Well boys I've seen a lot of strange things over the years in the deer woods. Today just might top them all.

Camped last night all tucked up into the lee of a small ridge that divides our farm's high ground from the bottom land along the creek.
The wind was so high all night couldn't sleep, so my brother and I pretty much just sat up all night feedin' the fire and chewin' the fat, and hoping the wind would lay down by morning.

When morning came we both felt like about 40 acres of crop failure (equivalent to a really bad hangover) from no sleep.

So we rustled up some coffee and bacon, and wolfed down a handful of cornbread, filled our water bottles at the spring, and lit out for our respective huntin' spots for the day.

Keep in mind the wind was blowin' about 10-12 mph at dawn, and didn't seem like it was going to let up. Once I got set up in my brush pile and downed tree blind, I was cozy as could be. After about 4 hours of sitting still and listening to the wind grow steadily stronger all morning, I decided it was time to get up and stretch for a bit. So I crawled out of my blind, and quietly slipped down to the creek bank where it makes a big lazy bend to the northwest, and you can see around for a good bit. Now just upstream from where I'm standing and looking around, is a beaver dam, built pretty much in the same place on the creek almost every year. From the dam, and on through the big bend downstream for a good mile the creek is fairly deep and well protected by the high banks and the dense woods that grows right down to edge.

This is the part of the story where get I to the "meat" of the tale. Now I've been living, working, hunting, trapping on this land most of my life, and there's not one square foot of it I haven't walked over in all weather, in every season. But when I got down to that flat broad stretch of water, and mercifully out of the ever increasing wind, my eyes just couldn't believe what I was seeing.

The surface of the creek was covered with geese, and ducks like I've never seen before, I mean you couldn't have squeezed one more bird on that water if you had lubed them up with lard. And folks this is not big water fowl country. I've my fair share of Mallards and Wood ducks out our way, and of course Canadian geese, but nothing like this before. I was so amazed I just sat down on the edge of the woods, propped my rifle against a tree, and forgot all about deer hunting.

Now I know it was windy, and I could tell there was a change in the weather comin', but I had no idea what ol' Mother Nature had in store for the rest of the day. After sitting in utter amazement for what must have been at least two hours, the thought hit me that I needed to go drag my brother down to the creek so he could see it for himself, just to make sure I wasn't losing my marbles. So I found him, and back to the creek we went. By this time another hour or so had passed, and I was worried as we made our way through the woods that the creek would be empty when we got back, and I would soon be on the way to the looney bin, mumbling and droolin' about the crazy sight I had seen.

However, to my immense relief, all was still the same as I led my brother back to the edge of the woods and we both sat down on the creek bank, and started jabbering like to two 10 year old boys at what we were seeing.

Now jump ahead to about 3:30 this afternoon. By now it was pouring down sheets of rain, and the wind had kicked up to 25-30 mph, with gusts up to 50 or so. And the temp had actually gotten warmer, 60 deg. or so I'm guessing. Sure glad I had greased by mocs and other gear by the fire last night.

As my brother and I were now walking out of the woods, and entering our open pasture land on our farm, the wind hit us full force, swirling around from the southwest one minute, and hitting us from the northeast the next. It was like the blind leading the blind, and the sky was as black as midnight to the southwest, and rapidly swallowing up what little sunshine was left. And for the first time in my life, I was completely disoriented as to my location on my own land. With lightning flashing, thunder crashing, and horizontal rain I was getting a little worried that our fat was really in the fire this time.

And that's when it hit me, we were in the middle of a full blown tornado, well not literally in the middle, but you get my drift. And not ten minutes later, dead silence, rain stopped, hardly any wind, and then blamo. Twister on the ground less then a 1/4 mile or so to our south, and it appeared it was headed straight for us. The nearest cover was either back to the creek with it's high banks, but that was back in the direction of the oncoming nightmare. That's when my brother screamed in my ear over the freight train sound of the wind as it had regained it's full strength. He was trying to tell me something, as we were running for the creek, powder horns, pouches and haversacks flapping as we ran. Finally he just grabbed me by my old frock and dragged me toward the woods, and I just followed him. Guess his memory is better than mine (he is five years younger). Soon after he basically threw me to the ground, and we both dropped down below the level of the pasture.

About six feet in fact. Luckily my little brother had remembered the big soil test hole we had dug a few years earlier, and left uncovered to use as a makeshift fowling blind. Well I'm sure thankful he did remember it, cause I'm pretty sure it's the only thing that saved our bacon today, that and the good Lord above was obviously looking out for us both. I believe if we hadn't hunkered down in that little water filled hole today, it's possible we might be in Southeastern Michigan, or Northeastern Ohio by now.

And now, warm, safe and dry in my home this evening I'm thankful that all my friends and family are safe and sound. We did lose a couple of outbuildings, and part of the roof is off the big barn, but my people are all o.k., and it didn't even touch our house. I did hear on the news a bit ago that in town just southeast of me we did have quite a bit of damage to buildings, and several cars, and one tractor trailer turned over.

Now what I'm wondering is how long did all those geese and ducks know all this was coming, and what made them pick our humble little patch of God's creation to ride it out in? Sure wish I had had a camera along to take some photos, but like I said I'm just glad we made it home safe and as far as I know no one was hurt anywhere in Indiana that I know of.

And I hope that you all here at the fire are safe and sound where ever you may be this evening.

God bless,

Fin

Quite a story. Glad to hear that you are safe.
Wildlife are amazing for knowing when to take shelter.
Several years ago a tornado swept through this area, straight toward my daughter's house. Amazingly, it tore away the wooden privacy fence around her back yard, but then it jumped clean over her house and torn out the big oak tree in her front yard. The only damage to the house was the loss of a half dozen shingles. Some of her neighbor's were not so lucky.

Glad you Nd your brother are alright thanks for sharing

Holy crap on a cracker! I ain't ever even heard of anything like that in hunting season around here. We get -40c temps in late season to +32c in early season. Rain, wind and snow but never no tornados! Very glad everyone was ok.
Side note, I agree them birds knew it was coming. Maybe not a tornado, but definitely the wind. They are amazing at their ability to feel the change in atmospheric pressure. We should pay more attention to the critters, they can tell us a lot.
Walk

That's quite an experience. Glad you and your family are all right.

Crazy weird weather for November for sure!!

One of my classmates lost her house in one of the tornadoes that hit Indiana yesterday.

Hey Larry,

Yeah, I just found out this evening a classmate of mine that now lives in Washington, Illinois lost her home yesterday and everything in it, but her family is all ok.

I have relations in Kokomo. They survuved but some of the neighbors lost their homes. Pretty spooky alright. We get our share of Tornadoes here in I-O-A every year, but they missed us this time.

Glad you and your brother found that hole. Probably did save your life or at least protected you from some flying desbris.

L8R...Ken

WOW! What a story, glad you are still around to tell it.

Dang! That is way too close for comfort. Glad to hear you made it through safe and sound. "God protects fools, drunkards and small children" or something like that.

Wow,sure glad y'all are safe and whole...I think I might've crapped my pants.Twisters bother me.I grew up in the west,and have been through many Earthquakes,but they don't bother me like tornadoes

Wow how scary. You told the story so well I could really picture it.

BC