In some of the trips that I have taken, I have been involved in many strange and different circumstances.

I have decided to share some of them with you in hopes that you will find them as interesting, exciting, and sometimes as funny as I have.

The times I have experienced these things have been when I’m hunting, trapping, fishing, trail riding, scouting or just wondering through the woods in search of something I have never seen or discovered before.

Our property line butted up against the Wildlife Management Area, at our home in Hardy, Arkansas, and I did everything I possibly could in taking advantage of this great convenience.

I did just that on a warm spring evening. It was about 4:30 pm and I had finished my schoolwork a short time before and had hurriedly taken a scent free bath before cladding myself in a camo long sleeved tee shirt and camouflage overalls. I also put on my facemask, gloves and boots, and grabbing my squirrel gun, I set out to hopefully locate or hear and see some birds.

I had taken the time to bathe and spray myself down with scent-a-way, because the area I was setting up at, was often traveled by deer, and I didn’t want to spook them with my human scent before the hunting season opened for them.

I arrived at my place as I had planned and found my ideal tree. I set next to the big oak and cleared out a place to sit as comfortably as possible, then laid my gun across my knee and waited.

Behind me, and a little to my right, was a small wet weather pond. Soon after I settled in, I saw two chipmunks scamper to the water and play together. They made such loud noises and were very distractive, but I tried to call with my slate call to arouse some birds. It wasn’t the right time to locate them, I guess, because I didn’t see or hear anything from any turkey that day.

Finally, after watching the chipmunks for a good amount of time, I leaned my head on the trunk of the tree and thought in my mind that I would wait just another 15 minutes or so before heading home.

Just a minute or so had passed though, when I caught a quick movement to my right, out of the corner of my eye.

Something in me, said that it wasn’t just a bird or another chipmunk or squirrel.

I sat a bit straighter and peered thru the dense, think brush, in hopes of seeing what animal was walking toward to pond.

Then the animal stepped into small clearing and I saw that it was a deer, and from my distant view, it looked to be a doe.

She continued to walk to the pond, drank from it, and then started on her way, which happened to be the same direction where I was sitting.

I had been turned around watching her, but when I saw her heading my way, I faced the other direction, thinking I would just "hide" until she left the area.

But, I guess my tree looked like a good place for Ms. Deer to have her dinner at, because that oblivious deer kept coming toward me.

As I stated before, my back was to the deer, so I couldn’t place where she was exactly. But when the crunching of leaves stopped, I turned once again to see where she had gone.

I then got the surprise of my life.

Ms. Deer was actually Mr. Deer. I saw that he had two creamy white spikes about five inches long and he was only (as I later measured) 3 ½ feet away, grazing happily on crunchy green grass.

Right then, my heart jumped to my throat and it started to beat wildly and seemed to sound extra loud. I felt really nervous and my hands were trembling uncontrollably.

I had never been that close to a live wild deer before! It was an awesome experience.

Then the spike decided not to keep his three feet distance.

He slowly came closer, as he grazed, then I felt his breath on my shoulder and heard him crunching on his supper.

He then sniffed my gun, looked me over as if I were just a tree (with a white face if he could have seen, and bulging eyes!) and went calmly on his way.

I was both startled and amazed at him. I couldn’t believe that a perfectly healthy wild deer, would just walk up to a human and not be alarmed or afraid.

Even to this day, I wonder why that buck was so friendly to me.

Maybe it was the fact that I was doused in Scent-A-way, or perhaps he was just a young inexperienced deer, curious with my smell.

Whatever the reason, I still am thankful to God in letting me have that opportunity to be that close to one of His wonderful creatures.