Sometimes the magic works.

 
There are story makers and storytellers. I guess I am the teller and fortunate for me I am married to a story maker. This works out great for both of us.
I know .......get on with it.................Ok.
             Frank has been hunting for over 40 years. He started hunting before he was 10 and did a lot of rabbit hunting with his dad and brother. He would always carry his hunting pouch he had made from the leg of an old pair of pants he had sewn up and tied a rope on for the strap. There is where he kept all his bullets. Shades of Daniel Boone for sure. But back in the 50's there weren't many deer in Ohio. His deer hunting has remained kind of sparse because of  his job he isn't allowed to be off during prime deer hunting season. This only left him with an occasional Saturday hunt and only a small buck or doe to his victory. This was always nice but he never was able to hunt the BIG buck. HE decided maybe bow hunting would offer him more chance at the bigger bucks but that is another story.
          Well season arrived in Morgan County again this year and Frank knew he again would only have the weekend to hunt. He had been out a lot earlier this year during bow season and had seen some real nice deer. A nice 8 point and what looked to be a big nine point. They had been too far away from his stand to get a good shot with his long bow and seem to turn away just out of range and wander away in search of does.
He never minded though. Being out in the woods in the fall of the year was a reward in itself.

         The last Friday night of state wide deer season was here. Frank arrived home after work and it had already gotten dark .The forecast predicted a gentle snowfall that evening. Even though he was tired from a long day of work he laid out all his hunting clothes. This included his winter mocs and the linsey woolsey shirt I had made him this summer. He wiped the bore of his 50 caliber rifle and was ready for morning.
        The sun seemed to rise extra early and he just couldn't pull himself out of bed and leave the warm house like he had done all week for work out in the cold. I don't usually fix a big breakfast but today he asked for pancakes eggs and sausage. We ate our big breakfast and he thought he better go walk around the farm and see what he could.
As he climbed towards the meadow he saw tracks crossing the field in the snow. He thought it must be deer. He glassed the area and sure enough a large deer had crossed not too long before .He began to stalk closer one step at a time so as not to make a sound. Just then he saw at the edge of the meadow a deer lying down. A moment later the deer turned his head and the sun glistened off the antlers. Could this be that big 9 point he had seen while bow hunting? The buck was scanning every angle. HE had placed himself in a perfect vantage point to see all around him. I had heard that deer would lie in the open where they could see all around them but had never seen it done.
         Frank knew the wind was in his favor and if he could be ever so quiet he could get close enough to get a good shot. He stalked up hill, taking deep breaths so he wouldn't be oxygen starved if he were able to get a shot off. He lifted one foot and placed it down without a sound. Keeping low and below the deer. There was only one place the buck wouldn't be able to see him and he took advantage it. Closer and ever so slow he crept towards the deer. Finally it was now or never. The buck was still fully alert and looking all around. He was about 30 yards away. This would have to be a headshot. That is all he could see without being discovered. As the deer's ears twitched back and forth listening for a sound Frank drew his sight right below the ear. Squeezed the trigger and POW. The buck didn't move .He had bagged the big 9 point buck that he had seen during bow hunting. He field dressed out at 180 pounds.

          Like they say," Sometimes the magic works. Sometimes it doesn't. "Well for Frank, today the magic worked. Yes he finally got his deer of a lifetime.
Till next time........
Keep On Trekking,
Granny Lin