“The Bayou de Chien Creature”

It was the last day of black powder season and raining……..I mean really raining.  I would not normally think of hunting today but I still did not have my black powder deer for this season.  So I was compelled to go.

The night before I decided that, it being black powder, I would wear my army parka instead of my camo rain suit which was shinier and the parka would help keep my powder dry,  which  is imperative.  I rounded up some balloons and put them in my possible bag.  In other words my camo pants pockets, holding out two.   I cut both ends of one and slid it over the barrel down to, but not over, my cap lock.  After loading the 50 cal black powder in the morning I would place this balloon section over the cap and the other one, uncut, over the end of the barrel.

I had chained my ladder stand to a tree at the edge of a rough slough side thicket earlier and it was ready.  One clap of thunder and I would have left but it was just a long steady rain. 

I spotted something that was not normal deep in the thicket and then it moved.  It was the weirdest ugliest rack I had ever seen.  The beams were massive and the tine count was similar to the limbs of a tree.  Only these tines were pointing down as the antler beams were bent down.  I wanted this deer……..bad.

I found the clearest area ahead of him and moving so slow that it was a wonder moss did not build on my arms and raised my rifle.  I pointed it in the general direction of the thinner area and waited.  That rifle weighed a ton by the time the deer got there.  I took the shot and hit a sapling causing a miss.  Drat,  he took off like a cat on a hot tin roof.  He ran forward about thirty yards and stopped.   He turned around and came straight toward me and stopped about twenty yards out.  Me with an empty rifle and a poncho with my bullet, patch and powder under my poncho.   I eased my left hand to my side and very very slowly slid it under the poncho and retrieved the ball, powder and patch.  It was then I realized that I had to get my ramrod out and set the powder and ball with it.

I unbelievably slowly placed the stock on the floor between my knees and poured the powder down the barrel following with patch.  I then using my right hand retrieved my ball starter and started the ball.  After I returned the starter I carefully removed my ramrod.  I slowly pushed it down the barrel but did not snap it at the bottom but pressed as hard as I could. 

Hard to believe but that old deer just stood there.  He could tell something was not right but not what it was.  He turned and slowly walked off into the thicket before I could shoulder and get a shot off.

That deer was so unusual even for a non typical that I kind of felt relieved that he escaped.

If you love the outdoors you can find success even in failure.  This was one of my favorite hunts.