Never forget your bow, binos, and camera when going into the woods

[Chris Surtees]

Well at lunch today decided to check a few cams on the way home to let my dog run.

As soon as I set into the woods and head down the hill I catch movement in a thick blow down. It is windy here so I have to study it for while...this is where my binos would have come in handy.

Turns out it is a really nice buck...well I decide to see how close I can get. At 10 yards I have hole that will give he his vitals if he stands. With no bow to take the shot or camera to get a picture I turn head off towards my stand.

About 50 yards from where the buck is bedded I run into a doe bedded next to a downed log. Easy shot but again no bow or camera.

All of a sudden she is on her feet but not looking at me...then she bolts off in the opposite direction from where she was looking.

I figure it is maybe a yote or other critter she did not want anything to do with so I head off to my stand again.

25 yards later I hear a grunt...here comes a sounder of hogs along the swamp. I decide to sit tight and see what happens. Well with no bow or camera the sounder closes the distance and passes by with the average hog being around 15 yards away.

I let them pass and make it to my cam...pull the card and head back out wondering what I will run into next.

Needless to say I learned a very important lesson about always taking my bow, camera, and binos with me even on short trips to pull cards.

It turned out to be a pretty exciting 30 minutes and hopefully some of us will cross paths next time I sit the stand.

[Gatekeeper]

Go figure...right?  

[cacciatore]

Good lesson that ALWAYS happens when you are without them.

[rastaman]

Had to chuckle when i read this.  It never fails!

[Mike Vines]

If your anything like me, you see it when the bow is put away.  When it's in your hand, I would compare it to looking for Caribou in Arizona.

[Wile E. Coyote]

Damn Chris, and you know how it works you will probally never see a deer or hog within a mile from there while on stand from now on. LOL

[joe ashton]

ain't that the way life works.. sometimes...

[Crash]

It always seems so easy when you don't have a bow in hand.  Thanks for the chuckle.

[reinmb]

i thought that kinda stuff only happened to me

[Chris Surtees]

Glad I could bring a smile to y`alls face...good thing is the cam shows the hogs in the area every evening, and the buck passed through the area every other day...too many does to count but enough for me to plan on heading in there Thursday afternoon.

[elkken]

Sounds like a great day regardless of no bow, no binos, no camera .... thanks for sharing a good story    

[S.C. Hunter]

I know I know it has happened to me as well. I did have the bow with me but, it was turkey season and I am at the base of a old cypress tree in the edge of the swamp. I hear what sounds like turkeys scratching around behind my tree. I ready my bow, and wait for the turkeys to appear, and wait a little more and then I hear quick steps and bam right in front of me 3 deer 15 ft. It happened so fast and the deer were around my little area for probably 1-2 min and the big doe spots something it was me but she's not sure can't really make me out I guess. She stomps snorts and blows takes off full bore the other two deer bolt and run full circle about 20-30 yds and come back to exact same spot. It was so cool and then they just sort of strolled on out of my view.

[FerretWYO]

Great story. How could you leave your binos really ha ha.

[broketooth]

sounds like scouting to me. lets see, you have a blind site near a blow down to set up where you saw the buck. you have another blind site to set where you saw the hogs, and you know where a doe likes to bed down at. sounds like a setup for a successful future, ruddy

[vtmtnman]

I'd put money on it if you had your bow you wouldn't have seen anything.At least that's how it would've went for me.

[Chris Surtees]

I hear ya...it was an awesome day and would not trade it for nothing. I am lucky to be able to check quite a few of my stands on the way home from work.

But next time I will be carrying my gear with me just in case I have another day like this.

[Bud B.]

Good advice.

Went to Sunset Beach in NC a few years ago. Had my camera with me everywhere. The morning we left I walked to the beach to see the surf one last time at sunrise. No camera. Thought about it, but figured "No, I've got enough pictures." Peaked over the sand dunes to see a nice buck 20 yards away walking water's edge with lone tracks he created behind him. He was a nice 8 point still in velvet. It was high tide. He paused, looked behind him at me for more than long enough to have gotten a series of shots. It wasn't hunting season, but the camera would have preserved the memory for me and I'd have some nice photos to show around.

I regret it to this day.

Yep, good advice indeed. Sounds like activity for your area is good. You'll have another chance.

[adkmountainken]

Mr. Murphy at his best ehhh!!!

[Dave Bowers]

Yes sir..I learned my lesson a long time ago about not bringing your gear.  

[maineac]

sounds like a great trip into the woods regardless.  You must have had your game magnet in your pocket.