Top_Heavy's World

The snow started early today and soon we had several inches of beautiful, light and crunchy snow. I just love hunting during or right after a front like this, so I ducked out of work an hour early and raced to pick up my equipment. I jumped in the truck, proud of myself at how quickly I got loaded, and raced off towards an urban location. I got to the interstate and hit 75 as quick as the truck would get there, which considering the road conditions wasn't very smart. My mind raced, thinking about the possibility of a monster buck in the beautiful scenery, when a really unpleasant thought came into my dream. I don't remember loading my bow.... Yep, I turned to look and there was no bow. I left it laying on the chest freezer in the garage as I left. I cut through the median and mashed on the gas, chewing myself out for being so absent minded, I should have know right then....
I got my bow, turned around and in 10 minutes I was back to the spot where I remembered my bow. I fought traffic and slick pavement to get to the driveway. I pulled in, jumped out and started putting on a couple of layers. I only had about 45 minutes to hunt, so I knew I didn't need to wear everything. I grabbed my climber and trotted to the 4th pine tree from the garage, hooked up and tied my bow to the pull up cord. I "felt" someone looking at me and sure enough, the landowner was in the bedroom window looking at me. I did my best to look good as I climbed about 12' up the bare trunk of the White Pine tree. I pulled up my bow and was just getting ready when I heard it.
The sound started sort of deep, scratchy and rough, I knew that sound. The grunt of a huge buck... Hell no, the sound of a snow shovel on the cement of a front porch. People were coming home in droves, and the first thing on everyone's mind was cleaning the driveway or sidewalk. I watched as 4 snowblowers came out of garages, a John Deere lawnmower stared up in a shed and as it backed out I could see the bright yellow blower on the front, shovels of every size, style and color came out next. The guy on the other side of "my" yard opened his garage door and drove out on a 4 wheeeler with a snow plow. He must be serious about it, as he had one of those really cool orange flags on a 4' pole mounted on the rear! I just shook my head. No self respecting fawn would ever show up in this area, let alone anything mature. I turned to look behind me and noticed the bedroom light was on, the lady of the house was now home and they were both standing there watching me like an exhibit in a museum. I lowered my bow, climbed down and headed for the truck. I should have know better, 25 minutes of snow blower Hell and I was done. I still can't figure out what I was thinking when I chose this stand, this was perhaps the worst hunt I have ever been on. The old saying "a bad day hunting is better than a good day working" has crossed my mind... I would like to have that poet try tonights hunt!