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As the deer started walking again, I took careful aim and squeezed the trigger. "Boom." the pistol bucked in my hand and the deer fell to the ground. Then this voice said, "Nice shot."

I jumped and said, "What! Who! Where!"

John rose up out of the big boulders above me laughing. He had his camera in his hands. He said, "Got you."

All this happened years ago when I was hunting on the old Moss Ranch south of llano, Texas. There were eight of us that had the "east graze" pasture leased. It consisted of two thousand acres of prime deer habitat in the heart of the hill country. We had been hunting on it for several years, and all of us knew the pasture pretty well.

As always when a bunch of guys hunt together for a long time, there is friendly competition. This season we had all seen a nice eight point buck on a certain part of the lease, but no one had gotten a shot at him. We all knew he stayed in the cat knob area, but that covered about 200 acres. Each one of us wanted that big buck. If for no other reason, to show the other seven hunters that we were better at hunting game then they were.

I kept telling them I would be the one that got him. Of course each of them was saying the same thing, but I had been doing a lot of scouting in the cat knob area and I had a secret weapon. I had seen this buck three times in the late afternoon on a certain game trail. So I laid my plans carefully. The only person I told where I would be hunting that afternoon was John. I knew he wouldn't say anything to the rest of the gang.

After lunch I laid down to take a nap, intending to be up and sitting in a bunch of large boulders beside this game trail about two hours before sundown. When I woke up, I noticed the cabin was quiet. I looked at my watch and it was only an hour before sun down. Oh my gosh, I've over slept! Everyone else has already gone out, that's why it's so quiet.

I jumped up and put my boots on and ran out to the Jeep. My pistol and gear were still in the Jeep from the morning hunt. I jumped in the Jeep and tore out for my spot in the boulders. I drove to within 300 yards of where I was going to set up and grabbed my pistol and a five gallon bucket of corn. I walked to within 50 yards of where I'd hide in the rocks and spread the corn around on the ground and then along the game trail. Then I took my secret weapon out of my pocket and poured it on the ground and on a small bush along side of the trail.

Now I haven't told anyone about this secret weapon, not even John. I put this little bottle back in my pocket and went to my hiding place in the boulders. I settled down in my fox hole hoping that I wasn't so late that I had spooked that big buck. As I sat there, my breathing settled down and I relaxed. It didn't take long for the birds to start singing again. The world was quiet and peaceful. A squirrel came to the corn and started eating. Then two doves landed and started pecking at the corn. I could hear the buzz of insects. Everything was so quiet and peaceful I didn't care if I saw that buck this evening or not. I was enjoying nature at its best.

Then I heard it. Something walking in the gravel on the game trail. It was on my right coming up the trail where it wound through the very boulders where I sat. The trail came out of the boulders into this clearing not 20 yards from where I sat. The footsteps would walk a few steps then stop, then walk a few more steps and stop again. I knew what slight breeze there was was blowing the scent of my secret weapon toward the foot steps. All I had to do was be patient nd wait. I waited and listened. After an eternity I heard more footsteps.

I thought of that little bottle in my pocket. The label on the bottle said, "Tinks doe in heat urine." I wondered if it really made bucks come to it when they smelled it. Well, I was about to find out. By this time the sound of the steps told me the deer was right at the edge of the clearing. But it had stopped still in the boulders. I still could not see it. It stood there at the edge of the boulders just far enough back so I couldn't see it.

Then a fly lit on my nose. I didn't dare move to shoo it away. It started crawling up to my glasses. I was trying to blow it off by blowing my breath out of the corner of my mouth, but that didn't work. This fly was driving me crazy. Finally it flew off. The deer hadn't moved for some time. But I hadn't heard him leave either. So I waited.

It was so quiet I could hear my wrist watch ticking.

Tic tic

By this time I had my pistol up and was ready to shoot. I sat there and waited and waited and waited.

Tic tic

My heart was pounding so hard I was afraid the deer would hear it. My throat was dry and my breath began to come in short quick puffs. Sweat popped out on my forehead and my hands began to shake.

Tic tic

Sweat ran down into my eyes and made my eyes burn. I thought I was going blind!

Tic tic

Will that deer not ever step out into the open? This is enough to give a fellow a heart attack! I've only been hunting 30 years, I don't get buck fever.

Finally he stepped out from behind the rocks and there he was. The big eight point buck that everyone had been hunting all week long. As he started walking I took careful aim and squeezed the trigger. The pistol bucked in my hand and the deer fell dead. Then this voice said, "Nice shot." I jumped and looked around. John rose up out of the boulders above me. He had his camera in his hands. He laughed and said, "Now I know how you kill all those big bucks, and I've got it all on film. Would you like to buy some film or should I have it developed and sell pictures to the rest of the guys?"

My answer to John is a whole nother story for a different time. An X rated story!

Reach Loren by email to comment: caddo@digitex.net

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