Opening with a bang

TOM HERMEL, PINE RIVER

I built the stand I hunt from in 1984 and never have missed an opener on it. I've killed perhaps 10 or 11 bucks from it, some pretty good, but none like the one I saw on opening morning this year.

It was early, about 7:45, and all of a sudden he was just there. He was moving along and looked like he was going to move along faster, so I didn't have much time.

If you've read any African hunting stories, you might recall the expression, "The big ones look big." That's true, I believe, and this buck looked big. Really big. I noticed the size of his body first. He was huge. Then I saw his G3s, which would measure 11 1/2 and 11¾ inches long.

Everything happened in a hurry. My belief is he had heard me use my Primos "can" call, which imitates a doe bleating. I've used it before, with success. And shortly after using it opening morning, this buck showed up. I was able to get a good shot on him with my .243.

As I looked at him after I climbed down from my stand, I could see what a magnificent animal he was.

I recalled years ago in Africa what a PH (professional hunter) said after I had killed a big cape buffalo. This was a huge animal, 2,500 pounds, estimated to be 23 years old, with battle scars on his face from fighting lions at night.

The PH and I looked at the buffalo, and he said:

"This is an emotional event, as you have just taken the life of a very noble beast deserving of what all of us are feeling right now."

That's how I felt as I looked at the big buck.

The animal field dressed at 221 pounds, with a gross green score of 186.

LARRY LARSON, NORTHFIELD

It was mid-afternoon when I climbed up my stand to bow hunt just west of Cannon Falls near the Phillippo Boy Scout camp. Shortly thereafter a small doe showed up and started feeding. I thought she made the perfect decoy for a buck.

Just then I caught the flash of a white body running through the woods to my right and behind me. It was gone before I could get a look. I thought maybe I had seen an albino deer. "Can I shoot an albino deer?" I wondered.

When I had only 10 minutes of hunting left, from behind me a big white mass appeared and stood 12 yards in front of me. It was a big llama followed by two little goats! I had hunted these woods for 20 years and had never seen anything like it! The llama looked up at me and wouldn't move. I stared back at this camel-faced animal staring up at me. Then I waved my hands and bow, trying to shoo him away. He wouldn't move.

Soon it was dark and I wanted to get down from my stand. Reaching for my cell phone I called the owner of the property. I said, "You're not going to believe what is happening to me." He listened. "Oh, you don't have to worry about him, his name is Alfred and his two goat friends are Nibbler and Nobbler," the owner said. "They are the Boy Scout camp's pets for the summer, and they have just wandered outside the camp a bit."

Relieved, I climbed down. When I did, I patted old Alfred on the head and laughed all the way to my truck.

TENG XIONG, WOODBURY

It was last Friday, just before the deer season, when I received word I would be laid off from my job as a network engineer. My last day would be this coming Friday, which is Friday the 13th. Bad luck, I suppose.

On the other hand, I didn't have to work on opening day, which was good luck, and I joined my brother, Toua; dad, Naocha, and nephew, Stanley, to hunt deer near Chatfield in Fillmore County.

My stand was located between a bedding area for deer and a cornfield. The corn was still standing, and the first deer I saw, a 10-point buck, was going to the corn at about 7 a.m. I was hunting with a 12-gauge slug gun, and I shot him at about 20 yards. He ran a short distance, and I saw him go down. So I didn't get out of my stand right away. A little while later, a second buck came by my stand. This one, also a 10-pointer, was heading from the corn to the bedding area. I shot him also. Two 10-pointers in a half-hour!

I'm an avid outdoorsman and have had a memorable year. This summer, I caught two largemouth bass back-to-back. One weighed 6 pounds 4 ounces, the other 6 pounds 10 ounces.

Now I need to find a job.

KEVIN RUPP, EDEN PRAIRIE

My friend Doug Helget of Mankato and I were deer hunting in southwest Minnesota near Comfrey. I was sitting in a tripod stand. Shortly before legal shooting time, I saw an owl glide over the ridge toward me. As it approached, it looked like it would zip by a little below and to my left. At the last moment, it lifted up and landed on my head. It happened so quickly, I didn't move.

The owl perched on my head for what felt like a minute. It turned around a couple of times. I could see the white underside of its tail feathers hanging beside my face. I was wearing a baseball cap and a thick hood over that.

I wondered if I would feel its talons in my scalp. I considered trying to scare it off, but decided not to move. Should I talk to it? The next thing I knew, the owl glided off.

The following text messages then occurred between Doug and me:

Me: An owl landed on my head.

Doug: Oh yeah, I just wrestled a cougar.

Me: I'm serious. I suppose you wanted me to shoot it.

Doug: Well ... is it still there?

Me: Is the cougar?

Doug: No, I think he's chasing your imaginary owl.

After sitting a while longer, I texted Doug before I walked his way.

Me: Here I come. I wonder if I will find a dead cougar.

Doug: Is it hard to walk with an owl on your head?