This story starts in the first month I was hunting at the farm.  In October 2001,  I had put up a stand overlooking a trail that ran along the back fence.  On my first sit in the blind, I realized that a tree less than 10 yards away had a much better vantage, and so I moved it. It only took a few minutes.  When I finally had enough, I got down and left the bulk of my gear at the base of the stand and went for a look-see around.  I had not scouted this part of the property much yet.  The stand overlooked what later became known as Heartbreak Ridge.  After a half-hour’s walk, I came back to the stand to retrieve my gear and head back to the house for lunch.

In my absence, a buck had come by and found my stuff.  Next to the stand was a fresh rub on the trunk of a cedar tree.  It stung me as though it was some sort of rebuke: “I was here, but you weren’t. Better luck next time, Doofus!”

Fast forward twenty years. This was supposed to be the October Yute Hunt, but I was down all alone this weekend, getting ready for Muzzleloader Weekend and putting the touches on the last few stands.  Among these was the stand at Hundred Acre Wood.   On all our stands, I zip-tie pipe insulation around the shooting rail.  This makes great padding for resting your rifle.  I then put up a camo skirt, kind of like a shower curtain.  All the fixings for one stand go into a nylon duffel bag for transport.  When all the stands are finished, we use the bags to carry our outer layers out to the stand during season, and then I use the bags again to retrieve the trimmings off the stands at the end of season and store them.

As I was getting ready to leave, I discovered I was one bag short.  I deduced that it had to have been the last stand I visited, so before I left for home, I drove back out to Hundred Acre to check.  Sure enough, the duffel bag was where I left it at the base of the stand.  A buck had already discovered my handiwork and left a rub right there on an adjoining cedar tree.

“I was here, but you weren’t. Better luck next time, Doofus!”

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