ONE APRIL MORNING, THE KIND WHEN THERE'S A SNAP IN THE AIR AND SMELLS OF SPRING TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY, I WAS WALKING AROUND THE SHORELINE OF A LAKE, TRYING TO MAKE MY MIND UP WHETHER TO GO FISHING OR JUST STAND THERE AND LOVE EVERYTHING I WAS SEEING.

WELL BEING THE KIND OF GUY I AM, FISHING WON OUT, AND I LAUNCHED MY BOAT. THE CREEK I HAD A MIND TO FISH WAS DIRECTLY BEHIND THE CABINS, SO I DIDN'T HAVE TO DISTURB THE SERENITY THAT GOD HAD CREATED THAT MORNING.

DEEP INTO THE CREEK, I MOVED ALONG THE CHANNEL, CASTING AT EVERYTHING IN SIGHT AND JUST CRANKING THAT BAIT AS HARD AS I COULD. THEN SOMETHING CAUGHT MY EYE. ON THE END OF A LOG THAT JUTTED OUT INTO THE CREEK WAS AN ACORN, SO DELICATELY BALANCED THAT IT HADN'T BLOWN IT INTO THE WATER.

I STARED AT THAT ACORN FOR WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A FEW MINUTES OR MAYBE LONGER WHEN A PLUMP SQUIRREL CAME RUNNING DOWN A TREE. THE CRITTER SPOTTED THE ACORN, EYED IT FOR A MOMENT, AND THEN SCAMPERED OUT ALONG THE LOG. TIPTOEING TO A HALT, THE SQUIRREL SNATCHED UP THE ACORN WITH ITS FRONT LEGS, GOT UP ON HIS HIND LEGS, AND PROCEEDED TO START EATING.

FASTER THAN I EVER SAW ANYTHING HAPPEN, THE WATER UNDER THE END OF THAT LOG EXPLODED. A HUGE LARGEMOUTH BASS ROSE UP AND, IN ONE BITE OF ITS MONSTER JAWS, SWALLOWED THAT SQUIRREL WHOLE.

I SAT THERE IN ASTONISHMENT, FEELING SOME SORROW FOR THE POOR LITTLE SQUIRREL BUT ALSO REALIZING THAT IT WAS ALL PART OF THE LAW OF NATURE. BUT THEN MY THOUGHTS WERE SUDDENLY INTERUPPTED BY THE SIGHT OF THAT BASS REAPPEARING. THIS TIME THE FISH HAD AN ACORN IN ITS MOUTH. DELICATELY, THE BASS REPLACED THE ACORN IN THE EXACT SAME POSITION IT HAD BEEN BEFORE. THEN HE LOOKED OVER AT ME, WINKED AND SMILED, AND WITH A SWIRL OF WATER, DISAPPEARED BACK UNDER THE LOG.

THIS STORY IS ONE OF HOMER CIRCLE'S BEST AND WAS TAKEN FROM JIMMY HOUSTON'S BOOK, CAUGHT ME A BIG'UN...

ATTACK SQUIRREL

IT WAS A WARM OCTOBER AFTERNOON WHEN I EMBARKED ON MY JOURNEY. WHERE I WAS GOING WASN'T VERY FAR. YOU SEE, IT WAS THE SECOND DAY OF THE '96 BOW SEASON AND I WAS ON MY QUEST FOR THE ELUSIVE WHITE TAILED BUCK. AFTER SHOWERING WITH SCENT KILLER SOAP, AND MEDITATING ON SOME TED NUGENT "HUNT MUSIC" ALL I HAD TO DO WAS GRAB MY BOW, SLIP OUT THE BACK DOOR, SPRAY SCENT KILLER ALL OVER MY BODY AND HEAD OUT ABOUT 1/2 MILE ACROSS THE CORN FIELD TO MY TREE STAND.

MY BUDDY JACK MET ME AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL AND WE HEADED OUT. IT WAS A VERY QUIET WALK THAT DAY. BOTH OF US WERE THINKING ABOUT HOW GOOD THOSE BACKSTRAPS WOULD TASTE. ALL THE WAY THERE I HAD VISIONS OF BAGGING MY BUCK. ALL SUMMER LONG I SAW SOME BIG BUCKS MAKE THEIR WAY THROUGH THE 320 ACRE FARM THAT I HUNT. I KEPT GOING OVER IN MY HEAD; OK, IF A BUCK WALKS BY MY STAND BE CALM, DON'T MOVE A MUSCLE, WAIT TO SEE IF THERE WERE MORE THAN ONE, THEN AT THE PRECISE MOMENT DRAW BACK THE BOW AND LET IT FLY...SEEMS SIMPLE ENOUGH. I HAVE KILLED MANY DEER, THIS WON'T BE ANY DIFFERENT. ALL OF THOSE HOURS SPENT PRACTICING, JUDGING DISTANCES, WERE NOW THRUST BEFORE ME IN MY MIND. I KNEW THAT IF A BIG 'OL BOY CAME WITHIN 25 YARDS OF MY STAND HE WOULD BE TOAST! NO NON-BUCKS WILL BE TAKEN TODAY I THOUGHT, THIS WAS "BUCK DAY." JACK NOW VEERED OFF TO THE RIGHT ( HE STILL HAD ANOTHER 1/4 MILE TO GO), AND I KEPT GOING STRAIGHT.

AS I APPROACHED MY STAND I QUICKLY TOOK A DEEP BREATH AND STARTED THE CLIMB. EACH STEP I TOOK ON THE HOMEMADE WOODEN LADDER STAND MADE A SLIGHT CREAK. UPON REACHING THE PLATFORM I SAT DOWN MY PORTABLE SEAT, HAULED UP MY BOW, TOOK OUT MY BINO'S AND GLASSED THE IMMEDIATE AREA. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY I THOUGHT. THE SMELL OF HUNTING SEASON WAS ABOUNDING IN THE AIR. EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT. NOT TOO HOT, NOT TOO COLD. AFTER STANDING FOR ABOUT A HALF AN HOUR OR SO I THOUGHT I WOULD SIT DOWN (AFTER HAVING BOTH KNEES RECONSTRUCTED SITTING DOWN IS A NECESSITY). LIFE WAS GOOD.

JUST SITTING THERE, ADMIRING GOD'S CREATION MADE THE OUTING ALL WORTH WHILE. THANK GOD FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ENJOY NATURE AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS. I MUST HAVE SAT THERE ON THAT SEAT FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES OR CLOSE TO IT ANYWAY. I JUST KNEW THAT A BIG BUCK WOULD BE COMING BY ANY MINUTE NOW. AT THAT VERY MOMENT I SAW THE MOST SCARY OF ALL GOD'S CREATIONS; A SQUIRREL WITH AN ATTITUDE! THIS WAS A PERKY FOX SQUIRREL THAT WAS OUT GETTING SOME SUN ABOUT 40 FEET FROM ME. AS OUR EYES MET I KNEW THAT THIS SQUIRREL, THIS FURRY LITTLE GUY, WAS NOT HAPPY WITH ME INVADING HIS AREA. HE QUICKLY LEAPED UP ONTO A TREE, RAN TO THE TOP AND JUMPED ON THREE DIFFERENT TREES FINALLY REACHING THE TREE MY STAND WAS IN. UPON REACHING MY TREE THE SQUIRREL PERCHED HIMSELF ON THE SIDE OF THE TRUNK HEADFIRST, FACING DOWN, AND JUST STARED AT ME. THAT SQUIRREL LOOKED LIKE A GRIZZELY BEAR STALKING A SALMON. SLOWLY, BUT WITH A PASSION, THAT SQUIRREL CAME STRAIGHT DOWN THE TREE AFTER ME. I THOUGHT TO MYSELF THAT ALL I HAD TO DO WAS TO STAND UP AND THAT SQUIRREL IS GONE. SO I STOOD UP, AND GUESS WHAT? THAT SQUIRREL CHARGED ME! QUICKLY I UN-NOCKED MY ARROW AND THUMPED HIM ON THE HEAD. HE JUST LOOKED AT ME (SHOCKED THAT I DID THAT) AND RAN OFF.

AT THIS TIME I WAS RELIEVED, BUT A LITTLE BUMMED OUT, BECAUSE OF ALL THE MOVING AROUND IN THAT STAND I WAS SURE NO BUCK IN HIS RIGHT MIND WOULD SHOW HIMSELF NOW. WITH THIS IN MIND I SAT DOWN ONCE AGAIN. JUST AS MY BUTT HIT THE SEAT AND MY ARROW NOCKED, RIGHT UNDERNEATH ME A NICE LITTLE 4 POINT MELTED OUT OF THE CREEK AND DECIDED TO COME EAT SOME BERRIES OFF THE BUSH NEXT TO MY STAND. THIS WAS WRONG! NO WAY COULD THIS BE HAPPENING! HE DIDN'T HAVE A CLUE I WAS EVEN THERE. BUT HE WAS TOO CLOSE, ONLY 5 YARDS MAX. I DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO BREATHE, BUT KNEW IT WAS TIME TO ACT. SO WHILE SEATED I SLOWLY DREW BACK MY BOW, AIMED RIGHT AT HIS HEART, AND I SENT MY 65 GRAIN PUNCHCUTTER FLYING RIGHT THROUGH HIM. HE JUMPED STRAIGHT UP IN THE AIR, AND THEN RAN ABOUT 30 YARDS, THEN STARTED WALKING. I COULD SEE A GOOD BLOODTRAIL FROM WHERE I WAS SITTING, SO I JUST WAITED. ABOUT 30 MINUTES LATER AND 125 YARDS AWAY I FOUND HIM DOWN IN A BEAN FIELD. IT WAS OVER.

NOT ONE OF THOSE MONSTERS THAT WAS CRUISING THROUGH THE FIELDS OVER THE SUMMER, BUT A NICE LITTLE BUCK NONE THE LESS, AND MY FIRST WITH A BOW. I HAVE KILLED MANY DEER IN MY DAY, BUT THIS WAS THE ULTIMATE. TED NUGENT WAS RIGHT... THIS IS AWESOME...BOWHUNTING.

THIS IS A TRUE STORY...HOPE I GET A CHANCE TO MEET THAT SQUIRREL AGAIN SOMEDAY.

COMING SOON..."THE BASS HOLE"