20 feet up

[dadof3upatree]

Here I sit again 20 feet up.  Just me and God and all his creation.  Once again I have made it to my
stand a full hour before any hint of light will appear.  Too early and too dark for me to feel comfortable
in this tree and all alone with nothing but this stick and string to protect myself from whatever evil
awaits me in this darkness.  As I settle into my stand all goes quiet again for a brief time.  Minutes
later the woods come alive.   Just below my stand I hear something moving.  I can't identify
what it is but I'm quite sure it was sent here to kill me. My goodness did I have to much caffeine
this morning.  As dawn finally begins to creep in all the evil creatures seem to move on.  There he
is, I think.  Just across the open field, at about 100 yards, stands a fine buck with antlers going every
where.  I think.  Its still to dark.  Twenty minutes later with dawn offically here that monster buck
has transformed himself into a small cedar tree with a dead elm behind it.
   Nature calls.  I grit my teeth and don't answer.  Way to much coffee!  The squirrels begin
to do what squirrels do down below me.  One squirrel has taken exception to me being in what has
turned out to be his tree.  He later decides I can have his tree when an owl lands a few trees
behind this one.  They welcome him to the area with a serenade of barking before making a hasty
retreat.
    Movement across the field catches my eye.  Its the button buck I have passed on twice already in this young bow season. He's coming my way.  If given the chance I will pass again...Wait,
he's got a friend this morning.  The wide six pointer I saw over the summer.  Now he's big enough to ride in the back of my truck.  As they close the distance to 20 yards without knowing it I've already stood, adjusted my feet, and grabbed my bow.  As the pair disappear behind the cedars, I come to full draw.  First through the lane is my buddy, the button, followed by the six.  With a grunt I stop him and watch my carbon arrow disappear behind his shoulder as he mule kicks and runs back across the field he just crossed.  As I lose sight of him I look down at the shot area and realize the button is just hanging out still feeding within 30 yards.  I silently say "you had better get smarter fast" to my buddy
and retreive my bino's out of my pack.  There he is piled up 10 yards into the woods,across the field.
I look up and thank God.  I thank him for my buck, my buddy buck, the squirrels, the owl, and for not letting whatever that was in the darkness kill me.  I thank him for this wonderful  morning 20 feet up.
Nature calls.  I answer!

[buckhunter21]

Well said!  I think this is how a lot of us feel when we're sitting out in the pre-dawn light...One of my favorite things about hunting!

[DeerCamp]

very nice!

[John1961]

Great job. I wish I could print this.

[dadof3upatree]

Thank you to you all?

[JOEL]

you have a talent for sure

[dadof3upatree]

Thanks alot Joel.