Farking Trip Report

[FooBang]

I went upstate to hunt on a friend's property today in Sullivan County, NY. I spent 3 hours freezing my tail off and 5 minutes before the close of hunting, a decent-sized black bear strolled up to my fawn decoy.

It came within 10 yds. of me, when I took the chance and stood up to shoot. The bear heard me and stopped and hid behind a friggin' tree, turned around and scampered out. I was pissed!

If I had waited another 5 seconds, it would have been preoccupied trying to devour my plastic decoy and I would have been no more than 7 yds. away in my tree stand with a clear shot.

Grr. I'm a dummy.

--Foo

[Captain]

Man that sucks. I've done like and similar things and you seem to beat yourself up for a long time after. You'll get em next time

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[Thumper]

You'll get me next time

Huh???????????? Have you been prowling the N.Y. woods in that danged bear outfit again?

[Thumper]

I did the persact same thing with a HUGE buck one year Foo. I know it sounds like a "the one that got away" story you'd find in the fishing forum (if we had one), but to this day, I "know" he was the biggest buck I've seen in my life while deer hunting.

I saw this monster walk in and my heart was about to pound out of my chest. He came in from my right (I'm right handed) so I squirmed around a bit to my right so I could have a good angle to take a shot. He must have heard me as he stopped dead in his tracks ... BEHIND a large oak tree. He stood there what seemed like FOREVER! I had my gun held up just waiting for him to take a couple steps forward so I could nail him, but he just stood there behind that tree ... and stood there ... AND STOOD THERE ... for what seemed like an eternity! Finally my arms gave out and I had to lower my gun. Shortly after that, he turned 90 degrees away from me and walked off keeping the tree between us the whole time. His rack was so wide all I could see as he walked away was the tree ... the left side of his rack to the left ... and the right side of his rack to the right of the tree. That's all I saw and never got another glimpse of his body while he slipped back into the woods, never to be seen again (by me anyway).

I'm telling you, I seriously considered trying to shoot off one side of his rack just so everyone would believe my story ... that's how big he was. I've been kicking myself in the butt for close to 20 years now and the mental image will never go away. If I'd just waited a few more seconds, he'd have walked far enough for me to get a clear shot without moving.

[Captain]

Me???????????? Have you been prowling the N.Y. woods in that danged bear outfit again?

That was suppose to be "get em" damn smart ass phone.

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[FooBang]

Honestly, though, it was really cool to see the bear so close. Dragging it back to my car by myself would have been a bitch, too.. So there's that to comfort me I guess.

I'm gonna go back and call it in with a fawn bleat Friday or Saturday. Now that my job at the exchange is winding down (I'll be out at the end of the merger), I have lots of time to hunt.

--Foo

[Chicken Dinner]

I had a similar story once on the last day of ML. I was newly married and my Mrs. was worried about me being out hunting. (Now, she just asks if the insurance is paid up...) I was sitting in the ground in about 3" of snow and my butt was getting wet. About an hour after sunlight I noticed the perfect stump (it was a double trunked tree where one trunk had been cut off at seat leve making a perfect chair) about 25 yards away and decided to move over to it. Since I had already moved, I decided to call her and let her know I was alive. Basically, score some brownie points as I'd already disturbed the woods by moving. Right after she picks up, there'e s huge buck (at least by VA public land standards) snorting at me and running away. Argh! At any rate, I went back to that stump the next day for the Rifle Opener and when that buck came by at exactly the same time I popped a cap in his a$$. Redemption is sweet.

[FooBang]

I had a similar story once on the last day of ML. I was newly married and my Mrs. was worried about me being out hunting. (Now, she just asks if the insurance is paid up...) I was sitting in the ground in about 3" of snow and my butt was getting wet. About an hour after sunlight I noticed the perfect stump (it was a double trunked tree where one trunk had been cut off at seat leve making a perfect chair) about 25 yards away and decided to move over to it. Since I had already moved, I decided to call her and let her know I was alive. Basically, score some brownie points as I'd already disturbed the woods by moving. Right after she picks up, there'e s huge buck (at least by VA public land standards) snorting at me and running away. Argh! At any rate, I went back to that stump the next day for the Rifle Opener and when that buck came by at exactly the same time I popped a cap in his a$$. Redemption is sweet.

At least your tail had a happy ending... i'm going back out tomorrow to get mine!

--Foo