At 10:00 a.m. I got up and showered, taking every precaution
to eliminate my human scent.I decided
to tear down one of my stands and relocate it to a spot where I could hunt the
primary scrape that the big buck was using and cover any trails leading to and
from it. I wanted to be as odorless as
possible while erecting the new stand to prevent myself from dispersing
alarming scent in the area.
Having lost faith in the farm that I hunted for the first
two days, I quickly tore down one of the stands that I had hung during an early
scouting mission.I snuck into the new
spot around 11 a.m. and set my stand in the stand-friendly, V-shaped confines
of a slightly immature oak tree.Being
extra cautious, I even wore a pair of Elimitrax to and from the stand area to
completely conceal my entry and exit trail.
I then trimmed a few faint shooting lanes to allow for
multiple shot angles and got out of the area as quickly and as quietly as
possible.It was 2:15 p.m. when I
finished.Feeling that it was too late
to shower and get back to the stand without tipping my hand, I decided to give
the area a chance to settle down and chose to spend the remainder of the day
resting and rewashing my hunting clothes.
While at the local Laundromat later that day, the sky
suddenly opened up and let loose with a short burst of rain.I hoped that it would be enough to wash away
any scent that I may have inadvertently left behind when setting the stand in
the new area.With all of my clothes
freshly washed and neatly folded in airtight containers, I watched the day
slowly dissolve into night as I loaded my truck and drove back to the Bed and
Breakfast.
After getting settled in, I watched the local weather
forecast before heading off to bed.By
all indications, the stretch of good weather that I enjoyed for the majority of
my trip would continue.With any luck
the big 10-point had tuned in to The Weather Channel as well.
While the thought of crossing paths with the
big buck again ran through my mind, I tossed and turned until I fell asleep.
