Tree Stands

I never was one to be comfortable once my feet left the ground, but everyone always said the best place to be when chasing whitetails is from a tree stand of one sort or another. I had been out chasing whitetails in southern Missouri with my dear ol dad when I discovered a platform up in a tree in the middle of a huge field. I tied my gun to a dangling rope that was hanging from the tree and began climbing up to the platform. It took some time getting up, since there were no pegs or tree climbing help available. Once I got up there, the view was spectacular and although I sat there all afternoon, not one deer had the common courtesy to show up. Off in the distance I could see my dad loading up the truck, so I decided it was time to get down from my perch. As I lowered my gun I saw there were several branches in a line down the backside of the tree. It looked like a perfect ladder. Hmmm, I thought, how easy would that be. The only problem was I couldn’t reach the branch from my side of the tree. Only one thing to do, yep, it’s time to jump. Looking back now I realize that leaping through the air twenty feet above the ground may not have been one of my better ideas, but with caution tossed to the wind I jumped. As soon as I grabbed that branch it broke off the tree slicker than water off a duck’s back. Down I went, feet first (at least I started feet first). I hit the first branch with my feet, rocked backward, and caught the second branch between the legs. The sudden stop was short lived. I rolled off that branch ricocheting off two or three more and pile drove myself like an Olympic diver into a brier patch. Still holding the branch I struggled to my feet. About three hundred yards away I could see dad looking my way. He just shook his head and got in the truck. I tossed the branch into the brier patch, and retrieved my gun. I was feeling the pain in every inch of my body as I walked to the truck. Once I arrived I asked dear ol Dad if he saw what happened; he said he saw the whole thing. I was amazed. I said, “You saw the whole thing! Why didn’t you bring the truck over and get me?” I asked. He said, “I started to. It looked like you hit every branch in that old tree and I got worried when you just lay there. But then you got up. I just figured you might want to walk that off.” What do you say to that? After that I always tell Ol Darv, if you’re looking for me out in the woods, don’t waste your time looking up.