A story from this years deer hunting.

[Jeff]

      At 5 o'clock, the 2nd morning of deer season, my phone began playing Ozzy Osborn's "Crazy Train". I figured that I needed something like that to get me out of bed after spending the entire first day in the deer blind. It never made sense to me how just sitting and gazing into the brush all day can cause a guy to get so bushed.  I crawled out of bed and made my way to the coffee maker I had prepped the night before, flipped the switch, and stuffed an english muffin into the toaster. My head started to clear from sleep and I began to organize my plans for the day. This was going to be a light carry day to the woods. On opening day I had packed out a bunch of stuff (binoculars, pull rope, lighter, snacks, etc) to keep me in the blind for long periods and simply left those things out there. Today I only had to grab my loaded gun, a plastic grocery bag that had a can of coke and a banana in it, and a needed empty plastic R.V. antifreeze jug to keep me from leaving the blind at inopportune moments.  One of the guys that was hunting down the road from the cabin on Lou's place last year missed a chance at a great big buck because of the lack of such equipment.  Ever since then, I remind Neil of the "Eur-a-pean" buck he should of got a crack at. Or I should say showed a crack at.

     I gulped down a cup of coffee and wolfed down my muffin slathered with some of Pete's blueberry jelly, slid my boots on and grabbed the days supplies. I had seen a few does the evening before and was hopeful to see something worthy today, so I was anxious to get to the blind early. As I slid out the door, I noticed we had another 6 inches of snow over night. This had set up to be an unusually snowy deer season, but where I was hunting, it was welcome as it made spotting deer so much easier. So, with my gun in my left hand, and my "European" Jug and plastic bag in the other, I stepped off the porch, walked the short trail up to the east field, and made a turn down the trail at the outhouse. My destination was the blind we refer to as "Bob's blind" Bob is my brother-in-law's, Pete, dad, who mostly built the blind and hunted there up until he couldn't anymore. Bob is still going, lives in Petoskey Michigan and is 89 years old. He still asks about what is going on "Up across" meaning in the U.P at the cabin.

     It was black out this morning. Even though the snow is an amazing reflector of light, it was near the new moon on this date with a very thick cloud base. Usually I can get out to the blind without any light, but on this morning, I couldn't see my next step.
[imgright]https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/20141110_154027.jpg[/imgright]
     I flicked on the flash light and headed south of the outhouse and along the top edge of the east field. At that point there is just a thin veil of aspen between the trail and field edge. I walked along the trail, looking for some sort of deer sign, and seeing nothing approached the small wildlife pond on my right. The pond was just barely frozen. The weight of the snow had pushed the thin first ice down, allowing some of the water to come up and wick into the snow that covered it, leaving a big brownish ring around a white circle in the center. I made a note to take a picture of this later in the daylight as it was quite interesting. Just after the pond, the trail swings to the property edge. Just a few years ago, that neighbor's 80 to the east was clearcut. Already it had returned as a dense stand of young aspen with trees over 20 feet tall. Between that clearcut and the trail I walked, there is a thick line of spruce and fir that line the way. When I say thick, I mean thick. And dense. Tough to walk through even in the day, and just a wall in the dark when you shine a light at it at night.

     As I walked just a few dozen yards into this thick area,  I thought I heard steps in the snow on the other side of "the wall". I stopped and was almost certain I heard  another step after I paused. The first thing in my mind was that deer were already out moving on this perfectly still morning. I thought drat. I should have left for the blind earlier. I stood still for a few more moments and heard nothing more, so began to walk again. As soon as I started out, I heard it again. I stopped short, and again, heard another step after I stopped. I showed my flashlight at the wall of evergreen, trying to see through it, to see the deer, but the light stopped right there. Again I begin to walk, this time maybe a little bit quicker. Again I hear the steps, this time when I stopped it was a couple steps and they sounded like they were coming right in my direction. What ever this was, it was close and heavy bodied. Hares and squirrels don't make audible footsteps in 6" of fresh snow. This was the point where I began to have what I can only describe as my Jack London moment.

     I grew up reading everything I could get my hands on that was written by Jack London. White Fang, Call of the Wild, To build a Fire, everything. I watched every movie that was made from his stories. As a kid, I thought, someday, I want to live like a character in a Jack London story. Perhaps if my life would have traveled a different path, I might have actually done that, but those stories and the excitement they brought to me in my youth as I read them, I am sure is a major part of what created my love for the U.P. and hunting. A satisfying compromise.

     I was now no longer thinking this was a deer. What ever this was, it was shadowing me down the trail. This was a warm weather period leading into this early November snow and I had seen bear tracks just the week before, so I knew there were some that still had not entered into hibernation. I usually don't have any fear at all of being in the bear woods. They don't want anything to do with you for the most part. The odds of you even seeing a bear as you are walking in the woods here is pretty slim as they hear you and avoid you. In the spring a guy has to be a bit more on guard due to the presence of young cubs that can be walked up on. You don't want to do that. What else could this be? The two things I'd rather not encounter in the woods live here now. Wolves and cougars. Both of these possibilities entered my mind.

     I slid my finger down the receiver of my 35 Remington Marlin and clicked off the button safety and started to walk again. This time more briskly. The blind was only another 60 yards or so and I just wanted to get there. This time the following steps were intense. I stopped and heard several more. They seemed to be almost on top of me now. This was my Jack London moment. I can remember it clearly. I was surprised actually that I wasn't scared at all. I was alert, and I was ready. I sat the jug and the bag down into the snow and held my rifle in the ready position. My heart was pounding but I was ready to see and deal with whatever this was that clearly was coming my way. I had my light in my hand against the forearm of my gun using it to light where I had to point. I again noticed that I was breathing normally even though I could feel my heart beat and wondered how I was staying so calm, as this certainly might be a time a guy would be justified to freak out a little. I waited. Nothing. Not another step. I waited several more seconds, scanning the thick barrier of trees, listening and looking and seeing only the new snow everywhere.  Nothing. Okay. Here is the plan. Pick up my stuff, and get to that blind as quick as I can.  I reached down and grabbed the jug and plastic bag and turned towards the direction of the blind, and that is when I heard it. Instantly I knew what I had been facing.

     As it turns out, an empty plastic pee jug can double as an amplified speaker. A plastic bag containing a can of coke can act exactly like the bow against the strings on a violin as it swings against a plastic pee jug. A wall of thick, snow laden trees, can take sound that is thrown at it, and throw it right back at you. A slow walk, and a slow stop, results in one swing of the bag, creating one bonus step. A faster gate, and a quicker stop, creates more swing, when you walk, and those quicker swings create multiple extra steps when you suddenly stop. This was my Jack London Moment.

I guess from now on, if someone mentions Jack London or his works, I'll probably look down, shake my head slightly, and smile.

[BradMarks]

Great Story. :P

[Weekend_Sawyer]

That is a good one. Thanks for sharing!

[Dave Shepard]

 :D Well written Jeff! Reminds me of the night I was almost eaten by the Phantom Mice. :D

[Jeff]

 :D   We'll need to hear about that!

Yea, I live dangerously. I spent a month alone in the U.P. hunting in the snow and survived pretty much unscathed. So I come home, and this past Friday decide to make supper for Tammy. As usual, I'm lounging around the house in shorts and while I usually have socks on, I was somehow barefoot.  I opened up the pantry door to get a can of broth to make rice with, and a 16 oz can of food fell from shoulder height and hit the second toe on my left foot. It hit my flat on the hardwood floor foot perfectly under my nail with the edge of the can. It split my toe open and broke the bone on the end.  Here I survive god knows what lurking in the wilds of the U.P. to get taken out by a can of Van Camp's Pork & Beans

[Tam-i-am]

Great story!

[goose63]

That story reminds of hunting elk in Utah in 2000 was standing under a big pine tree pine cone fell and hit me on the shoulder. there was no one with in miles me thought I was gonna have to change my shorts

[petefrom bearswamp]

Good one Jeff, You couldnt make that up.

[sandhills]

That was a fun read!  Great story Jeff, ain't it funny how everything can seem so different in the dark? 

[Autocar]

Great story Jeff I can feel your pain with the can of beans !

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

  Here I survive god knows what lurking in the wilds of the U.P. to get taken out by a can of Van Camp's Pork & Beans

Ever things been going so good lately, I'm gonna just leave this one alone.

But you can bet your sweet Potato I'm  :D :D :D :D :D :D :D.

[WDH]

I, too, have read everything that Jack London wrote.  My favorite short story of all time is "To Build a Fire". 

[Skidder Kev]

Great story Jeff.    It reminds me of a fly in fishing trip I did with my dad and uncle north of souix lookout.  I was about 11 and they went out to catch a few pickerel for lunch I stayed behind.  I was out exploring around the camp a bit thats when I heard something in the bush around me.  I stopped,looked and listened but didn't hear anything so I carried on. not a minute later there it was again and sounded closer then before.   Well this time this guy was gone down to the dock and hiding under it till my dad and uncle got back.  I never found out what it was, but it could have been a bear or one of those really mean red squirrels who knows. 

[Dave Shepard]

Squirrels are known for doing an excellent bear imitation in dry leaves. :D

[DeerMeadowFarm]

That was a great story! It reminds me of a funny thing that happened to my BIL and me. We went fishing in a small pond in the middle of nowhere in the Maine woods. We used 4WD for a few miles to get to a point where we could carry the canoe down to the water and the carry was still a good 200 yards. We fished all morning and then around noon paddled out in to the middle of the pond to just drift around and eat our lunch; sandwiches and soda. We were enjoying our lunch when my BIL says "Did you hear that?"
"What?"
"It sounded like a truck splashing in a mud puddle"
We had come through several puddles on the drive in so we sat there listening.....nothing.
A few minutes later, he says "There! Did you hear it that time?"
"No" I said. We sat there listening again......nothing.
A minute or two later he says "There! I just heard it again!" By now our ears are bleeding from straining to listen so hard! Still, nothing!
We go back to lunch, my BIL takes a swig of soda and I see his eyes light up. He doesn't say anything, he just holds up his hand pointing in the direction he hears the "truck".
I look at him and say "Swallow your soda." He does. "Do you hear the "truck" now?" I ask.
"No" he says somewhat surprised.
"You dope-adze! It was the soda bubbling in your mouth!" I tell him.
For a few minutes he denied it, but after taking a few sample swigs and holding it in his mouth, he confirmed my theory. We still laugh about that today!  :D

[Magicman]

I loved the story.  It's always funny to find the "enemy" and it is us.   ;D

[WmFritz]

That was a fun read, Jeff. I was imagining a UP Cougar tracking you as followed your story and even found my heart beating a bit faster for a minute.  I think some of London's imagery rubbed off on you.

[4x4American]

Great story!  Had me on the edge of my seat for a bit there! :D

[samandothers]

Somehow I missed this first time around when you first wrote it.  Great story and glad it came back up!