then you have friends that intend to roast you to a new level !!!
Welcome to the world of
...2005...
...2006
Click Here to return to 10hp Main Page
This was a fine opportunity for me to follow along far enough behind so Mike wouldn't know I was a following him and maybe get lucky enough to capture a photo or two and maybe get another good documentory for ya'll to read about. By golly it's a good thing I decided to do just that. Having my camo clothes with me came in real handy and helped me get up nice and close for some mind blowin pictures. I really hoped to get a good picture of that big ol buck with Mike's famous lure stuck in its lip!
I mentioned to Murphy, Chopper, Rich and few other fellows that we maybe shouldn't let Mike be out there in the wilderness all by himself. He probably wiped his hands on his pants after handling those tubes that Rich soaked with that powerful Doe-in-Heat formula. Ain't nothing good gonna come of that! Well me and the boys rallied together, gathered up some outdoor stuff, vacation stuff too, cause ya'll know we going to enjoy this trip! Being my vacation trailer is up in the direction we last saw Mike heading I suggested everyone meet there. I got this nice trailer and 10 acres of land for a song & a dance, not to brag much! It's real easy to find and I named it after my email dubdu.... Check it out..... 
Knowing there was plenty of room for the guys to park and store all their stuff I told them to bring anything they wanted. I probably shouldn't have done that. Man I never knew these guys had all this kind of stuff or I'd a been camping and vacationing with them a long time ago. They must've been born party people cause they sure got it together. First one to arrive was Chopper leading the caravan on his home designed motorcycle. Man did he make an impression. Must've put a lot of fishing lure money into that bike! By God the Hell's Angels would like to have him in their design shop. Dudes!, check out his bike. 
Our hero Murphy was following right behind like always. He hired a crew just to get all his stuff here. I hollered across the yard, "park that stuff wherever you want". Then I saw that Murphy brought his big house boat he won at some tournament a couple years ago. Holly crap! I hoped it would launch off my ramp into that shallow water in the lake. He said no problem, slid it right in and parked it right up on the gravel shoreline. He assured me you couldn't damage the bottom cause it was built out of an old coal barge. Reckon he was right. There sure is enough room for all of us. Too bad he can't get this on Tappan Lake! 
I don't know how Murphy backed that big boat down that ramp with a full sized slide in camper on the back of his rent a exteeeeeend a cab truck. Never seen anything like that truck before. Don't know how ya could pass a can of beans & weenies from the camper window to the slide window of the truck. Maybe Chopper rode up alongside and handed it in. 
As you may have noticed it had snowed everywhere because by the time they got everything parked and situated it was wintertime. That weren't no problem cause I had plenty of propane to heat the trailer till spring. We had a great time telling stories, watching the lake freeze over, cooking meals meant only for real outdoorsmen like us. I reckon we went through 12 hundred pounds of beans, weenies & hot peppers in a couple months. Then when the Easter snow came someone mentioned what are we gonna do about finding Mike? Gee Whiz! I knew we were up here for some other reason. Just got lost in the fun and time slipped by purty quick. Well the thaw was happening and some snow was still covering the ground, but by golly Murphy saved the rescue mission with bringing that Monster 4 wheeler of his. He said we could all ride it at one time. When I saw it I gasped for air and about swallowed my adams apple. We'd need an escalator to get up there, then I had a vision about all them beans, weenies & hot peppers! No way! Lookie here & ya'll know what I mean. 
The local terrain was a bit rough in places and I could see where that big machine may come in handy. After tossing around several ideas on which way Mike may have headed I brought up some information that my good hearted neighbors relayed to me over the past few months. I spent many a day sittin on my porch watching for any sign that Mike may be around. One piece of information seemed to be the one to lead out on first. One of the neighbors snapped a picture of a stranger in the area that traded some cash, an old bass boat & motor and some green moldy sandwiches for a leisure boat one of the locals had down at the dock and boat store. We decided to send one of us down there to check it out.--Sure enough they recognized his picture and gave us one of him driving the boat he got in a westward direction mumbling something about a tube and a big ol' buck. We knew we was on the right trail now! 
...
It must've taken a bit too long getting this information cause when we got back to my trailer, my buddy Danny Miles had showed up just a bit late but was all excited about his new truck and some idea he put together for us to enjoy. So he set that contraption up next to the trailer and got it a working but couldn't decide to keep the people warm or the beer cold. Well by the looks of this ya'll can guess what had priority! 
The next morning me & Murphy took off to scout around for sign of Mike. Chopper wanted to go, but we talked him in to staying at home base and keeping the beans & weenies warm. While we were riding the terrain a few hundred yards out we saw Gunny & Beamer pull in and start unloading some stuff. Then we saw smoke billowing and what looked to be BBQ in the makings. We headed back right away. Gunny brought his new BBQ grill. Says he can get a few more real cheap. Dang thing sets up real fast and you can deliver the food hot on the grill. Don't know why we never thought about making something like that. I bought one and Murphy wanted two! Check it out... 
After the BBQ I went back out next morning at early sunrise on foot. It wasn't too bad a day and snow was melting in the clear sky and direct sunlight. Seemed like warm weather was on us at last. The leftover snow was soft and didn't make much crunching noise. Sure made for a nice picture, so I took one anyway so ya'll could see how nice my tripod works...and also the direction I was headed. 
I didn't get far before I spotted some movement way out on the woodline and a strange glow of a familiar color not really associated with the sunlight. Knowing something that unusual needs attention paid to it I trodded onward keeping my camera close to my armpit to keep it warm. Soon enough I spotted some tracks in the melting snow. Two sets for sure. One was a human and the other looked like a Big Deer, maybe that big ol' buck. Well I didn't want to give myself away with my scent being maybe a bit strong after wallowing in that hot tub truck with beer water soaking into my skin, so I took my only food source, a can of beans & weenies, opened it and poured a little of that juice on my jacket sleeves. Around here the smell of them things is everywhere and natural to all the local animals. So I crawl on my belly for what seemed to be a trip from New York to alaska and got close enough to see something that made my heart stop, my eyelids froze and a funny warm spot appeared in my fruit of the looms. There in front of me was that BIG OL' BUCK with that awful chartreuse yellow grubby tube a stickin out of its lip and he was a starin right in my direction. Don't believe that huh? Well lookie here and see for yourself!!! * * * * * * 
Now ya'll know I ain't lying. I don't know how I got that picture since I was a shakin so bad anyone would have thought I was tryin to make snow angels. When that camera clicked, the hair on that bucks neck stood up and fire came out of his eyes. He lowered his head and started to snort before the charge, but that nasty old lure was keeping his mouth shut and no snort came, just a wheeze or it could have been some sort of deer cuss word! Don't matter what it was cause I heard another noise off to my left and a human voice saying "you stupid @$%$&#&#$^*$ nature picture taking idiot," while that buck & him was a running off into the woods towards the lake. Well by then my heart was a working again and I realized that voice was our buddy Mike. Weren't no sense chasing after him cause I know he'd outrun that buck sooner or later and I can't run that fast. I radioed back to camp and told them what had happened. They wanted to know if that buck was really that big and somewhere through my studdering I guess I said yeah it is! I also told him to come out with the big 4 wheeler and bring my boat. Chopper said his friend brought some hunting equipment and would send out a gun that would take care of that Ol Buck. We thanked his friend, who most call FMJ, that means full metal jacket, and he wears one too. Here's a photo of FMJ and his superior deer gun.... * * * * * * 
While I was waiting for the boys to show up I kept closing the gap between me & Mike chasing that buck. Weren't hard to keep track. The crows were pickin up those empty sardine cans and a flyin up in the trees with them to suck up the juice. Well the sun reflects off them pretty good like a beacon. Could have followed the tracks in the snow, but this was a superior method of tracking. Mike and that buck were awful close to the lake and the ice was off, so I expected to be hearing a big splash anytime and knew I needed my boat. The boys showed up mighty quick since one turn of those giant tires cover a quarter of a mile. We got the boat down to the lake just in time to hear a splash and watch a man try running on water. He was swimming before long. Me and Murphy fired up my boat and took after Mike and that buck. By the time I got close enough to start photographing, Mike already had a hold on that buck and was giving him a terrible nightmare. We were moving at a good clip and got close enough to see Mike rip off those magnificent antlers one at a time, beat that poor ol buck over the head till they broke into useless pieces. He didn't give up either. He got up around that buck's neck and we got this photo from some local in a boat fishing for trout, before something happened that I don't think anyone would want to see on film! I know I couldn't take the picture. Look at this mess..... 
Once Mike got ahold of that buck's ears things got real ugly and somewhat XXX rated! There was squeeling, gagging and other erie noises then they both disappeared under the surface. A few bubbles rose to the top, then an erie glow began to rise towards the surface. Suddenly a hand appeared clutching the ugliest chartreuse yellow grubby tube with what appeared to be porkrind as a trailer. That trailer turned out to be that buck's lip! We thinks Mike bit the buck's lip off! Right behind that Mike's head popped above the surfrace with this warped out un-Godly grin on his face and a look in his eye like that first time he got something he wanted. We pulled him in the boat and headed back to camp before he got hypothermia. Never gave it a thought he'd been out here all winter in that flannel jacket and that didn't bother him any. We radioed in that we got Mike and they needed to pack it up so we can get him home pronto. Folks back there may like to see him alive instead of trying to believe that story about him running off into the sunset chasing a buck and his tube. They were ready when we got there and off to home we went. Mike didn't say much the whole time, just kept staring at that tube and mumbling something about this is the only piedmont tube! So we arrived at Mike's and the whole neighborhood was set up to party. Mike had no objection to us using his Jacuzzi and letting us play horseshoes with Murphy & Choppers personal set. A one of a kind set I hear. While we were having fun Mike was looking over the shoulder of the guy he hired to prototype a new fish finder. I got the evidence...Look at this. 
...
Mike is in much better shape now that things are in order and assured us he would get the 2007 season off to a great start, thanked us for coming after him and showing such concern....since we partied most of the winter! Heard he may take up bull riding this year for something to do. Thanks to all who are part of the GOTCHA stories and don't mind being roasted a little. Hope to roast your _ _ _ next season. Best Regards, Your WebMaster, Rick Duill |