"After learning that the rain and wind were the only real threats," the hunter continued, "I began getting my hunting gear ready. I would never have considered taking my son out in such a mess, but having been in the construction business a long time, I know that many of my off days are going to be when the weather is bad, and I've learned not to pass up many hunting opportunities."

Driving to the property, Key's primary concern was the wind, which seemed to be swirling in every direction. Having placed the ladder stand within shotgun range of the scrapes and rubs, there was a high likelihood that his scent would be a prohibitive factor when it came to sighting deer.

"Fortunately, as I was walking to the stand I began smelling a skunk, and the closer I got, the stronger the odor," Key said. "While it wasn't pleasant, I certainly couldn't think of anything better to mask my scent.

"My only other concern was the shotgun. I was using my 12-gauge Beretta duck gun, but I had no idea of its accuracy in regard to shooting rifled slugs. In fact, my confidence level was to the point that I loaded two rounds of buckshot behind the slug, just in case my first shot completely missed."

Because of the steady rain, the hunter brought along a small umbrella that he had received as a gift a couple of years earlier. The bottom of the umbrella's shaft was threaded, allowing it to screw directly into the tree.

"The umbrella was a definite asset in regard to keeping the rain off," Key said. "But the raindrops sounded like they were falling on a drum. I kept thinking every deer in the county could hear the noise."

Key had positioned the ladder stand in open hardwoods approximately 30 yards from the edge of the thick pines. A year or so earlier, the big pine timber had been selectively cut, but the hardwoods were left alone. A few pockets of thick undergrowth were scattered about, but for the most part, the hunter had a relatively good view of the surrounding woods.

The combination of wind and rain had virtually eliminated all natural sounds from the hunting equation, therefore Key had to be constantly alert to detect any sign of deer movement. About 30 minutes after getting settled, the hunter glanced to his right and spotted a buck about 35 yards away walking in his direction. Within seconds, the deer disappeared in the thick pines behind him. Rain blowing into his face had made seeing extremely difficult, but he was sure the buck's rack extended out beyond its ears.

"I tried every way in the world to stand up on the rungs of the ladder and look behind me, but I just couldn't see the deer," Key described. "I knew the buck had a fairly good spread and a few tall tines, but I couldn't count points or determine much else.

"I continued to watch, particularly around the pine thicket, but the buck seemed to have vanished," Key noted. "After about 20 minutes, I took out a grunt call and grunted two or three times. I felt sure the buck was still nearby and I thought that might trigger some activity."

In this instance, Key couldn't have been more correct. Within minutes of blowing the call, a huge buck walked out of the pines and stopped 30 yards away, facing slightly away from the hunter's location.