It was picture time then. About 40 yards from my stand is a good rub. Actually the stand sits just off a rub line.
Head back 30 miles to my in-laws house for some lunch and a quick nap. The nap never happened because we had a visitor. I took Hope out to the bale to shoot a bit. While shooting my brother-in-law comes out to see and at the same time we notice a black object moving out of the corn about 1/2 mile from us where one of the farmers is combining the last of the corn. "That isn't a dog.." I said. "No, it's a bear.." says my brother-in-law, and he was headed our way. Ran to get the binocs. We proceeded in a cut-off course with the bears direction. Got to within ~150 yards, but he was moving too fast. Quick uneducated quess of the bear puts him around 300-400 pounds.(could not see daylight under his belly and his head was huge) That certainly was a special treat, but no pictures.
We headed back out for the afternoon hunt. We had taken the game camera with us in the morning, and we had "photographic evidence" that all the deer in the woods had not disappeared. In fact they had been 18 yards from my stand as little as a few hours before I had arrived in the morning. Armed with that knowledge, I hunted the same stand hoping to catch a deer out a bit early. My brother-in-law chose to sit a different location. I was sitting at 2:30p.m. 2 hours till quitting time. The squirrels came back for round two. I was holding out to see if one of the grey squirrels would come for a visit, but the little red buggers is what I got. So I nocked a hex-blunt and let fly at Red Bellied Pete at about 18 yards. Missed about 12 inches above his head. He didn't even make a noise, just took off running. A few minutes later Bushy Tailed Bob came into about the same spot. I took aim and let fly. This time I missed by 3 inches to the left, and Bob put up one heck of a fit. I am convinced that the third time would have been a charm, but unfortunately I was out of blunts. Sending broadheads after squirrels just doesn't seem right to me.
The weather had warmed up quite a bit and it was a very pleasant evening to sit. I had that feeling that everything was going to sit tight and move under the brightness of the moon. So I sat back and watched the birds and listened to Pete and Bob chatter on about some issue that only squirrels know about. Even the porcupine that has a tree not 25 yards from my stand was no where to be found. It was a night of quiet reflection. Looking around, I could see evidence of a previous encounter of the antlered kind. left behind by one of our friends when confronted with the biggest deer he has ever seen.
I could see "Blowdown City.
where I had 2 doe fawns bed down 35 yards from me for 4 hours a few weeks back. Finally I could see the sun setting lower and lower until that magic time once again arrived.
I had woke the world up and put it to sleep today. I saw a bear get his lunch reservations canceled. Sent arrows after squirrels. Thought about my Dad's successful cancer surgery this year, the birth of my second daughter, the new brother that I have found in my brother-in-law, and of the children that this bow will help. Yes, it was an emotional last few moments of the day. It was a great day to be in the woods.
I am planning on getting Hope out one more time before I send her off to her next adventure. Certaintly want to get some shot opportunities for the bow.