Woodsy, I came out of the tree stand!

[Jslotter]

Thats coming along great JPH.

[mule]

I hunt from trees, from blinds, while walking, and while sitting. I hunt upwind, downwind, crosswind, etc. I have learned that while it is good to have everything in your favor that you can possibly have that way, much of this is overrated. I say this as I have shot too many deer, while sweating, down-wind of myself. I've shot too many deer walking out when I really wasn't even in hunt-mode. Shot a nice, fat buck this year, a buck that many guys would have mounted. I got to my ground blind, only to find that the crazy wind had uprooted it and wrapped it around a hedgerow. At the same time, I was battling intestinal distress, to put it mildly. Almost aborted the mission, but the old grunt deep down inside said, "Charlie Mike", and I did. Picked up my hunting stool and walked about 100 yds away from my blown over blind. When I got there, my gut let out a mighty roar that would not be ignored. Skinned my hunting gear off and blasted the surrounding area with the steaming contents of my gut -- took my knife and cut my underwear off to clean up. So there goes scent-control! Moved about twenty yds, sat down behind a blown-over tree, and thirty minutes later shot a bruiser. We have to realize that, much like combat, much of what happens when hunting is well beyond our control. Yes, I knew where to sit. Yes, I knew to sit still. Yes, I know how to shoot. Beyond that, you could call the remainder 'luck'. In all of my years hunting, I believe that movement is the one thing more important than any other. Yes, I spray my legs with doe pee, and my boots with red fox pee. If I see a cow-pie, I step in it. I don't think these things hurt. But I've shot deer too many times after being forced to pee on stand, etc.