When someone, or something, was getting into Big Al's during the night something had to be done. I volunteered to sleep there over night.

Can you imagine walking into your archery shop after thanksgiving and finding the shop in turmoil. Items off the shelf ... scattered on the floor ... bottles of deer scent broken and items missing? Well we at BIG AL'S ARCHERY DID.  So we checked the doors, windows and alarm system they were all in working order . No break in. Strange. We got out the brooms and the mops and picked up the mess. The skunk scent still smells on the floor after numerous attempts to get it out. What a mess.

But the cause of the mess was never found. At first we suspected the local cat of getting in but no entrance was ever found. After looking at our inventory we noticed some items were missing. Particularly boxes of buck in rut scent .... then doe in estrus scent was gone. So naturally we called the police. They came did the investigation and filled out the report and left. Problem is it did not stop. a few days later we would notice little things gone or out of place. One bowquiver missing, that's all. Then a few days later one bow missing. I decided that I was going to discover who was doing it so I hid my car at night and sat in the woods until about 3 in the morning to see who. No one ever opened a door or window. In the morning though things would be gone.  Small stuff. One cobra sight off a bow. One box of arrows missing. Strange. Again we checked the doors windows and all access points. All was in order.

It had us baffled. We did the old spy trick. We would put black string in windows and low in the door jams to see if some one opened the windows or had a key. In the morning every thing would be in place. No body would be coming in but still things were in disarray. A hip quiver gone, a toxonics sight missing. 

So we took the next route and caled the police to swing buy at night to check the doors. They reported them all ok at various times of the night.

It came to a head this week when 2 BowTech bows were gone and 2 Darton kids bows were missing. Some thing had to be done. I volunteered to sleep over night.

I slept in the shop wrapped up in a sleeping bag with a stuffed backpack as a pillow in the office. That way they would not see me as they never took any money. All night long nothing happened. I was disappointed. All our attempts to finding the culprit were in vain.    Now what. Then it dawned on me All the logical things did not work so let us go one step at a time ... literally. 

I sprinkled the floor with Tinks deer powder and baby powder that way we could follow the foot steps to how they came in and left.   It worked.

In the morning tracks were there!!! Deer tracks!! and boot tracks. But
how and why?

The answer came after a rain storm.  Rain was leaking in the back room..  So Dan went up on the roof to see where the leak was ... when he did he found the cause.  2 boards were pulled up but just setting in place. 

So a new plan of attack was in order. We left them there just like they were.   But underneath we put a net hanging loosely and ropes that would wrapped inwards when some one came down wards into the net. The next night I sat in the darkened room waiting for the intruder.   About 3 AM I heard a lot of confusion.  Upon turning on the lights ... what a surprise! Deer wrapped up and Santa butt over tea kettle  in the net. His white beard in disarray. Deer antlers wrapped together.

What a sight!!!!!

When I turned on the light, Santa now upside down and the deer looked
surprised. Tiny deer rasinettes all rained down.

"Santa," I exclaimed" what the heck?. 

"HO HO HO," is what I got back for an answer. "You know times are tough, had to lay off elves. Can not get supplies to build toys. They are going to drill for oil not far from me and my route is going to be changed. Deer feed is going up. Things are not good you know." 

Well I was flabbergasted.  "Santa I explained you can not steal from others to give to the poor." 

Old Saint Nick replied, " ROBIN HOOD did it."  I said it does not make it right.. He scratched his beard and thought for a minute, then he put his finger
alongside his nose and PUFF he was gone. The deer were still there trying to get at he Mossy oak Biologic. I had to pull them away.  Next thing was another POOF and four little green men appeared. I recognized them from last year. 

They brought back the bows, the sights, the other missing gear. One of them who I met last year shook my hand and I asked him if he was a dentist yet. As I. needed some work done . He replied finishing school was like 'pulling teeth'.

Then Santa arrived. "You are right I can not steal"  They all then began cleaning up, sweeping the floor and straightened the shelves.  The deer still smelled the Tinks and the Robinson Labs scent so Santa had to reprimand them .

"Donner, Blitzen, get away from there. Leave the bottles alone. Rudolph buy some more batteries, your nose light is running out.  Art, some times Santa is wrong and it needs to be pointed out.  By the way, how much for gift certificates? Maybe I can get a lot of small ones." 

So I rang them up. It came to $3,200.99.  He put it on his reindeer card. They left in an instant with a "HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND I WILL SEE YOU NEXT YEAR." 

I sat there and wondered as he rose out of sight ... where the heck is the bank of the North Pole? 

That's the way I see it in my "View From Behind The String".