Stories from the Front

December 2nd, 2005 about 9:11 AM

For those who have never seen Joe's treehouse, I'm contributing photos of the scene of the "crash". The small piece of ladder that you see under the stand is what I had in my hand when the big crash happened." - Brent McKee

Editors Note: Saw Brent today and he is fairing much better and he is walking. Also, uploaded the pictures he is talking about into the body of his story below.

November 30th, 2005 about 8:48 AM

"...and by the time I heard the crack it, was to late."
by Brent McKee

Am I first? Well, Monday wasn't a good day. Too warm and windy, nobody wanted to shoot anything, as we would have had to immediately skin and quarter the deer. I believe we all agree that we have been pretty successfull with the way we handle the processing. Tuesday was looking pretty bleak as well, until the last twenty minutes of the day. I heard Todd shoot first. He called me to tell me that with his expert marksmanship (RIGHT!) he both shot the deer and began the field dressing process (gut shot). I told him that I would be over to help him as soon as I killed the doe that was under my stand. I wanted her to walk in front of Joes stand (more on that soon), so I didn't have to drag her at all. About that time, I heard Larry shoot (another "Kentucky windage" shot) and the doe turned as if she was going to run away from me, so I went ahead and shot her. Things sound like everything is going great, right? Well...you know how things run through your mind, little thoughts that you should have paid just a little more attention to! As I climbed the ladder into Joe's treehouse, I thought, "This ladder sure seems a little soft". At one point I was thinking, "There's an old extension ladder up on the hill, we need to bring it down here an' replace this ladder." Well, now the part about not paying attention to these kinds of thoughts. Knowing that Todd was tracking his deer; I had one dead under the stand still needing field dressed, and unsure if Larry had hit something, and darkness rapidly approaching. I closed the windows to the treehouse, and started for the ladder. As I started out the door, I noticed that part of the hand rail had come off. I started to put it back on but realized that the wood was so rotten that it was soft. SOFT and ROTTEN are not good words to be associated with something like ladders. The main beams of the ladder is made from the same type of wood that the handrail was, only slightly larger. I turned and stepped my right foot on the first rung to begin the desent. I transferred my weight to my right foot, and by the time I heard the crack it, was to late. I struck my left knee on the platform and made a grab at it on the way by. Even though these things happen in a flash, parts of it seem like slow motion. I landed on my feet and rolled to my left. Other than having the wind knocked out of me, I thought I was OK, and I remember thinking, "Joe's gonna be pissed at me for breaking his ladder" and it was then that I tried to get up. I couldn't (editor's note: The drop from the platform to the ground is at least fifteen feet!). It also dawned on me that my right ankle really, really hurt. To wrap this up; after calling Dean at work to get Larry's cell number, Larry came to get me and my deer and we went to the house. My hunting for this year is likely done, depending on what the x-ray shows that I'm about ready to go get. Walking is a real challenge this morning. I'm glad that it was me that broke the ladder, and not Larry. More on the x-ray later.

Brent McKee, Warsaw, Ohio

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