THE LEGEND OF PEARLY WHITE

“I sure am glad I bought this new safety harness,” I thought to myself as I dangled 10 feet up a tree. It was opening morning of Ohio’s gun portion of deer season, and I should have known how the day would end by the way it began.

I made my way to the tree where I hung my tree-stand just two days before, hoping I could find my way through the pitch black of the predawn hours. I found the tree with no problems. I hopped up onto my climbing tree stand and began to shimmy up the tree. The next thing I knew, my feet slipped out of the bottom half of my stand as it tumbled back down the tree, coming to rest just a couple feet out of the reach of my desperately stretching toes.

I looked down and realized I was hanging ten feet off the ground, with half of a tree stand and not strapped into my tree. I couldn’t reach my stand and I was too high to jump. How would I get out of this mess? Arms burning, I pulled myself up onto the upper half of my stand and balanced myself in the web seat. I strapped into my new full body safety harness and lowered myself as far as the crotch squeezing straps would allow. My foot finally found its target. I finished my ascent, settled in and breathed a little easier – until about six hours later.

As the sun began its downward journey, Wayne and I decided to hunt the wood lines in hopes that the deer would be moving back out into the fields. He went one way and I went the other. A barrage of gunfire rang out. I quickly hunkered in the tall grass as a large herd of does and a couple small bucks crossed the power line clearing and back into the woods. As I started to get up, another deer caught my eye. A nice 8-point.

The woods were only about 500 yards wide before the next clearing. If I could get to the clearing first, I might get a shot. I made my way through the woods and nestled down beside a lone oak on the hillside. I watched, as just a couple minutes later, part of the herd came out and walked by. It would be a long shot, but makeable. I waited. After the does cleared, my buck came out. He took a different patch. I watched in my binoculars, but I had to let him go.

There was an hour and a half of daylight left, and I knew I was in a high-traffic area. A large rosebush rose above the grass and would get me within 50 yards of any other deer that came out of the woods, so I moved. I sat there watching the woods. As time passed I began to be really pleased with myself. It was the first time I’d really hunted. Usually I waited for deer to come to me. This time I took the hunt to the deer. Even if I saw nothing else, it was a great day.

As I sat there gloating, I was startled by rustling in the grass. I turned and looked. It was the biggest buck I’ve ever seen. His rack was at least 12 points. Very high…very wide…and very white – like two teeth growing out the top of his head. He was standing less than 50 yards away, pawing at the ground and bucking as if putting on a show for me. It stopped. As he turned and looked to his left, I raised my gun. I clicked on my red-dot and clicked off my safety. I tried to sit still, but I was shaking too badly. He turned again and looked right through me. He started walking straight at me. All I could see was a narrow chest, thick neck, small head, and giant pearly white antlers. I sat there trying to breath deep, but he was coming right at me. At twenty yards, I decided he was close enough. I squeezed the trigger. He jumped four feet in the air. I pumped another shot as he ran off to be hunted another day.

I looked for blood or hair like a small kid foolishly thinks he’ll really find the pirate’s treasure. I slung my shotgun over my shoulder and walked back to tell Wayne I’d missed the buck of my lifetime. He tried to reassure me, but the only reassurance I found was knowing that one wiser and more experienced than myself came out on top. He will be there another day, and so will I.