sedorusc hope your kid gets better!
Cully thats VERY funny you say that. I have a story for you guys..
I got out after class today at around noon and was in an area of the property I hunt that I havent touched since about a month before the opener. I get to a nice tree, and use my viper to climb up. Its at this point I see a ladder stand about 10 yards on THIS side of the property line! This wasnt there when I was doing scouting this summer. I am the only person allowed on this property and was instructed to tell anyone trespassing to leave, and call authorities if need be. I decided not to do anything about it at that point - why let it ruin my hunt? I was going to leave a note politely asking them to move it (I fear whoever it is may seek revenge and spoil this prime land I get to hunt) but what happened next kind of kept me from that..
It was very close to legal shooting light to end and I told myself I would ride it out until it was completely dark because I always seem to see deer in the first or last mins of shooting light. I stay for about another half hour and at that point I could barley see out to 20 yds so I start climbing down. As I am climbing I hear something walking in the distance and realize for sure that its a deer. So I just sat and waited until it got close. Well it got to about 30 yards not completely downwind but not upwind either. I sat in complete darkness and listened as this deer circled downwind of me. A friend of mine has a buddy who works for a scent company and he gave me some "dominant buck" to try out. Well I had dumped some from my stand on the base of my tree when I first got there this morning.. When this buck smelled it he paced back and forth with his head down snorting blowing and whatnot like to the point where I was way too freaked out to climb down from my stand. So there I was, 5 feet off the ground, in complete pitch black, yelling (literaly telling him to go away) at this buck who just seemed to get madder as I yelled. I was in my tree for an hr after dark, and had the creepiest walk out I have ever had.
NEVER a dull moment. Thank God for the outdoors.