Windows to the Soul
Part II


“BEEP!.. BEEP!.. BEEP!”. I rolled over, hit snooze, and pulled the pillow back over my head. I had tossed and turned all night thinking about the line I had set the day before and the image of the huge 11 point buck stuck in my mind. I was drained of strength, my hands were sore and my legs ached. I knew I had a full day ahead of me so I rolled out and felt my feet hit the cold hard wood floors. As I turned the alarm clock off so as not to wake the rest of the house, I read 4:33 in bright red numbers. The sweet aroma of coffee filled the house from the automatic coffee pot. I headed for the bathroom and I could feel a draft coming through the bathroom window while starting my morning shower. I stood under the hot water till I drained the tank, and then mustered enough energy to dry off. This was going to be a long day, even a long line if I didn’t start getting more sleep. After 3 cups of coffee and a stack of microwave pancakes, I pulled on my boots and headed out the door. I wanted to be on the first set at day light and home well before dark this evening. The temp had dropped below freezing some where after dark and the windshield of my Toyota 4X4 was cover with a white frost. I cranked the truck up to warm and made my way to the fur shed to check on some cats I had drying. Oh, it felt so good in the warmth of the fur shed. The oily scent of fur drying in the heat fills my nostrils. I ran my hand through fur from three large toms I had taken a few days before while in the river bottoms. Knowing the time was near I headed out the door locking it behind me. As I left the fur shed I could see a white line of light over the tree tops in the eastern sky. I knew that day break would be shortly thereafter. I could see the frost was gone from the windshield of my truck so I knew it would be warm inside. I made a fast walk to the truck while feeling the chill bumps pop up on my arms, I hopped in the truck and put it in gear, heading for another day on the line. My eyes still felt like they had sand in them, I had a ringing in my ear, I had pushed myself beyond exhalation.

With a short drive of 5 miles to the main gate, I knew I would be in the property and on my first set in a matter minutes. I could not wait to watch the dollar signs roll up today. With a few opened gates and a few bumps to the parking area, I was ready to unload the ATV. Oh, the cold bite at my finger tips, I could feel the frost around my ears. I knew warmth was several hours away, as I cranked the engine on my Honda. It slowly rolled over till it hit once and then went to a high ideal with a solid miss as it starved for air from the choke being engaged. I wipe the frost off the seat and rolled it down the ramp off the trailer. I went ahead and hopped on with the choke still on and the engine still missing, I lifted my left foot pulling it in gear with a slight grind and pulled along side the truck to load more gear. The sun was at the point of day break when it gives everything a foggy white glow, it almost looked as a dream, with shapes and figures recognizable, but no clarity or definition to them. I went ahead and hit the lights on the ATV for comfort sake, to give me a feeling other than that of a dream world. As I stepped off the Honda, something on the ground in the sand caught my eye. Over the years of rain and wind the gravel in the parking area had settled leaving a red clay sand covering most of the parking spot. The soft sand held track very well and displayed them till the next rain washed them into history. In the dim light given off by the ATV head lights, along with the foggy white light of the morning sun, I could see half dollar size depressions every where in the in the sand around the truck. It had not rained the night before and the area had been smooth an evening earlier. I made my way to the front of the Honda taking a closer look at the depressions. As I bent over, the light revealed deer tracks, large deer tracks. I stood and looked around the parking area to find a circle of tracks around where I had parked my truck the day before. I took a closer look and could see clear well defined cat tracks mixed in with the deer tracks. I followed the tracks around the front of my truck, down the passenger side, all the way around the trailer back to where my ATV tracks had started. I guess this deer was curious as was the cat. The sun had gained a lot of ground on the darkness at this point, so I loaded my gear letting the tracks slip to the back of my mind.

The wind nipped at my ears while tears ran from my eyes as I made my way onto the levee. I could see the bright organ flag twirling in the early morning breeze signaling my first stop. I turned the key off and the sound of the now warmed and well tuned engine faded, I could hear a flight of wood ducks rising in flight in retreating from the broken stillness of my arrival. Still sitting on the Honda, I could see my 7x7 air craft cable stretched tight leading into the deeper water at the cross over. I knew the 330 had done its job. In one fluid motion I stepped off the ATV dragging my setters out of the open top job box mounted to the rear rack. With just three steps I had the tie off cable in my right hand pulling on it.

“Oh yes,” I thought to myself as I felt the floating weight of a beaver at the other end. As the brown lump came into view in the mercy cold water the full weight of the animal could be felt. When the spring with the cable attached surfaced I reached with the setters in my left and used them as tongs keeping my hands warm and dry in my leather gloves. As I dragged the lifeless flat tail on to dry ground I released the tongs and threw them up to the ATV. Then with both hands I bent over, grasped the 330 and heaved the 50 plus pound animal trap and all toward the flat top of the levee. After a fall years before I learned to make the extra steps to level ground to reset a killer trap.

With my first catch of the day loaded on board and the set remade, I simply walked to the other side of the levee and repeated the process all over again. A double on the first cross over of the line, if this keeps up, I would have to make several trips to the truck to off load all the weight.

After checking a dozen and a half cross over set and with a full load of 7 beaver and a large male otter onboard I came to my first cat set. I slowed to a stop and gave it a good look over when movement to the right caught my eye. I looked toward a second cat set which I had placed some 40 feet way at an intersection with another levee. I could see the tattletale sign of what the set held with the two short, pointed ears sticking straight up. I could make out a small hump under the ears with the rest of the animal hidden in the sage grass that covered the area. A huge smile came across my face with the knowledge that I had taken my first cat off this line. With the sun now peering out through the trees giving off those wonderful rays of life I rode to within 10 feet of the set. Once stopped, I could see her pupils were contracting to slits no wider than a blade of grass. I cut the engine on the Honda to reveal the low rumbling growl from deep within the detained animal. When my foot hit the ground to step off the ATV she blew at once and lunged forward toward me off. Once at the end of her reach she crept back to the far side of the catch circle and crouched in the ready position again. I walked to the edge of the circle and squatted keeping my eyes locked with hers. I began to talk softly asking her questions as though she would reply. I kept a smile and pleasant look about me, making no movements other than with my mouth. After about a minute she broke eye contact and looked away as if to say you won.

After remaking the set I moved on through the line remaking and setting new locations. With four trips made to the truck to relieve the Honda of its load of burden I called it a day. While riding the ATV on the trailer I noticed the rear of my Toyota was setting low. I knew it was going to be a late night in the fur shed. The sun had slowly slide to the evening side of day casting its shadows to the east now. I still had 2 good hours of day light left and I wanted to make the best of them. With out delay I bound everything down and slide behind the wheel of the truck. With one last glance at the sandy area around the parking lot, I stopped and peered at the tracks that surrounded my fur wagon. I turned the key off, got out and proceeded to perform one of the oldest tricks in a trapper book. I stepped on every track I could see in the circle walked around my truck. I wanted to see if the deer would come back and check out the area once again.

After a full evening in the fur shed, stopping only long enough to eat dinner, the hot shower felt so good running over my head. I had dressed the cats first, fleshing and boarding them fur in. Once I had finished the coons, otter, and half the beaver, the cats were ready to be turned fur out. All I could muster that evening was to board the cats, the rest was hung in my cool room to air dry the fur over night. I would pile the fur in the freezer the next morning before heading out on the line. With one day behind me and cleaned up now, my head had hardly hit the pillow before I was asleep. With the call to attention of the alarm the next morning, I woke in the same position I had fallen asleep in, having moved not an inch. As my feet hit the cold floor I felt a burst of energy come over me, with a full nights rest, I was ready for the long day ahead. The temp had fallen even lower that night, but I was ready for the day. After filling in the gaps in my line, I now had 110 plus sets to check today. After storing the fur from the day before in the freezer, I hit the road running just a little behind, with day light catching me opening the first gate. Upon arriving at the parking area, I thought about the tracks I had smudged out the day before. With out stopping I could see the same pattern had been made again the second night also. It was the same big deer track making several trips around where my truck had been parked. Again there was one set of cat tracks in the mix. I thought to my self, I will fix this cat up for sure. I will set a trap just out of the parking area. I took the time right then to get the set ready and placed it just out of the area of the gate so someone opening the gate could not see a detained animal in the set. The sage grass was just right, the track had come from the pine thicket both nights, and I knew the next morning would hold the big cat making the tracks at the parking area. I am going to have to free up some cat boards soon I thought with a smile on my mind. I got home about the same time as the day before and dressed the animals in the same order. I was ready for bed just so I could hurry up and arrive back at the parking area to remove my big tom cat. That night as the night before, I didn’t even wiggle in the bed I was so tired. I know the secret to getting a good night sleep is not sold in a bottle, but rather in a hard days work.

The next morning I rose ahead of the alarm and was ready to go in a matter of minutes. I did not take my morning shower as I was so ready to get to the parking area. I could feel the cat was there. I rushed through all my morning rituals and headed out the door. The temp was in the upper 20’s with a warm front marching north today. They predicted high was only to be in the low 40’s with high humidity. The forecast called for a large cold front in later that week bringing rain. I warmed the truck, gathered gear, stored fur and headed for the big tom that was waiting on me. I had worked up a sweat getting out the door so early. I was ready. I had made such good time, I arrived at the parking area a while the sun was trying to make up it’s mind about rising. I stopped the truck, got out and in the darkness could not see the sandy area around me. I reached back in the Toyota to retrieve the MagLite I keep under the seat. As its brilliant white light illuminated the area where the deer and cat had walked two nights in a row, there was nothing. Old tracks smudged out the night before by my very own boot. No cat tracks, no deer tracks, just my tracks. My joyful morning smile got bigger as I knew they had not come back to the parking area for a reason. I proceeded to drop the ramp on the trailer and gear up for the long day ahead.

The sun’s light of redemption was still making it way into the black gray sky to the east when I started toward the cat set. I used my MagLight to aid in the short walk and carried nothing to check the set. As I drew near, I could sense movement near the set. I quickly turned my light down the small trail where the motion came from and like reflectors on a street sign, there sat a pair of white glowing eyes in the beam of light.

“Oh my,” I thought judging the distance between the large reflectors looking back at me.

I speed up my pace just a step or two and drew near enough to see I had a monster tom. I could feel the adrenalin flow its magic power through my body. My heart beat increased and my hands began to sweat. This is what I live for, I thought. I could see he was held by his whole front left foot just as all my cats are. I knew he was there for the duration, so I turned and made my way back to the truck to retrieve my set box full of tools and my digital camera. I slowed my pace as I knew I wanted some good pictures and I would need the light the sun would offer me. I gathered the gear I needed for the dispatch and remake and turned the Honda off, which I had left running to warm up.

The sun had now risen to that soft ghostly glowing white fog at this point. I slowly walked back to the set and peered down the trail toward my prize catch. With every step I could hear his growl grow deeper. I could see the fire flying from his eyes as small puffs of smoke left his nose, as he watched my approach. Once I reached the catch circle, I set my hand box down and began adjusting the camera for that perfect shot. I snapped seven or eight good shoots, some with his ears laid back and showing his teeth. As I bent to put the camera away he lunged toward me snarling as he came to a sudden stop. He retreated to the other side of the catch circle and laid down flat on his belly ready to lunge again. I kneeled and began to talk to him, offering comfort with every question I ask. I could not get over the power which he had in his front legs. He was broad across his shoulders with a huge girth around his chest. His eyes looked as if there were sparks flying from them as we stared one another down. He laid his ears back flat on his head. As I continued to calm him with my voice his pupils began to open fully with his ears starting to stand up right again. He was getting settled with me being there. While I sat there motionless with only my mouth moving he turned his eyes away from me. I kept talking while watching him relax when I heard a twig snap behind me. All at once his eye trained on something behind me and he tensed up tight as a hat band. He stood to his feet and started making a hissing whining noise of fear as his pupils grew wide and full with no concern about me. As I rolled my head to the right to look behind me, I reached my right hand to the .22 cal Smith & Wesson I keep on my hip. While rolling my whole body around a huge lump of brown hair came into focus. I fell on my rump and was sitting there looking at three huge 11 pt bucks standing tip to tail in a row quartering their line so they could all take a look. The first one was less than ten feet away. Motionlessly they stood there looking at me with big cold black eyes rolled around checking me out. Deer are graceful animals, pleasing to look upon, but fear sweep over me as I sensed no peace about these beasts. Evil radiated from them like a Tesla coil. I had no place to neither hide nor run, except a few small pine saplings not large enough to climb. I grasped my pistol so tight I could feel every grove in the checkering of the grip. I knew any shot would have to be perfect due to the CB Caps with which I had it loaded. I could see their nostrils expanding and contracting with every breath, but no steam was exhausted. There I sat looking at three identical record book bucks fearing for my life. How could this be? There was no difference between them, right down to the broken tip on the G2 on the right side. In my mind I photographed every aspect of these majestic beasts as they stared me down with harm in their eyes. The cat was still whining behind me and I could hear the chain rattling. I adjusted my body to the side to gain distance between the cat and myself. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the large tom was pulling back wards on the chain trying to remove himself from the presence of these hungry beasts that stood before us. As I sat there gripped by fear a ray of sun light shown throw the pine saplings and at the end of its journey to earth, rested on the face of the lead beast. At that moment the buck bolted forward leaping over my legs and landing at the anchor spot of the chain which held the trapped tom. He then cleared the cat with one bound disappearing into the darkness that still settled over the pine thicket. The tom which had been digging backwards laid down flat and ducted his head. Like dominos falling, the other two beast followed suite in the same manner. Just as quietly as they had come, they were gone. Only a low hanging pine limb, swaying after their departure remained. I jumped to my feet drawing my pistol and looked around in fear. As I moved, keeping my eyes up looking for a return approach, I stumbled over something at my feet as I caught my balance and made a quick glance down I found the tom cat on my side of the catch circle looking where the beast had gone. He made no attempt to get out of my way, with concern that I was standing there.

At once I gained my composure and headed for my catch pole on the Honda. Upon returning, the tom put up no fight to the catch pole noose and allowed me to remove his foot from the MB 550. After I released him from the catch pole, he stood there looking at me then back to the direction the beast had left. I picked up my hand box with the camera in it and headed for the truck. As I turned my head back, keeping an eye over my shoulder, I caught site of the tom hot on my heels. I stopped afraid he was going to attack me from behind. I turned to face him head on and he looked over his shoulder. I could see he was letting me know he wanted nothing but to leave this place. As we entered the opening of the parking area, the tom made a run for it. I watched as he disappeared out of site down the road into the soft gray sunlight. I opened the door to my truck while punching numbers into my cell phone. As my rear hit the seat a voice boomed in the ear piece.

“Good morning Mike, what are you doing calling this early? Is there a problem?”

“Yes there is a problem! What kind of deer are you growing inside these fences?” I asked.

There was a long pause. Then with a softer voice Don said, “I am on my way up there, just wait around the parking area and we will talk.”
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If I have to explain it, you would not understand.