close enough though that I can still hear every work he uttered. Again I hear him say " Hernie I got a big buck down over here, come here" and again I hear him though the morning air rather than on my radio. Now I am already on the way to my buddies aid when I hear a blood-curdling scream call out, "Hernie I got one!!" So much for the early morning silence. Jim stayed in his stand and directed to where his prize had fallen in the golden rod and sure enough there laid a fair sized 8 point buck. The deer was about 1 1/2 years old so it will be excellent table fare. We went back to the hunt and about 1/2 hour later another single shot rang out. Seconds later a voice came over the Talkie Walkie that simply said "Buck down." Kevin had bagged his four pointer with a single shot to the lower neck area. Again I was summoned to track the creature while he directed me to the kill and I again marked the spot where the fallen deer lay. This deer is another 1 1/2 year old buck that looked to be a brother to the first; both will make excellent eating. Back to the hunt we went for another hour or so with me walking the hedge rows and corn field to try to spook new game out. I for one was proud to be the host to their hunting episode and will enjoy sharing a plate full of young tender venison with them on Friday when we carve up the carcass and fire up the grill. The story has several other features that can only be described in accurate detail by Big Jim so if you want to hear the details of this, as well as the afternoon hunt, feel free to drop by Beer Camp over the Thanksgiving weekend and Jim will be glad to share all of the details with you. Needless to say Saturday, Sunday and even Monday were all days that both he and I will never forget! See ya around the campfire!