UNWELCOME VISITOR IN THE STAND?

Or how do you hunt with a neighbor’s stand 20 feet away from your favorite stand? Very carefully….

Wind being gusty but just right on Veterans’ Day I have the opportunity to hit my stand at 2:50 pm. I get into the stand and make sure my Hunter Safety System is properly attached. Settle down and get comfortable. The deer do not start moving for an hour and a half or so from now so I pull out my smart phone and send a few messages telling folks where I am at, make sure the phone is set on vibrate and place it back in my pocket. Go through my usual scent eliminate routine and sit back.

There are the squirrels that live in the next tree gathering acorns for the winter, the crows scolding the squirrels, the groundhog munching on the last of the fresh grass of the fall in the neighboring field. Since all the regulars are here and back to their normal activities within 15 minutes of my entrance I know the deer will not find my hiding place.

Pulling out the novel I am currently reading and finding the pocket were I placed my reading cheaters I sit back in nature’s library to wait out the deer.

Twenty minutes go by and I have received answers to my message wishing me luck in the stand when I hear footsteps in the leaves. NOT four footed steps, but human. The owner of the close stand has arrived to climb into his stand. I watch him settle in and I am glad to see he is the proud owner of a Hunter’s Safety System and has it properly attached to his tree, I closely watch his stand routine and realize it is close to mine. The only thing I notice that is different is that he is not as observant as I am. He has no idea that the stand to his back is occupied. Then I realize I know who this is but I do not have a cell phone number for him but I watch him text friends, just like I did.

Out comes my cell and I start sending text message to folks who I know who may have his cell number. It takes about 20 minutes but I get an answer with a number. I have a pen in my pocket along with a TH papers for photos should I connect with a deer. I make note of the number and thank the sender.

Now, I sit back and wait. Almost right on time the deer appear in the far off field 200 yards away. They will feed and the youngsters will play there for about a half an hour and then they will disappear into the woods again. This is where the deer seem to disburse each evening and roam to other various areas to feed. Some nights right into the area in front of my stand, other nights about 150 yards to my south, in my field on the “far” side of my pond.

The leaves are shuffling now on the other side of me away from my hunting friend. I watch him turn and pull out his binoculars to look into the thicket past me. STILL he knows nothing about my presence. I get that gut feeling if the deer step out on the other side of me he may try to shoot one on my property, even though he has not reached for his muzzleloader. WRONG ANSWER.

Do I just say something or do I send him a text? TEXT. My Message read as follows:

“Please do not shoot me. I am approaching you from someone else’s property. I am a button buck and I need the opportunity to Grow into that trophy which you seek in four years.” Hit send.

He feels his pocket vibrate, puts his binoculars down and reads his message. Through my binoculars (even though I am almost close enough to smell his cover scent) I watch him read his message and look very very confused. He types an answer…”Who is This”. I reply “Bambi”. The guy just shakes his head and puts his cell back in his pocket.

Two button bucks are now about 20 yards to my right and I am between my “fellow hunter” and them. Now he is getting fidgety and he is thinking he might take one of these youngsters because he has reached for his gun.

That ends my fun. I send another text to him, hoping he will look at it and not proceed to his muzzleloader. He does reach for his cell phone to read: “OKAY neighbor, do not shoot a deer on my property from a tree stand on another, since you do not have permission to hunt my property and by the way, I know you do not have permission to hunt the property you are on either, I DO.”

His jumping up and his look of pure surprise cannot be described. The guy is beside himself looking in all directions with his binoculars, as soon as he puts his eyes on me I wave, by now our hunting for the evening has been busted and the deer have decided to vacate the area……

I just say Hi, since as I said, I know who it is. He replies: “Hello Luanne. I did not know you had permission to hunt the property I am on, the owner always let's me hunt over the field on the other side of the property in the past.” My reply: “No, I am sorry, when he logged the property and opened it to my house and barn he gave me exclusive written permission to hunt it. You really need to check with the owners of the properties you hunt every year to see if anything has changed from year to year.”

We laugh, unhook our Hunter Safety Systems, get out of our stands, and walk to the fence separating the properties and shake hands….

NOW, I do not recommend this tactic to everyone. I have known this other hunter for years, knowing he is as an ethical safe hunter as I work at being. I am giving him the benefit of the doubt that he would not have shot one of those button bucks before they wandered his way and jumped the fence which is exactly what they do almost every time they are in that area of my field.

Happy and Safe Hunting ALL..