Bow Season Opener

Today was the opening day of bow season.  All week I was so excited, I could hardly wait for today.  Today the weather was absolutely gorgeous and, although I was bogged down in heaps of tasks at work, I was in a super mood.  I even took off work a couple hours early to come home, get all camo-ed up and get my gear together.

Tate had been scouting out an area for me to hunt.  He set up a camera and put a tree stand high up in the biggest tree.  He has a pretty wonderful buck on camera that kept coming back each day, mostly in the morning.  To be honest, I'm really suprised he was so unselfish to let me in that stand knowing what I could potentially shoot.  It makes me question his faith in my shooting ability.  I can confidently say that I have improved drastically since I shot the a/c.  And I don't shoot without my contacts anymore. 

So, we grabbed some teas at the local store and around 5:15p.m. I made the climb to the stand.  By the way, I hate climbing trees.  I abhore climbing trees.  I always make Tate stay there until I get up so he can catch me if I fall.  And to tie my bow to the rope and send it up.  The trunk of the tree was sticking straight into my back and made for a very uncomfortable evening, but I was determined to as still and quiet as possible so I could shoot that buck.  The swarming, blood-sucking mosquitos made that quite difficult, but I  tried my hardest.  I waited.  And waited.  I waited even more and did not see a thing.  Once I heard something behind me in the woods that sounded like an animal falling, but I never heard anything afterwards. 

Then the medium half-sweet tea I drank on the way to the deer woods started to kick in.  When it got to flowing through me, it went full steam.  I started squirming and trying to think of anything but my bladder.  It just got worse as I tried to sit back, then sit forward, then move my feet.  Nothing was helping ad I didn't know how much longer I could stand it.  I really wanted to make it til dark, but the tea was closing in. 

All in one instant panic set in and I HAD to get out of that stand.  I started feverishly attempting to get my quiver hooked back onto my bow, but I was shaking and freaking out and couldn't get the job done.  Finally, I just halfway hooked the quiver to the bow, tied the bow to the rope and let it drop.  I stuffed the release in my pocket and shimmied down the tree.  I have never gotten out of a tree so fast, especially without Tate's help.  At that point the only thing I could think was, "Well, if  I fall I'll at least get to pee."  I didn't fall.  I grabbed my bow, quiver and my camera at the base of the tree and took off for the clearing.  Although I desperately had to relieve myself, I didn't want to do it near my hunting station.  I got into the clearing found a cluster of trees and went to squatting.  What sweet relief. 

This is just not very mannerly of me at all, is it? 

Anyway, I finished my business and felt much better.  I pulled up my drawers and as I turned around to grab my bow I saw three does staring at me.  What a sight I must of been.  Defeat was written all over my face.  The first doe started blowing and I just shrugged my shoulders and took a seat until Tate came to get me.  That gave me enough time to wallow in my shame and get my story together to explain to Tate exactly why I had to scram out of that tree.

Lesson learned?  Absolutely, positvely no tea before hunting.