When I was a kid and first hunting alone before daylight I went to the spot my dad told me to go and settled in. I was on the edge of a pretty steep ravine growing up with young oaks and the rotting remains of a select cut.
Anyway, as it started to get just light enough to see any shapes I started to become aware of something big and animal-like standing about 30 yards away….staring at me.
It was opening morning so in my mind it was potentially the Jordan buck standing there getting ready to bolt. But it was getting more light by the second, and I could hear running deer all over the place down in the valley. But I sat completely silent waiting for enough light to shoot. Time stood still.
After another 3.5 hours had passed (in my mind) my buck started to look a little funny. He also hadn’t taken a step or moved in over 10 actual minutes.
He started to look a little bit like a demonic dragon with his mouth open. Deep black eye sockets, giant teeth, ears laid back in a menacing posture…..dead silent…. staring at me like I’m a blaze orange T-bone who just slapped his grandma.
It was getting light fast now. It was also quickly becoming obvious that my initial assessment was 100% correct! I indeed did have something huge and terrifying staring at me at a range way too close for comfort. The eyes and teeth were the most concerning aspect to my 13 yo brain.
My focus on the location of my enemy was complete. Combat was inevitable. My palms were sweating, and my heart was racing more than ever but my grip was sure on my grandpa’s Model ‘94 30-30.
But just before engaging, I sustained a complete surprise attack from the rear. Honestly , I wasn’t ready for it all and I came unglued and froze up.
I was now being rushed from my blind side at 5 feet, and I still had a giant demonic serpent staring me down!!!
So what I did was scream exactly like you’d expect a 13 year old boy to scream…..and as soon as my attacker from the rear missed running me over…I baled out! I started backing down the ridge toward my dad a few steps at a time, keeping all the bad stuff if front of me.
Since it was good and light now and my adrenaline was getting down to a more manageable level, I realized that my attacker was a 6 pointer chasing a doe and my dragon was a broken limb behind an oak brush clump.
I didn’t get a buck that year, I had to throw my new long johns in the fire, and my dad let me drink my first beer that night. It was a PBR.
I’ve never gone back to the “dragon tree” stand. Not once in 40 years.
