Scrappy's Link
So fast forward to my next to last day of vacation and at about 1:30 in the afternoon I see a fawn up moving around at about 50 yards away. I'm sitting right in the middle of a bedding area with my scent blowing down a washout leading to a creek. Deer can't get behind me in this spot, the only down side is you can't get down until the deer leave for the evening. In other words pack a lunch, which is no problem cause I been sitting dark to dark since November 3. Ok back to the fawn, the reason she was up is because the the buck from the video is pushing her and all the other deer out of my bedding area. As soon as I saw him i said game on. The fawn goes down in a ditch and he follows now I think this is a done deal. They will come out and be in bow range. NOT,, she goes down the ditch and comes out on the same side she went in on. Needless to say I was left all alone for the rest of the day in my bedding area while I watched him and other bucks run the fawn ragged out in the pasture.
Now we are down to the last half day of hunting, I chose to stay in that bedding area but moved to another tree about 100 yards away. Started out good with deer coming from multiple directions until the coyotes bumped all the deer out. Only had one small buck come by the rest of the morning but I could catch a glimpse of deer every now and then up in that same pasture from the day before. I called it about 12:30 and sent the Misses a text that I was done and coming home. Not exactly tag soup cause I still can hunt a few days on that tag during the late season.
Got down and all packed up to leave but instead of dropping down in the washout to leave I decided to go look in the pasture. I told myself if he was out there I would go shoot him.
Well what do you know he is out there with a fawn and about 12 other deer down by the creek at about 250 yards away. Ok here we go again GAME ON. I drop the pack and grab what i need out of it. I back up and get in the creek to close the distance. Got to 100 yards and peak out of the creek and they are all bedded down by the creek. At this point i cant get any closer. While I'm waiting for the deer to make the next move some of them has gotten up and moved up the hill some. The fawn got up and the buck did as well didn't come any closer but didn't move away either. All are bedded again and I still have no move. All of the sudden all are up and nervous, a doe is above me on the bluff looking right at me. She is down wind and it is GAME OVER. Most of the deer are moving away now but the fawn stays put as well as the buck. To my surprise the doe behind walks away, I couldn't believe it, not only that but now I can move on down the creek. Getting closer now and the mud has gotten to bad to be quiete, the bank is to full of leaves to be quite with my boots on. WELL IODIOT TAKE THEM OFF.
So here we go on our final stalk, I think I'm as close as I can get without getting busted so I try to climb the bank. Get about half way up and see a spike laying 30 yards away looking right at me. Yup GAME OVER again. While I'm trying to become a clod of dirt to try and fool this spike the buck gets up and moves a little closer and beds again. He is now at 45 yards. As time goes by the spike never spooks but never takes his eyes off me either, so I range a few spots and wait.
The next events happen fast as they always do. I'm half standing half laying half way up this cliff bank when I get this sinking feeling " you know like really sinking" ya I'm falling cause the dirt is giving out under me. A big chunk of dirt falls, the spike turns his head to look at the buck like he always does when the buck gets up, and sure enough the buck is up starring straight at me. Can you say GAME OVER one more time.
Can anyone guess who saved the day? If you guessed the spike you win the blue ribbon. He gets up and moves toward the bucks fawn he is tending causing the buck to forget about me and go after him. Now i have my bow in hand and buck at forty broad side, which is a long poke for me. I come to full draw and my sites move across the buck and I almost punch the trigger sending an arrow out into space. It was real bad. I said calm down and count your pins, you got this with all the time in the world. Every star in the world has lined up for you to take this buck, don't flub it up now. I execute the shot and immediately get that bad feeling that i just screwed it up hitting high and back. As i watch him run away I about loose it until he stops at about 150 yards then stumbles side ways and he is down.
Wow that was way longer winded than I was going write. Some of you guys have been watching some of my other threads so you know I have been having a blast. Thanks for reading and for those still out there don't give up until the end.
Oh ya on a side note I killed my buck last year on my last day to hunt at 3 pm. I killed him this year at 2 pm on my last day to hunt.
my best, Paul
At least old Carry Lite can get some rest now !
Very happy for you!
Congrats!!!
Mark