Great stories start something like this: So I had to take a dump.....well, it's kinda crude but accurate of my first of 3 days in the deer woods this week.
It's the Marine Corps' 236th birthday and I decided to celebrate this year with a deer hunt. I was in the ladder stand by sunrise. It was cold and foggy, nothing was moving. After an hour and a half, the fog had lifted and I sensed something might be coming from the east. I was right. I grabbed my bow and was in the process of standing up when I got busted. A deer snorted at me from about 50 yards away and took off running to the top of the hill to the north of me and snorted again.
So, I had to take a dump. I climbed down from the stand and made my way to the truck which was about 1/8 mile away. When I got there I put down my bow, took off my trigger release and my backpack. I started to the truck to find the toilet paper and glanced at the gate to0 the property. On the other side of the gate, about 20 yards away, was a doe watching me. I slowly reached down and put on my trigger release. I grabbed my bow and nocked an arrow. As I drew back and started to aim, the doe took off with a snort. She circled around to the small hollow to the north of me where the spring is. I walked as quietly as I could to the edge of the hollow and there she was again only 20 yards away, looking right at me and she was conveniently behind a tree. I quickly surveyed the hollow and there was another doe and a fawn watching me as well. The stand off lasted for about a minute but seemed like 10. I heard another deer come up the driveway to the gate which is about 10 yards away at this point. The deer in the hollow finally trot off so I decide to turn and see if I can stalk up to the deer on the driveway. As I turn I step on a twig and it snaps. The deer on the drive snorts and runs. Busted again on the first of three days.
After I finally take care of my business, I figure that it's maybe getting to late to go back up to the laddrestand so I decide to call it a morning. I have a little work around the cabin area I want to do anyway. I take the opportunity to call my wife and tell her the story and see what shes up to. As we're talking, 2 more does come around the conex box we use for storage and start feeding on acorns. They don't care that I'm sitting right there and talking on the phone. They never snort or even look my way. Finally after I get off the phone and take a step toward my bow, they just turn and walk off. They were out of site before I ever get to it.
That was my first day. At least I saw some deer. I call my buddy Richard over in Arkansas. I know he will always appreciate a story that starts with "So, I had to take a dump."