[Steve Kleist]

Hi Charlie.
I enjoy your posts.
On the northern Minnesota deer opener this year, I went along duck hunting with my two grown sons. As an extra gun I had my 28 ga Parker and two (only two) 28 ga paper slugs given to me by a friend. Rather than hunt ducks with them for the first hour I hiked in about a mile and stood in my orange parka and my two slugs. I thought "wouldn't that be a story to shoot a nice buck with a small gauge Parker?" ....Well, after about an hour on the stand, a big 10 pointer with a big wide rack walked out along a deer run at about 30 yards. I had only one quick chance for a shot. In a hurry, I reached for the 28 leaning against an aspen tree and must have made some noise. The buck detected me before I was ready and angled off through a grassy winter logging road. My only shot would have been a rump or gut shot. One mile in and only two chances, I opted not to shoot, and then, as they say in the UP of Michigan, "There he was.......gone."
I think I did the right thing not to shoot. As an old timer, I have had plenty of outdoor opportunities in my life. Besides, today's screw ups are tomorrow's campfire stories..."and I'm sticking to it."
Best Fishes,
Steve Kleist Ely, MN