Woodchucker reminds me.......a wee hunting tale!

[Teacher_of_the_Arcane]

Good luck on the last day Woodchucker!!

When I had just been out of college a couple of years, I'd come home from work, grabbed my bow, jumped into the car, and while heading out to my favorite deer hunting spot, run out of gas!!    :(  

I pulled my Bear Kodiak Mag (with eight arrow bow quiver) off the back seat and started the walk home, only to have a guy stop and give me a lift.  He'd heard about bowhunting but never met a bowhunter.  Turned out he only lived a couple hundred feet from where I lived, and so began a hunters friendship.

As it turns out, this fellow was the WVU intramural archery champ, so no stranger to the bow. With an uncle living in Colorado, no stranger to horseback into hunting camp. Shopping the local flea-markets a suitable bow was acquired....$15 if my mind serves me right.  A nice 45# recurve....a Martin perhaps.

We didn't have much hunting time that first season, as he was still a student at the University.  Our first outing was the last day of the season.  I put him on a stand overlooking a well used deer trail along a power line right of way, and circled back a mile or so and did a one man drive up the power line.  I kicked out one doe who cooperated supurbly, staying out in front of me 50-60 yards and matching my very slow pace while nibbling the grasses.  I could see my buddy in the tree (no stand, just wedged into the crotch about ten feet up), and as the doe disappeared over a slight rise, he came to full draw and released!  I'm doing high fives in the air saying, "venison stew tonight!".  I wait a few minutes until my buddy waves me over, and am a bit baffled....no deer.  He needs help to get down out of the tree, he was so excited!

He'd taken his first buck at about ten years old, under the tutaledge of his dad and uncle, but never taken a deer closer than about a hundred yards.  Nice custom built 30-06 on a Springfield action did the job nicely.  Getting a shot on the doe at six yards had unhinged him.  Not exactly buck fever, but in the excitement he had achieved a clean miss on a doe standing broadside!

His last remark...."Now I know why you guys hunt this way!!!"

That's been thirty five years ago, but I can still see him standing there with that big grin on his face!

Good Luck!!

[VTer]

Great story. Are you guys still friends?

[Teacher_of_the_Arcane]

My buddy Bill, graduated from WVU and received his commission into the US Air Force....Lt Gray.  We kept in touch for a number of years (he has five daughters), but after a while time and circumstance ended contact between us.  

As I've related the tale to my wife, she suggests that with the 'Net today, I shouldn't have too much trouble locating him.  I'll let you know.

[Stone Knife]

Now that is a cool story.

[bowhunterfrompast]

Great story, hope you find your friend.

[woodchucker]

GREAT Story My Friend!!!!! Thank You for sharing it with us!!!!!