Don't Hide Your Keys

The thieves are not all in the cities, this thief lived miles from any neighbor.

It was a nice October morning, early archery season. Once on the property, I pulled off the dirt trail near some small dead trees. Parking at the edge of a tree row which runs through the family farm.

On the drive to the farm I'd thought about the wind direction and planned. The wind was predicted to change mid-afternoon. That morning I decided to make a stalking/still hunt on the east side of the property, not disturbing my ground blind to the west. Back to the truck for lunch, a nap, and after the wind change; I could sit in my best spot till dark.

I followed my usual ritual of getting ready for a warm weather hunt: camo make-up, string my recurved bow... A folding stool was slung over my shoulder as I walked away from the truck.

In the first few steps the aluminum stool was hanging just right to hit the keys in my left front pocket. I shifted the stool and walked on, but in a few more steps gravity brought them together again.

I didn't want any noise, and there was a knife in the other front pocket. I was still a short distance from the truck. "Just hide your keys behind the truck tire, I thought."

After a few hours of uneventful hunting I was back to the truck; hot, tired, and thirsty. My first move was to reach behind the tire; my keys weren't there! I laid down the bow, the stool, and got down for a better look. They still weren't there!

Searching my pockets and my memory at the same time; I remembered thinking: "Hide your key behind the tire." I was sure I'd put them behind the front drivers side tire.

I looked behind every tire, anywhere I might have laid them on the vehicle, and continued to pat down all my pockets with frustration.

Five minutes of looking, and thinking, "I must be loosing my mind!"
Worse! I had nothing to drink, and a long walk to the nearest neighbors house to call my wife. (This was before we all had cell phones.)

The best part of my hunt would be spoiled, I was not happy! My busy working wife was not going to be happy about driving fifty miles either.

Walking around the vehicle, I was very frustrated, thinking nothing made any sense, still looking... I don't know if I saw the little rooted up paths along the ground first, or I just kicked at one in frustration, but I realized they were around. Some small animal made them I thought, so what! WHO CARES!

But my hunter brain began to work on it. They were these little paths, runs, not under ground tunnels, but just pushed up under the ground clutter, leaves, sticks, and such debris. What made them... a small animal... rodent... probably a rat... A PACK RAT! Kicking or sweeping the debris to the side with my foot, following one little path, and then another. Soon I was getting tired, hotter, and thinking I was wasting energy I'd need to walk to a phone.

Now ten to fifteen yards from the truck, and about to give up, kicking aside a larger mound, something was shining under the leaves; MY KEYS!

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