I have witnessed many things in my 50 years of hunting; some will either leave you shaking your head or laughing. It’s funny how some hunters will never hunt on Friday 13th, and once I heard a club member stop and turn around and drive 25 miles out of the way to the camp because a Black Cat crossed the road in front of him. We have one member that will drive to within yards of his stand and sit in his truck and wait on daylight before proceeding to his stand and leave his stand well before dark because he is scared of a possible Panther or Black Bear reported to be in the area, but he will wait in his truck before heading back to camp. On our lease are two cemeteries; one is an old turn of the century convict graveyard where they buried hundreds of convicts killed in the Coal Mine on our lease, and the other one is an abandoned graveyard with about 40-50 marked and unmarked graves (That’s where I have my favorite bow hunting ladder stand). Most members will not hunt within a ¼ mile of these cemeteries for fear of ghosts. I just talk to the graves as I walk to my stand, asking for safe passage and good luck, and sometimes I will look down at a grave and say, “Billie when are the deer going to move through this area?”.

As for rituals they are too many to cover; one is a club member who will not wash his favorite coveralls until after hunting season is over (must work so far he has tagged out on bucks (3) and has piled up 4 does). I carry two apples, one in each coat pocket. Another member has a quarter and 2 pebbles in his left pants pocket. I will put on my hunting clothes with everything starting with the left: left foot socks, boots, pants leg, gloves, and I am right handed. A co-worker will chew gum while bow hunting to settle down buck fever and calm her down. TalkHunting members Bubba Brown and Chipper will lie back in there camp house recliners and watch old John Wayne movies the night before a hunt. You will find a penny in many of the hunting stands faced heads up, and you will take the penny, rub it and make a wish of taking a deer. The weirdest ritual I ever heard of is in a club I once belonged to, a member witnessed a doe and 8 point buck doing the natural thing during the rut; he waited until they finished, and he dropped the buck, climbed out of his stand and lit a cigarette and smoked it because the buck couldn’t he said.

Snacks and rituals go hand in hand, and many are tested and guarantee you that will see a deer will at least give you hope. The number one snack at our club is a can of smoked Vienna sausage; get your gun ready after popping the lid of that gourmet goodie. Another member swears by eating a bag of Bugle chips, yet another member's wife makes him the old fashion tea cakes which he sometimes will share with you, and he has taken many a deer with a tea cake in his mouth. The club member of the day is the one who brings fresh deer jerky to share. Other favorite snacks are peanut butter sandwiches, Nutty Buddy bars, shelled pecans, and Moon Pies, but my favorite snack is Cajun Fried Peanuts (Noise from cracking the shells sounds like Deer eating acorns). Members that have a key to my shooting house know they are welcome to stop by and grab a snack because I always have it stocked.

By Dennis Parker

Dennis was introduced to Hunting, Fishing & Trapping at around the age of 6 by his father, not as a hobby but by need of survival because his Dad was often laid off as Steel worker. Dennis would help bait the traps and run them with his Dad. He learned to shoot with a 22 single shot rifle then moved up to a 16 gage Double Barrel Shotgun.

Dennis has been married for the last 35 Years and has one Daughter, age 30, and two wonderful grand children that he is bringing up to enjoy Hunting, Fishing and the outdoors. He says he often times has Deer in his yard and his 2 year old grandson will watch for the Deer outside the window with his toy gun aiming and shouting Boom at the Deer.

Dennis attended Jefferson State, University of Alabama, University Alabama Birmingham and Walker State (Now Bevill State) where he have a degree in Coal mine design/Technology.

He has worked in the IT Industries for the past 38 years 28 of those years are with his current employer ALTEC Industries, Inc (Maker of Utility Equipment like Bucket Trucks etc.) where he is a Network Analyst II/Senior IT Buyer.

When not working you will catch him at his Hunting Club, Shoal Creek Hunting Club, just outside of Montevallo Alabama in Shelby County, moving and Placing Hunting Blinds, Ladder stands and putting in Food Plots. You will also catch him hunting in Clio Alabama (South Alabama) where he will be throwing lead at hog’s or catching catfish.

Dennis is also a volunteer for Honor Flight Birmingham where they fly WWII Veterans to Washington DC to visit the WW II Memorial

Comments(4):

1. Hunting superstitions

   Great story possum, I don't have a superstition to do but some of my friends do, I do now bring "MMC" with me as a guide! Keep up the good work

   Sunday, March 06, 2011 David

2. hunting rituals

   monster cookies made before every opening day for me dennis. you could write a whole book on this stuff.

   Sunday, March 06, 2011 brad

3. superstitions

   Thanks Possum! I like to think that I am not superstitious, but when it comes to hunting or fishing, I have certain things that I will do "Just in case" LOL. These things can range any where from having white powdered donuts for breakfast to rotating the shells in the magazine of the rifle! Good read, thanks.

   Monday, March 07, 2011 Anthony

4. Interesting read...

   I never really ran into many superstitions, so these were an eye opener somewhat. lol Though I did have an old farmer tell me not to wash the blood off my pants after field dressing a deer once.

   Wednesday, March 09, 2011 Duane