Where the pines come close to the creek on the left at the top of the picture in the bottom picture is the "Creek stand" hunted buy Chef Greg. If you go about 250 yards to the right, up the bank is the famed "Tressel stand" (named after it's view of the old railroad tressel spanning the creek). I've hung a lot of deer sitting in that stand, even a double header with my brand new Super Shrew Samurai back in 1999 (2 does in 15 minutes that fell at the top of the bank above the creek only 30 yards apart). But my favorite stories from that stand come from other members of the 'gang'. Kevin Marshall shot his first bow killed deer from that stand years ago after I recommended he give it a try. It was a spike buck and he was worried on the tracking job. Tim Cosgrove was in on the track as well and when we got to the deer there was a joy and relief on Kevin's face that only fellow bow hunters can understand. Of course before we set out on the track I asked Kevin and Tim if they had everything needed to get the deer out of the woods. Low and behold they only had a dull pocket knife with them. Toughest gutting lesson I've ever given!
Of course the best part of the story was hearing Kevin tell the story over and over again back at the cabin that night. I think after the 15th telling the rest of us looked at each other and laughed. Of course Rogers story from the same stand was pretty descript and it's a scene I've heard/seen many times over the years and that's having deer come down off the steep hill known as 'Banana Ridge'. Many times there is not a whisp of wind and deer coming off the ridge sound like a herd of cattle coming. Roger said he couldn't beleive it the first time he sat the Tressel stand. I remember watching a pair of spike bucks sparring about 20 yards away in the aspens. They went at it for about 20 minutes thinking they were quite the studs.
I also can remember the first year I was up at camp with Tim, Ron, Greg and myself. Greg and I went up on banana ridge for a scouting mission and all we did was bump deer and see droppings and acorns everywhere. I finally just picked out the best looking oak to put a stand in and that night I had no less than 30 deer parade through (but none in range) as they meandered through the oaks. After watching this for a couple of days, I moved my stand up the hill and the next morning shot a beautiful doe that toppled over in 30 yards. The interesting thing was within 15 minutes of sitting there basking in the moment, ravens were circling overhead (they spot that white belly showing from a long way off). The local conservation officer that Ron pictured told us long ago, "if you can't find a deer shot from the night before, look/listen for the ravens the next morning".