What about walking to your stand in the morning??

**WFT** · 08-23-2012, 08:56 AM

I think that time you spend alone walking to your stand in the mornings is one of the best parts of deer hunting. Looking back over the years I can remember some moments that I thought I was going to have to clean out my drawers. Have you ever stepped on a rabbit? Or flushed a covey of quail, or how about that creepy feeling you get when the coyotes are really vocal and they sound like they have you surrounded? Have you had an owl perch in the tree above and just set there watching you?

I remember one time, I got to my stand and on the way up the steps I heard something really strange above me, made me hesitate a minute scanning the trees to see what it was. So I get in my stand and getting settled in, hanging my gear when the whole top of my tree exploded. MAN, talk about pucker you up. After I regained some composure, I realized there was a whole flock of turkeys roosted around me, I really wanted to shoot one after that.

What are some encounters youve had?

**Okie4570** · 08-23-2012, 09:18 AM

Many skunk encounters, one ended badly for myself. Many swooping screech owls while walking past an old barn. Flushing prairie chickens when I was a kid in Osage County. Countless meteors, a couple that I could hear sizzle and left a green streak in the sky. Racoons above my ladder stands. I had a ladder stand as a kid along the river south of Bartlesville, almost every time I would set there in the predawn dark, a beaver would tail slap and scare me, knew it was going to happen, just didn't know when. Predawn is an awesome time in the praire and timber.

**VIKING** · 08-23-2012, 09:54 AM

The one morning that stands out in my mind was many years ago at Gruber. Did the normal thing of trying to be very quiet and limited use of my flashlight. When I did find my stand I would always shine my light up the tree to make sure the steps were still in place and everything looked good. That one morning when I shined my light I actually lit up a POS hunter that was setting in my stand. Everything pretty well went down hill from there.

**Okie4570** · 08-23-2012, 09:58 AM

Originally Posted by VIKING

The one morning that stands out in my mind was many years ago at Gruber. Did the normal thing of trying to be very quiet and limited use of my flashlight. When I did find my stand I would always shine my light up the tree to make sure the steps were still in place and everything looked good. That one morning when I shined my light I actually lit up a POS hunter that was setting in my stand. Everything pretty well went down hill from there.

You know his heart was racing as you approached.

**justin_h635** · 08-23-2012, 10:00 AM

Skunks worry me more than anything. Have a few places that are havens for them before sunrise and thankfully, had only close calls. As for Okie's beaver tail comment. I've had similar frightening experiences in the pre-dawn minutes while burrowed into a dark layout blind however, the jolting noise nearby had nothing to do with a critter and everything to do with a hunting partners choice of restaurants a few hours earlier.

**willystruck** · 08-23-2012, 10:33 AM

I drew into Wichita Mtns elk hunt in 88. Walking in on the last morning of the hunt, still dark thirty, I came upon what turned out to be a buffalo, bedded down under a low hanging tree. When it jumped up and made an ungodly sound, (seemed like a ROAR), I thought my time on earth was over! Luckily I had done my daily business before leaving camp that morning. If not it would have been a very smelly day! Thought I was having a heart attack, at the same time trying to remember if there were any bears ever reported in the area. In the dark it was nothing more than a mountain of black fur!!!!
Killed my elk a couple hours later after my body quit convulsing and brain stopped telling me to run like h*ll !!!!

**Mikemc** · 08-23-2012, 10:39 AM

I don't deer hunt anymore so I dont walk to a stand, but I do walk to a duck blind 2-3 times a week during the season... I've had many encounters with things that go bump in the night, the worst being skunks. I've never been sprayed personally but my dog has had a few bad mornings.. Most mornings I try to leave early so I have time between setting up deeks and shooting to enjoy my surroundings.

**WFT** · 08-23-2012, 11:22 AM

How about walking to your stand on opening morning and realizing you are completely lost (before gps)?? Done that a few times, man that can get a person upset after all the preparation, scouting, getting up at 4:00am and you end up stumbling around in the woods looking for something that's looks familiar.

**Okie4570** · 08-23-2012, 11:40 AM

Originally Posted by WFT

How about walking to your stand on opening morning and realizing you are completely lost (before gps)?? Done that a few times, man that can get a person upset after all the preparation, scouting, getting up at 4:00am and you end up stumbling around in the woods looking for something that's looks familiar.

I've done this a couple of times at MCAAP.

**indi** · 08-23-2012, 12:08 PM

Lmao...... great stories guys. I cant wait to go on my first hunt.

**870WingBlaster** · 08-23-2012, 12:16 PM

Originally Posted by VIKING

The one morning that stands out in my mind was many years ago at Gruber. Did the normal thing of trying to be very quiet and limited use of my flashlight. When I did find my stand I would always shine my light up the tree to make sure the steps were still in place and everything looked good. That one morning when I shined my light I actually lit up a POS hunter that was setting in my stand. Everything pretty well went down hill from there.

Care to share some more of the details? I'm curious.

**dustingaunder** · 08-23-2012, 12:18 PM

I was in the stand one morning and thought I was gonna have to clean the XXL Chalupa from the night before out of my pants.

**WFT** · 08-23-2012, 12:18 PM

Only a deer hunter can understand that satisfaction of looking up and spotting your tree stand after a long walk in the dark. And when you get settled in that stand with your bow set up and ready, and you just kinda set back, take a deep breath and start listening to the sounds around you. Nothing like it my friends.

**makeithappen** · 08-23-2012, 12:29 PM

I was walking to my stand along the water's edge one morning when I came around a bend. Woke up a great-blue heron who screached and squawked as he took off 10 feet from me. I was in the water up to my knees before I knew it with my bow at full draw. Had a good chuckle.

**justin_h635** · 08-23-2012, 12:38 PM

How many times have you guys gone hunting with a friend, familymember, etc. at the last moment and the only directions to the deerstand is his finger pointing from the dark seat of the truck? You know that you cross two creeks, veer right and follow the fence but somehow you always end up several hundred yards away wandering aimlessly.