I have always loved a good practical joke!  One that is full of things that really make you grin and laugh and at the bottom line, no body is hurt by it.  I love that sort of thing.  It may be something that takes days or weeks to finally come to fruition, or maybe just a few moments, but at any rate I love that sort of thing.

On our muzzleloader deer hunt this year there was just this sort of joke pulled off and it was done in a wonderful manner.

As a bit of a background, we have a running tab going between myself and Magpie that when the vehicles leave the camp in the morning, the first one back with a buck wins.  I have lost this many years in a row.  Not because the guys in my vehicle can’t shoot straight, but Magpie’s group must have better eyes than my guys.  I really don’t know why, but Magpie and his vehicle always seems to come into camp with a deer, long before mine.

And so, this year as the vehicle I was driving came slowly and dust free back into camp,  it was no surprise to see a deer hanging on the ying-yang tree, and Magpie and his crew sitting around enjoying the fire.

My guys and me, all looked at the deer hanging there all covered up in a game bag and the first question asked, as usual, was “Who got the deer?”  Looking around the fire I did not see anyone with the usual blood stains on their pants or leathers.  But then, they could have changed or could have done such an outstanding job of cleaning the animal that they came away without any blood getting on them.

And with some hesitation Softball tells Edjukateer that he needs to come forward.  Which he does, and he says, “It’s only an eight inch buck!”  An Eight Inch Buck!  Hell fire, that is a big buck for our gang!  Let’s go see it.

And the group gathers at the hanging tree for the unveiling.

We are thinking, wow, Magpie and his crew have beat us once again.  When will this beating ever end?  And then Edjukateer joins the Magpie to uncover the deer!

That isn’t a deer!  It’s a sleeping bag!

We have been duped!  But wait there is more!

It truly WAS an eight inch buck!  An eight inch Buck Knife!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!  A very good practical joke was pulled on us!  None of us saw that there were no deer legs sticking out of the top of the bag!  None of us saw the bag was not fully closed at the tie off strings!  None of us noticed the lack of blood that is usually staining the game bag!  Nor the lack of antlers protruding from inside the bag.  Oh, were we ever tricked by that one!

I still laugh about that to this day!  Very good fellas but wait until it is your turn!  Maybe next year?

Thanks for the photos Dry Dog!  Well done!

Bears Butt

Oct. 2011