On this particular fall day the three of us were in Dennis' old white ford van and we parked as far back as we could drive it on a side road without a number or name off of Rd. 500. We each had our favorite areas that we went to from this jumping off point. I was using my brand new Baker climbing stand for the first time in the woods. For those who aren't old enough or for some other reason aren't familiar with the Baker it was an abomination. It consisted of a sheet of plywood about 18" wide by maybe 30" long with a aluminum "V" bar at the back to hopefully grab and hold the tree. It didn't do that real well except on soft barked trees such as pines. There was no top to it-just the bottom. To climb you wrapped your arms around the tree and pulled the stand up with your legs which required you to spread them wide enough to get them around the tree. Not an easy task for a short leg rascal such as myself.

I went down into the hollow I had scouted and picked me out a hardwood (read slick barked) tree to climb as there were no pines available. I started my ascent-several times actually as I kept slipping back down. I finally made it up to about 10'-12' by some miracle and put my full weight on the stand to set it into place of the tree. Me and the stand dropped at least 3' before I could stop the descent. I hugged the tree with all my strength and got it stopped and locked into position but I had lost a lot of side from my chest in the process. Fun City!

So I sit and wait for a buck-does not legal-to come along. Numerous does and fawns make there way by me but I wait for a buck. The cold morning turns into a nice warm mid-day and still I wait. About noon time I hear a deer coming down the ridge from my right front-closer and closer it comes with me thinking it is just another doe. But wait-I see the sun glare off of something on its head! Yes it is a buck only a small spike but still a buck-my first BUCK? It comes closer and closer until it stops about 10 yards away and to my right still. Why did I let it get so close? Who knows-buck fever will do until a better excuse comes along. I am now in a predicament. It is standing to my right and I am right handed and still haven't brought the gun to my shoulder. It suddenly sees me and runs straight in front of my stand no more than 10 yards away. I raise my shotgun-the same Remington 1100 skeet gun I had used to shoot my first 100 straight earlier that same year. I fire as it is straight in front of my stand and it runs on without showing any sign of being hit. I fire again as it runs away at a distance of maybe 30 yards and yet again as it is about 75 yards away and running straight away from me. At the third shot the buck crumples and lands with his head facing back toward me.

My first deer-a buck-is on the ground only 75 yards away. Am I excited? Well I almost stepped off that platform onto the ground in my excitement but caught myself just in time. I climbed down as fast as I could and rushed to claim my prize. Another hunter had heard the shot and walked up while I was getting ready to field dress it. He said he heard the shot and thought it might be his hunting buddy. He congratulated me and went back to hunting. I finished the field dressing chores and dragged the buck back to the van to await the return of Lewis and Dennis. I hid the deer so they couldn't see it when they walked up. I asked them where were their deer and they said they hadn't seen any. They then asked where MINE was. So  I showed it to them. You can bet I was one proud hunter that day and it is still just as clear to me today as if it was only yesterday.

GB