is better than… well anything, up to and including being propositioned by lesbians.

Watched the sun come up in a big oak. To anyone who has never been in a tree stand (I should say, “modern” tree stand, thirty years ago, tree stands were like cabins in huge trees- some had woodstoves) anyway- modern tree stands are pretty much just steel ladders with platforms on top. When you strap the platform to the tree, you use web straps so as not to damage the bark, and you park your hiney on the platform.

Now, you see trees branches swaying, but maybe you don’t know that the tree moves as well. Not just small trees, though they’re more pronounced- no, even a 28″ diameter Oak will sway a couple inches at tree stand height.

So I’m twenty-odd feet up a tree. I’ve strapped myself off so i’m not likely to fall. And I’m dressed up tight, hood pulled around my face, velour gloves, sorels. And the wind making the tree sway. THe feel fo the wood grip of the bow filling my fist perfectly. And most importantly, I’m not at work.

Yes, I did fall asleep.

No, I did not fall out of the tree.

I left the stand at around nine. Had nothing to indicate anything else would be wandering by. I walked aroud the preserve for a couple hours, and actually had two deer walk up on ME. Which tells me a couple things.

1: I’m still capable of being quiet in the woods.
2: My scentblock etc. is working fine.
3: My hearing sucks.

Actually, I knew these things a while back, I had a squirrel run up on my knee several weeks ago, and when I moved my leg he burst off my lap onto the forest floor, chattering like crazy at me.

Saw an oldtimer with his two next generations hunting rabbit, but he had, as he said, “A dog who’s a little ticky” and who will go after a coon like a shot. He had a Browning A-5, and he carried it around the pistol grip, so the blue was worn off the back of the receiver until it looked like chrome. The rest of the gun was in incredible shape. His son had an A-5 as well, and you could see the beginnings of the same pattern. The grandson, maybe seventeen- had a new(looking) A-5. That, the smile on the old man’s face as he talked of his dogs and his son and grandson, the bayongh of the hounds after a rabbit… it made my heart swell. There’s no other way to describe it.

One of the deer who startled me, I got a shot off, but he was moving fast and i didn’t lead him enough. As it was, I missed him by a comfortable margin so he wasn’t wounded, wandering around in scrub. And I lost an arrow. better to lose an arrow than wound a deer.

I slept in the truck at lunchtime. Snoring and leaning against the door post. Eventually I got out, suited up, and lay down in pine needles a few dozen feet from the truck. Slept like the dead.

Around two I woke to the sound of moaning, and for a few moments had to concentrate to make sure it wasn’t me. Walked back to the truck, and as I got in I realized I’d surprised a couple of teenagers in their car going at it pretty hot and heavy. Kingsbury is a fairly remote preserve, so it’s got some pretty empty parking spots. Great for romantic interludes, apparently, because I often find coney island whitefish on the ground.

They looked at me in horror, and I smiled (they were pretty well clothed above the window line, so it wasn’t like I could see anything) I slipped on a rubber glove (always have a couple when hunting) and picked up the nearest used condom, pointed at it, took it to the garbage can, put it in. They nodded, and I drove off.

Kids. Sheesh.

Anyway I’m still deerless, but days like today make it worth just being afield.