THE BUCK STOPS HERE
Opening day of firearms season was only a few days away when I put up this stand. It should have been done sooner, but going in alone and scent-free as if I was hunting, at midday and quiet as I could be, I thought I’d done a pretty non-invasive job.
The stand needed to be up. On my last scouting camera card swap I’d gotten pictures of all three of my hit-list bucks there in the past week. Their times varied, but I was sure I’d tag out opening day – if I got in early and prepared to hang tight for as long as it took.
As I was walking in the next morning a full hour before first light, I began having an argument with myself. Honestly, the arguments with myself are no different than any I may have with my spouse, sibling or friend. The only difference is that they never turn ugly. When the right and left sides of my brain start screaming at each other, then I’ll start getting worried.
What I was arguing with myself over was if I should instead hunt the downwind side of a bedding area. In 100 yards I could either cut left and head there or keep going to where I’d intended. It was a pretty good argument, with solid points on both sides.
Finally, turning left and hunting the downwind side of the bedding area won out. I really couldn’t refute the logic of the left side of my brain. It argued that I knew darn well that the #2 buck on the hit list would feed in the crop field, cruise the small kill plot and then check the doe bedding area, venturing in one of several directions from there. He’d been doing just that on most days all rut long.
