We made the decision to NOT go all around the place getting game cam cards on Friday. Go in stealthy and make it a surprise. Got to camp and noticed a few wasps. I'm allergic to red ones, not sure about the yella jackets that are on the camper. Start spraying and they just kept coming out dropping by the dozen. Must have been over 100, but at least I managed to not get stung. Can't say I slept all that great.

Saturday morning I hunted our big bad arse blind. About halfway into my walk I hear hogs about 10 yards away. Puckered up a bit, but kept the lights off and kept moving. Got to the top of the stairs and noticed a smoky smell. Quietly, got in the blind with lights off and the first thing I noticed was all the felt window covers were all torn up. Grabbed a chair to pull it to me and my hand was all sticky. WTH? Turn on my headlamp and the entire inside of the blind is covered in sticky soot. Covers and carpet melted/burned. The blind got hit by lightning in the storms mid-week. One corner is all melted and busted up. Gonna have to gut the carpet, clean it up, and patch it. New windows too. We had one folding chair in the corner I could use so at least I got to hunt. I thought two things... at least we weren't in it at the time and the windows that mattered still open. And on the bright side, the sure as heck didn't smell me. Had a few walk right under me with the windows wide open.

That afternoon I headed to the north stand on a bluff that overlooks a creek draw. My brother hunted there in the morning and watched a 3.5 year old 8 pt that had a hot doe holed up on the creek right below the stand. When I got there they had moved a bit north in some thickets by the property line. I saw him chase off a little 6 pt so I knew where he was. He and the doe crossed into the neighbor's hay pasture. Then BOOM so dang loud I could feel it. Got out my specs and saw the neighbor to the north hanging out his stand aiming at the buck. Our blinds are 600 yards apart and about equal distance from the property line. The deer didn't move... then watched four more shots. They never flinched, just slowly walked off to the east. Not to be judgmental... nothing illegal about it, but it is disappointing to find out that your neighbor doesn't have the same perspective.

Neighbors to the west don't hunt and it is a big place. We have a ravine on that side with a feeder and stand. Last year there were 3 decent bucks that didn't show up anywhere else. It's our "management" area, meaning anything that is nice but not quite a wall hanger gets a walk. We're trying to end up with life time bucks. Last year we had a 4 year old 10 point that had good length but not a lot of mass. Well, he showed up and had a lot more mass. But, he had broken off the left side just past the brow tine. Dang it, at least he is still kickin' and maybe he'll survive till next year and be the one.

I decided to fill feeders and head home. Will be back next weekend, hopefully without any new surprises.

To each their own, I stopped judging what others would or could shoot years ago. To each their own as long as they are shooting on their property in a safe manner to not harm myself.

Agreed. To be clear, his stand is high up on the other side and ours is way up, too. He wasn't shooting towards me at all.

But I gotta say... if I shoot and miss I'm not taking the same shot again. Something is clearly wrong and taking more shots will likely lead to a wounded animal.

wow man what a weekend. The lightning damage is an odd twist

It never fails on Opening Morning that I don’t hear at least one three-shot blast from a distant hunter. And every time it happens I always smile and say to myself, “Yes, that deer is still running.” Heck, it wouldn’t be Opening Day without it.

I have to wonder if they’re the ones who after they get back to camp and get asked, swear it was a hunter on a neighboring property who must have fired the shots.

Great story there LC despite the issues. Good luck next weekend.

I’ve emptied my gun a few times. Couple years actually was one of those times, solid hit the first shot just a little far back he soaked it up like nothing and was headed towards the fence running flat out as fast as he could, missed the second shot, hit him again with the 3rd forward towards the brisket, missed the 4th shot, and finally got a neck shot to finish him on my 5th and final shot. Ive hit deer behind the shoulder with a .270 and lost them. 100% sure they died but on the neighbors place and I couldn’t retrieve them, so I shoot until they are down. Now I’ve learned a high shoulder shot usually anchors them so that’s my new favorite shot placement. Was taught as a kid to shoot behind the shoulder to save meat but once I lost a few and learned there’s not enough meat on a shoulder to worry about it’s high shoulder shots from here on out.

Big difference is that you connected first shot. You know you are sighted in... you're just finishing up.

Our neighbors had a tower blind burn to the ground. Had to have been lightening. Would have sucked to be in it!

I've always been a neck shot guy. My 14 yr old seems to be settling into being a high shoulder shot kind of guy and it's driving me nuts. I'm getting tired of having to deal with the red jelly where meat is supposed to be. Don't get me wrong, I'm tickled to death he's knocking them down and not gut shooting them or worse, just asked him to try a neck shot next time it's not one we would mount.

Blind pics, it ran down this corner.

Crazy...never heard of lightning hitting a deer stand!!

Metal roof and steel legs and/or tie down cables anchored into the ground often times on higher ground in an open area? Probably happens a lot more often than we know.

I have several steel ladder stands, but you’ll never find me in one of them during a lightning storm.

Seen too many neck shots go bad. I’ll neck shoot doe if I’m rock solid and feel comfortable with the distance. Not gonna ask my kids to try it though, bigger target at the shoulder with less room for error.

Wow that is impressive and scary at the same time. I’ve weathered some storms in blinds