The Widow Wall is Back,

Thank you Roger,Toby and John for the NEW FRESH RELAUNCH. Been a good while, nice to see and hear from the Widow members once again.  Was playing around this morning setting up and editing my profile after getting registered. This morning is Ohio’s opening day of archery season and after a dismal and disappointing missed weather forecast of 91% chance rain at daybreak, I decided to sit the opener out. Normally I never miss an opening day no matter what BUT age and wisdom tell me maybe you don’t want to sit in a cold rain after three bouts COVID over the last two years. Sitting here thinking back and reminiscing One opener 42 years ago this week that was etched in my memory forever.

1980 first Saturday in October I was working night shift that season was young and indispensable back then was moving into our new farmhouse during midweek and didn’t sleep hardly at all that week moving took precedence. Between work and moving sleep wasn’t in the cards trying to get everything done before bow opener first Saturday in Oct. Well, that particular morning started out like any other opener walking in 1/2 mile deep into the section I climbed a very special tree I named OLD FAITHFUL many years back. The tree is located in a 4 way travel corridor that connected to a timbered creek bottom with four fence rows coming together up against big timber of the woods. Natural funneling point to and from the woods from four different fence rows meeting together in one corner of the Northwest part woods. As always got in the stand about 1/2 hour before daylight. WELL, let me tell you not sleeping for days on end and sitting in tree stands don’t mix well before daylight. Back in the day before safety harnesses were available you were at the Mercy of chance in any situation while hunting from above. My World changed in a click of a finger that morning.  You guessed it.!!! I fell asleep 16 foot above ground in my tree stand and let me tell what that’s like firsthand from ONE who survived a 16ft fall HEAD FIRST all the way to the ground. My wakeup calls that moment to a 16ft straight down headfirst descent was branches and leaves raking across my face and head as I was falling earthward. The first few feet I knew I was in a whole heap trouble I couldn’t have been more vertical straight up and down headfirst then I was during the fall. I was young, very strong, athletic and flexible at 21 years of age back then I weighed 145lbs. I was a gymnast for the better part of my school years up to 12K this was a huge factor in my surviving this fall. I spent hours on a trampoline doing suicide dives from several feet above the trampoline mat playing around during school gymnastic practices just before you hit the tramp mat you tuck your head and roll onto your shoulders and bounce back up. Only this time I didn’t have a surface with multiple springs under me to thrust me back upwards.

As I was falling, I extended my left arm outward and straight down so I could feel the ground before my face did, Afterall it was dark couldn’t see a thing on the fall earthward. I bounced pretty hard when I hit it was a brutal fall it was a brutal landing and the only take away when it was all over was, I picked myself up off the ground pretty fast and did my two second assessment of the damage done.

1. I was alive
2. I was up and standing wasn’t paralyzed or felt any broken bones
3. wasn’t bleeding that I could feel
4. pain wasn’t prevalent YET
5. get back to safety as fast as you can walk so if you pass out from internal hemorrhaging, they will see you lying in bean stubble field truck parked half mile away
6. Pain starts to really set in first 50 yds walking intense shoulder and neck pain
7. Becomes clear in need to make to the truck this is serious as it gets
8. Internal hemorrhaging was my #1 concern at this point
9. Am I going to survive

Well, I did survive, I did make it to my truck I did make the drive back to the house 3 1/2 miles away I did get my wife out bed unexpectedly and her driving to the EMERGENCY ROOM was rather quickly.

To all those Widow Wallers that was 42 years ago this week on a Saturday morning in the first week in October 1980. I wish everyone of you a very safe and successful Bow Season with your Black Widow bows. And the moral of this story is HARNESS UP your life can change click of a finger. I retrieved my bow and belongings the next morning from above. Now for the part that gives me goose bumps to this day. Under my stand in that corner was a very old half broken off really sharp Ol rusty fence post  sticking up out ground about two and half foot solid vertical jagged and sharp. I just missed it by few inches. God was with me that morning. Many many days I think back on that morning and this morning I wanted to share this story with all who ventures out into the wild with their bows in hand this hunting season. Deprived from sleep and tree stands don’t mix. Safe Hunting