This was a long time ago. I was carrying a Bear bow that had been already painted over for camo. Deer were hard to come by back then and I didn't let many walk. I knew of the honey suckle patch in a grown up thicket next to an old red clay circle track that had been abandoned years before. I had seen a few deer tracks in the red clay coming out from the honey suckle before and knew that they loved it.
So I quietly got out of the truck about a hundred yards from the area and gathered my gear. I had put on my camo paint and pretty much just had my bow and my quiver with a small flashlight in my pocket. I was shooting aluminum arrows at the time and had a three blade head on. As I neared the patch, the mess looked pretty bad as the suckle covered everything in a thick carpet of green.
I could see where the deer had browsed on some of the suckle as I looked for a way inside. I stopped and studied the area in front of me as I stared for standing deer as well as bedded deer. A doe or yearling would be a welcome sight for the freezer and I was hunting meat.
Immediately I could see the trail wandering thru out the area and so I began very slowly working my way forward a step or two and then checking everything out again. It was an hour or so before dark and I just knew that they would be feeding soon. The mosquitoes were already at work and I totally hated them. I could see where mounds of dirt had been put years before when they had built the track and each one was covered up with suckle.
I felt the wind shift again as it softly blew around. This close to the mountain meant wind blowing one way or the other most of the time. There was maybe 30 minutes if light left when I heard the sound of something moving lightly and then stopping. My bow at ready, my eyes peeled as I slowly studied the area ahead of me.
The air was thick and heavy this early in the season in Arkansas and I was starting to sweat a little. I kept hearing what ever it was but could not course it for sure for nothing. I knew that it had to be getting close but the briars with the suckle were just so thick. I had my fingers wrapped around my string and arrow as I held the bow at ready. I just knew at any second a deer would materialize right in front of me.
But it was now sounding too close not to be able to see it and daylight was quickly fading. Suddenly I realized that the noise maker was right at my feet. I stared down at the civet cat, a cousin of the skunk as it worked its way right to my spread feet. Now a civet cat can stink up pretty bad, they have spots instead of stripes and are a little smaller. I just froze still as it started walking between my feet but then it suddenly stopped as it smelled my feet. I didn't bat an eye as I drew and pegged it's neck to the ground.
I waited for the stink but there was nothing. The cat didn't even move a muscle as I readied another arrow to hunt the remaining light. Man, this is the first time that I didn't get sprayed or something by one, so I was feeling pretty good. But nothing happened and so I looked down at the arrow and decided to step on it's head and pull the arrow out of the ground and it.
As I pulled, I saw the tail come to life and quiver hard for a second. I immediately came to life as I tried to get away before I got any on me. Alas, it was not meant to be as I got enough that the ride home was with the windows down and me knowing that I would be stripping down outside and taking several very soapy showers. Don't think that I could have done that except shooting trad. Left the clothes out on some bushes for a week.
Topic: The Honey Suckle Thicket (Read 796 times)
