# Indian Summer



## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

Mid November God gifted this Ohio hunter an Indian summer ….meaning warm weather hunting. I took 3 days off and planned to hunt all of them. To make things even better it was peak rut in the woods I was hunting. But – after 3 days of hunting and not seeing a sign of deer I was losing excitement, I was ready to call it quits. 

I pulled out my phone and opened the bible app. I had been studying the book of Matthew at home and decided I would continue in the stand to distract myself from the desire to call it quits during peak rut. I began - half reading and half listening for sounds of deer till eventually I was only reading and forgot where I was. Then… I heard a loud crunch that brought be back from the pages of the bible to God’s creation. 

20 ft suspended in the trees of hard woods I was sitting with phone in hand not ready for anything least of all hunting the deer I just heard suddenly appear 10 yrds to my left. What you have to understand is my set up is designed to shoot to my right and also in front of me where the ground bottoms out 25 ft below with the elevation dropping away from me very steeply. But to my left, where the deer showed up, the elevation is a steep assent and now there was a small doe in close proximity at eye level with me. I felt like I was trapped in a 10ft x 10ft room with a little doe and the lights turned off. A pin drop would sound an alarm.

I turned the opposite of the deer to look at my bow which seemed 100 yrds away with the deer so close to me. Any movement felt like turning the lights on in that dark room we were both suddenly placed in together. When I turned back the deer was gone. How can a deer appear and disappear as fast as the light switch in this small room. I panicked inside but managed to stay still. I saw an ear flicker and realized the small doe bed down to my right in the same spot I originally saw her only feet away. Just as I was feeling good about the situation something exploded out of the top ridge behind the small doe and barreled down between me and the little bedded deer. It was a bigger doe followed shortly after another large doe. I knew they were fleeing from pursuit. There must be a buck on its way. The three does slowly left together back up the ridge opposite the way they came. I turned and faced the tree I was in looking in the direction the does had come from in anticipation of a buck only to now hear footsteps behind me.

The little doe came back…and once again bedded down in the same place now to my right shoulder as I had turned around to face the tree. We were back in the small room together again. I slowly turned around, mind you the doe is only 10 yrds away. As soon as I had turned back around, the small doe once again to my left on the ridge at eye level with me, I hear foot steps behind me. I turn only my head – nose to the ground I see only bone.

It was a buck in chase of those does. It came in and stopped between me and the bedded doe… only 5 yrds away at eye level. The wind was in my favor blowing from him to me. The doe acting as a live decoy keep his focus. The sun just crested the tree tops and now shown on me like a spotlight. I felt like I was now in the same room again with both buck and doe and the lights completely on. 

I fought to keep my nerves. My heart betrayed me beating like a drum. I thought it a miracle the buck could not hear it thump at 100 mph. I got my wits about me and thought hunter thoughts. Where can I place a shot? When can I draw the bow? Will the buck hear me pull back on the bow? He stepped forward a few paces heading for two 12 inch diameter trees…the window i would need. He need only step in behind once and all questions would have an answer. He did… I drew… he paused. I held at full draw. 

He stepped again and up toward the now forgotten does. I thought he would be gone in chase of the two more mature gals. I squinted – twitching my finger against the trigger. With a loud thud the arrow pierced through honey suckle leaves and made solid contact. At impact he was quartering away. 

The buck jumped and headed down the ridge in front of me and to the right circling me with a half-moon path. He stopped for a split second and blew. He went from high elevation to low in a heartbeat. I spun to keep up with his charge. Hitting the bottom of the ridge he took a few more steps and with a final loud warning blow he fell over only 15 yrds from me. Shot from my left he was finished at my right. Only after he took his last did I take my first breath. 

Then the shakes came over me. 







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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

Close encounter of the buck kind.






























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## Bullet Bob (Mar 31, 2020)

Great writing you told it so well. Great dear all things come to he who waits.


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## FOWL BRAWL (Feb 13, 2020)

Congratulations on the deer and the good story that came with it.

BTW are we still allowed to call this breif bout of warm weather "Indian summer" ?


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## Bullet Bob (Mar 31, 2020)

Yes election is over don’t worry they won’t have anymore uprising


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

FOWL BRAWL said:


> Congratulations on the deer and the good story that came with it.
> 
> BTW are we still allowed to call this breif bout of warm weather "Indian summer" ?


Thx Fowl -

I used a bunch of milkweed to check the wind but political winds and feelings were not considered in the re-telling of my hunt. 

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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

Bullet Bob said:


> Great writing you told it so well. Great dear all things come to he who waits.


Thx Bullet

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## chris1162 (Mar 12, 2008)

Awesome story and great pics as usual. Nice work jon!


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## EnonEye (Apr 13, 2011)

Wow Hooker


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

chris1162 said:


> Awesome story and great pics as usual. Nice work jon!


Thx Chris!

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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

Great story and buck. Congratulations.


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

bobk said:


> Great story and buck. Congratulations.


TY! bobk

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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

This buck was certainly a Warrior. Check out his lower lip...most likely split due to a fight. These creatures are so tough.









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## DeathFromAbove (Oct 21, 2008)

Great post and story. Congratulations on a nice buck !!


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

DeathFromAbove said:


> Great post and story. Congratulations on a nice buck !!


Thank you DFA

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## bank runner (May 23, 2011)

Man thats the strangest smallmouth I've ever seen !!! Beautiful buck and congrats


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

bank runner said:


> Man thats the strangest smallmouth I've ever seen !!! Beautiful buck and congrats


Hahah, thx BR. Maybe one day I'll see a monster like u did on public...that was a beast. 

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## G-Patt (Sep 3, 2013)

Awesome story to go with an awesome buck. Congrats!!!


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

G-Patt said:


> Awesome story to go with an awesome buck. Congrats!!!


Thanks G. 

When I started hunting I never thought I'd get a buck like that. A Booner in my book. 

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## 9Left (Jun 23, 2012)

Congrats john!!!


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

9Left said:


> Congrats john!!!


Thx 9.

Hope you are having a good season?

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## Ten Bears (Jan 12, 2012)

SMBHooker said:


> Mid November God gifted this Ohio hunter an Indian summer ….meaning warm weather hunting. I took 3 days off and planned to hunt all of them. To make things even better it was peak rut in the woods I was hunting. But – after 3 days of hunting and not seeing a sign of deer I was losing excitement, I was ready to call it quits.
> 
> I pulled out my phone and opened the bible app. I had been studying the book of Matthew at home and decided I would continue in the stand to distract myself from the desire to call it quits during peak rut. I began - half reading and half listening for sounds of deer till eventually I was only reading and forgot where I was. Then… I heard a loud crunch that brought be back from the pages of the bible to God’s creation.
> 
> ...


I take exception to your title 'Indian Summer'. Is there a caucasian summer or an oriental summer?


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

Ten Bears said:


> I take exception to your title 'Indian Summer'. Is there a caucasian summer or an oriental summer?


Don't care...talk to your mommy about your feelings. 

This is a hunting thread and I`d be happy to discuss that (hunting) with you. 

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## One guy and a boat (Aug 8, 2018)

Ten Bears said:


> I take exception to your title 'Indian Summer'. Is there a caucasian summer or an oriental summer?


I got schooled this summer on how oriental can be offensive. 


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## One guy and a boat (Aug 8, 2018)

Great buck and better story. That rush is why we do it. Thanks for sharing.

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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

One guy and a boat said:


> Great buck and better story. That rush is why we do it. Thanks for sharing.
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk


Thx One Guy. 

I never expected to be so close to big game....a rush for sure!

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