Things are starting to kick into high gear! Good luck folks!
Good luck Justin!
Not sure how to rotate pictures. Looks okay when I select it, but will probably post sideways.
So, I had just settled in around 10:45 when I caught movement 25 yards away. It was a small buck. Immediately after I saw it I heard a grunt and saw another buck about to step into one of my few shooting lanes. It was a small 8 point that I quickly decided to let walk. He meandered up through the hollow and disappeared in the brush. I could not relocate the smaller buck, but 20 minutes later he blew out of there. Wind must have betrayed me. Well the mist turned to rain and the rain to sleet and snow and I decided to dry out again and head to my in laws for the evening hunt.
There was a big deer in the middle of a field way off the road on my way there and a small buck eating apples under the tree in their back yard. I headed into the woods and set up in my climber. I soon saw some does enter a field 100 yards away and then a spike walked by inside of 10 yards. I could see a buck chasing does in the field right before dark but I could not tell what he was and none of the deer were interested in coming to my calling. Thus ended my last vacation day to use in archery season.
Luckily I have a pretty flexible job (feeding cows on a large dairy) and bosses that both love to hunt. I worked ahead Wednesday and went in early Thursday morning to get all the groups fresh feed before heading back to my treestand on the farm. (My dad had started getting daylight pictures of the big 9 point in the area the week before.) I was settled in the stand just as it was getting light enough to shoot. At 6:50 a small buck ran down through the pasture behind me. The next deer caught me completely by surprise. At 8:00 a nice buck suddenly appeared out of the thick brush moving towards my only shooting lane. The grass had been frosty on the way in but the woods were deathly quiet and I never heard him coming. He was through the lane and gone before I could even get drawn back or get a better look at him. Was it the big 9? I couldn’t be sure one way or the other but I was afraid I had just blown the only chance I may have at a good buck this year. (Last year I saw one legal buck in shooting range and that was a fleeting glimpse during rifle season. I ended up with a big bowl of tag soup. But you’ll never tag a big one if you put your tag on a smaller one). I tried grunting and using the can estrous bleat to bring him back around but he was gone. I had to get back to work so I climbed down at 9.
Friday was another long “preparation “ day working ahead so I could get in and out quickly in the morning, hunt, and finish the chores mid afternoon Saturday with dad duty taking the place of an evening hunt. I was up at 2 Saturday, fed the cows and showed my buddy to another old faithful tree on my way to my treestand on the farm before first light. By 7 I already received several texts that bucks were chasing does below my buddie’s stand. At 705 I heard a deer walking on the other side of the hollow. When it came into view my heart rate skyrocketed. He was about 120 yards away, yet instantly I knew it was the big 9. A look through my binoculars confirmed it was him. He worked his way from my right to left up through the hollow just sniffing around and feeding. He limped with every step and I remembered my trail camera video from late summer showed him limping badly. I had been concerned he would become coyote bait, yet here he was. Later videos had showed him moving through with no noticeable limp, but recent rutting activity must have aggravated it again. He stood looking up towards the field and I caught movement below my stand a small buck materialized out of the brush and disappeared again. I decided to use my estrous can call and grunt but was a little concerned I might pull the other buck in and have him bust me before the big one could close the distance. Still it seemed like he was about to leave the hollow so I had to try. I gave the can a few turns and mixed in a couple grunts, but it didn’t seem like he heard me. He soon turned and headed back the way he had come and I called to him again. This time I saw his head snap towards me when I grunted. He had definitely heard me. He continued down the hollow then turned and came across the ditch to my side. I had managed to get my heart rate under control after his first appearance, but when he started my way, I lost it again. Deep breathing helped to slow it to a manageable level as he was now out of sight in some thick brush about 80 yards away. I could still hear him taking slow steps but could not see him for what seemed like 10 minutes but was probably only 1 or 2. Then I heard him grunt a few times and a steady gate resumed in my direction. My feet and body were positioned for a possible shot and my release was on the string. If he turned on the trail into my shooting lane it would be a 30 yard shot. Instead he emerged from the brush grunting and limping with every step straight towards me. He passed the 30 yard trail and then was inside 20 yards looking straight up the hill towards my tree as he kept coming. I was afraid he might see me, but I had to get drawn back soon or the opportunity would be lost. I struggled a bit to get drawn back with all the bulky clothes and cold muscles, but as I drew he turned to my right at less than 15 yards. Quickly I scanned his path ahead and shifted my position for a possible shot through an 8 inch window in the brush. Somehow I managed to stop him perfectly with a mouth grunt and my arrow was gone. It had a longer vertical path than horizontal one, but it hit him right above the crease and there was instant blood on his shoulder. He looked down through the hollow away from my tree about 45 yards and stopped. I saw him start to sway a bit and then he rolled to the ground, kicked a few times, and it was over. My heart went on a third roller coaster ride for the morning. I couldn’t believe what had just happened! What a classic rut hunt! What a beast! He could have been anywhere within a few miles this morning. Things could have happened differently at any point of the encounter, yet here he was piled up 60 yards away. What a privilege! I called my dad and had him bring my boys to get in on the blood trail. My uncle came too and we celebrated my morning success.
We were able to get a live weight of 192 pounds (155 dressed). I later did a rough score of his antlers at 141 gross and 134 net. There sure aren’t too many like that around here!
So, I had just settled in around 10:45 when I caught movement 25 yards away. It was a small buck. Immediately after I saw it I heard a grunt and saw another buck about to step into one of my few shooting lanes. It was a small 8 point that I quickly decided to let walk. He meandered up through the hollow and disappeared in the brush. I could not relocate the smaller buck, but 20 minutes later he blew out of there. Wind must have betrayed me. Well the mist turned to rain and the rain to sleet and snow and I decided to dry out again and head to my in laws for the evening hunt.
There was a big deer in the middle of a field way off the road on my way there and a small buck eating apples under the tree in their back yard. I headed into the woods and set up in my climber. I soon saw some does enter a field 100 yards away and then a spike walked by inside of 10 yards. I could see a buck chasing does in the field right before dark but I could not tell what he was and none of the deer were interested in coming to my calling. Thus ended my last vacation day to use in archery season.
Luckily I have a pretty flexible job (feeding cows on a large dairy) and bosses that both love to hunt. I worked ahead Wednesday and went in early Thursday morning to get all the groups fresh feed before heading back to my treestand on the farm. (My dad had started getting daylight pictures of the big 9 point in the area the week before.) I was settled in the stand just as it was getting light enough to shoot. At 6:50 a small buck ran down through the pasture behind me. The next deer caught me completely by surprise. At 8:00 a nice buck suddenly appeared out of the thick brush moving towards my only shooting lane. The grass had been frosty on the way in but the woods were deathly quiet and I never heard him coming. He was through the lane and gone before I could even get drawn back or get a better look at him. Was it the big 9? I couldn’t be sure one way or the other but I was afraid I had just blown the only chance I may have at a good buck this year. (Last year I saw one legal buck in shooting range and that was a fleeting glimpse during rifle season. I ended up with a big bowl of tag soup. But you’ll never tag a big one if you put your tag on a smaller one). I tried grunting and using the can estrous bleat to bring him back around but he was gone. I had to get back to work so I climbed down at 9.
Friday was another long “preparation “ day working ahead so I could get in and out quickly in the morning, hunt, and finish the chores mid afternoon Saturday with dad duty taking the place of an evening hunt. I was up at 2 Saturday, fed the cows and showed my buddy to another old faithful tree on my way to my treestand on the farm before first light. By 7 I already received several texts that bucks were chasing does below my buddie’s stand. At 705 I heard a deer walking on the other side of the hollow. When it came into view my heart rate skyrocketed. He was about 120 yards away, yet instantly I knew it was the big 9. A look through my binoculars confirmed it was him. He worked his way from my right to left up through the hollow just sniffing around and feeding. He limped with every step and I remembered my trail camera video from late summer showed him limping badly. I had been concerned he would become coyote bait, yet here he was. Later videos had showed him moving through with no noticeable limp, but recent rutting activity must have aggravated it again. He stood looking up towards the field and I caught movement below my stand a small buck materialized out of the brush and disappeared again. I decided to use my estrous can call and grunt but was a little concerned I might pull the other buck in and have him bust me before the big one could close the distance. Still it seemed like he was about to leave the hollow so I had to try. I gave the can a few turns and mixed in a couple grunts, but it didn’t seem like he heard me. He soon turned and headed back the way he had come and I called to him again. This time I saw his head snap towards me when I grunted. He had definitely heard me. He continued down the hollow then turned and came across the ditch to my side. I had managed to get my heart rate under control after his first appearance, but when he started my way, I lost it again. Deep breathing helped to slow it to a manageable level as he was now out of sight in some thick brush about 80 yards away. I could still hear him taking slow steps but could not see him for what seemed like 10 minutes but was probably only 1 or 2. Then I heard him grunt a few times and a steady gate resumed in my direction. My feet and body were positioned for a possible shot and my release was on the string. If he turned on the trail into my shooting lane it would be a 30 yard shot. Instead he emerged from the brush grunting and limping with every step straight towards me. He passed the 30 yard trail and then was inside 20 yards looking straight up the hill towards my tree as he kept coming. I was afraid he might see me, but I had to get drawn back soon or the opportunity would be lost. I struggled a bit to get drawn back with all the bulky clothes and cold muscles, but as I drew he turned to my right at less than 15 yards. Quickly I scanned his path ahead and shifted my position for a possible shot through an 8 inch window in the brush. Somehow I managed to stop him perfectly with a mouth grunt and my arrow was gone. It had a longer vertical path than horizontal one, but it hit him right above the crease and there was instant blood on his shoulder. He looked down through the hollow away from my tree about 45 yards and stopped. I saw him start to sway a bit and then he rolled to the ground, kicked a few times, and it was over. My heart went on a third roller coaster ride for the morning. I couldn’t believe what had just happened! What a classic rut hunt! What a beast! He could have been anywhere within a few miles this morning. Things could have happened differently at any point of the encounter, yet here he was piled up 60 yards away. What a privilege! I called my dad and had him bring my boys to get in on the blood trail. My uncle came too and we celebrated my morning success.
We were able to get a live weight of 192 pounds (155 dressed). I later did a rough score of his antlers at 141 gross and 134 net. There sure aren’t too many like that around here!
So, I had just settled in around 10:45 when I caught movement 25 yards away. It was a small buck. Immediately after I saw it I heard a grunt and saw another buck about to step into one of my few shooting lanes. It was a small 8 point that I quickly decided to let walk. He meandered up through the hollow and disappeared in the brush. I could not relocate the smaller buck, but 20 minutes later he blew out of there. Wind must have betrayed me. Well the mist turned to rain and the rain to sleet and snow and I decided to dry out again and head to my in laws for the evening hunt.
There was a big deer in the middle of a field way off the road on my way there and a small buck eating apples under the tree in their back yard. I headed into the woods and set up in my climber. I soon saw some does enter a field 100 yards away and then a spike walked by inside of 10 yards. I could see a buck chasing does in the field right before dark but I could not tell what he was and none of the deer were interested in coming to my calling. Thus ended my last vacation day to use in archery season.
Luckily I have a pretty flexible job (feeding cows on a large dairy) and bosses that both love to hunt. I worked ahead Wednesday and went in early Thursday morning to get all the groups fresh feed before heading back to my treestand on the farm. (My dad had started getting daylight pictures of the big 9 point in the area the week before.) I was settled in the stand just as it was getting light enough to shoot. At 6:50 a small buck ran down through the pasture behind me. The next deer caught me completely by surprise. At 8:00 a nice buck suddenly appeared out of the thick brush moving towards my only shooting lane. The grass had been frosty on the way in but the woods were deathly quiet and I never heard him coming. He was through the lane and gone before I could even get drawn back or get a better look at him. Was it the big 9? I couldn’t be sure one way or the other but I was afraid I had just blown the only chance I may have at a good buck this year. (Last year I saw one legal buck in shooting range and that was a fleeting glimpse during rifle season. I ended up with a big bowl of tag soup. But you’ll never tag a big one if you put your tag on a smaller one). I tried grunting and using the can estrous bleat to bring him back around but he was gone. I had to get back to work so I climbed down at 9.
Friday was another long “preparation “ day working ahead so I could get in and out quickly in the morning, hunt, and finish the chores mid afternoon Saturday with dad duty taking the place of an evening hunt. I was up at 2 Saturday, fed the cows and showed my buddy to another old faithful tree on my way to my treestand on the farm before first light. By 7 I already received several texts that bucks were chasing does below my buddie’s stand. At 705 I heard a deer walking on the other side of the hollow. When it came into view my heart rate skyrocketed. He was about 120 yards away, yet instantly I knew it was the big 9. A look through my binoculars confirmed it was him. He worked his way from my right to left up through the hollow just sniffing around and feeding. He limped with every step and I remembered my trail camera video from late summer showed him limping badly. I had been concerned he would become coyote bait, yet here he was. Later videos had showed him moving through with no noticeable limp, but recent rutting activity must have aggravated it again. He stood looking up towards the field and I caught movement below my stand a small buck materialized out of the brush and disappeared again. I decided to use my estrous can call and grunt but was a little concerned I might pull the other buck in and have him bust me before the big one could close the distance. Still it seemed like he was about to leave the hollow so I had to try. I gave the can a few turns and mixed in a couple grunts, but it didn’t seem like he heard me. He soon turned and headed back the way he had come and I called to him again. This time I saw his head snap towards me when I grunted. He had definitely heard me. He continued down the hollow then turned and came across the ditch to my side. I had managed to get my heart rate under control after his first appearance, but when he started my way, I lost it again. Deep breathing helped to slow it to a manageable level as he was now out of sight in some thick brush about 80 yards away. I could still hear him taking slow steps but could not see him for what seemed like 10 minutes but was probably only 1 or 2. Then I heard him grunt a few times and a steady gate resumed in my direction. My feet and body were positioned for a possible shot and my release was on the string. If he turned on the trail into my shooting lane it would be a 30 yard shot. Instead he emerged from the brush grunting and limping with every step straight towards me. He passed the 30 yard trail and then was inside 20 yards looking straight up the hill towards my tree as he kept coming. I was afraid he might see me, but I had to get drawn back soon or the opportunity would be lost. I struggled a bit to get drawn back with all the bulky clothes and cold muscles, but as I drew he turned to my right at less than 15 yards. Quickly I scanned his path ahead and shifted my position for a possible shot through an 8 inch window in the brush. Somehow I managed to stop him perfectly with a mouth grunt and my arrow was gone. It had a longer vertical path than horizontal one, but it hit him right above the crease and there was instant blood on his shoulder. He looked down through the hollow away from my tree about 45 yards and stopped. I saw him start to sway a bit and then he rolled to the ground, kicked a few times, and it was over. My heart went on a third roller coaster ride for the morning. I couldn’t believe what had just happened! What a classic rut hunt! What a beast! He could have been anywhere within a few miles this morning. Things could have happened differently at any point of the encounter, yet here he was piled up 60 yards away. What a privilege! I called my dad and had him bring my boys to get in on the blood trail. My uncle came too and we celebrated my morning success.
We were able to get a live weight of 192 pounds (155 dressed). I later did a rough score of his antlers at 141 gross and 134 net. There sure aren’t too many like that around here!
Can't wait to hear the story! : )
Congrats on a magnificent buck!
Just curious if you were targeting that particular buck, or it just happened to be the first nice buck to present a shot?
The neighbor told me of a large buck chasing a doe through their yard the Sunday leading into the last week. I checked my trail cam and found that he was in front of that stand for about 10 minutes, then came back past for another 5 minutes. Oh to be able to hunt on Sundays... I hunted that stand most of the week seeing doe and a small fork horn. I was set to shoot a large doe on Thursday evening, only to get busted by another large doe that I didn't see. Glad that I didn't now, might have screwed up the area. This is a different stand, though only about 125 yards from where I shot my buck.
The stand that I shot my buck out of, I hunted twice all season. I left my three main stands alone most of the season, only jumping into then the last two weeks of the season. I was hoping to keep my scent down and the doe around, for Mitchell to try to get on in the October youth firearms season, which he did and was successful on harvesting his first deer.
That’s great Mitch got his first deer! Tell him we said CONGRATS! : )
