Thrill without a kill
Whitetail Deer
I have been a frequent visitor on Bowsite and love reading about the hunts that you guys and gals tell us about. There are some great story tellers here!! I recently had what I consider to be a once in a lifetime whitetail hunting experience that I wanted to pass along. We were hunting the heavy forest in northern MN during the peak of the rut. Late in the afternoon I heard brush crashing behind me. Not a stick breaking. More like the sound of a deer busting through a deadfall. I turned in time to see a doe go running by headed south with another deer in hot pursuit. I couldn't tell exactly what the 2nd deer was, but figured it was a buck. The 2nd deer stopped with its head behind some brush. Eventually it turn back the way it came from revealing a very nice 8 point rack. We don't see the massive racks where we hunt, but we get some nice heavy racks with a lot of mass and BIG body size. He was a beauty. His actions puzzled me a bit... why did he quit following?
About the time that question popped into my head, I hear more brush breaking and a very nice 10 point buck runs by (not in range) headed to the north. He was running tail down and was upwind of me. I wonder... what spooked him???
About the time that question popped into my head, I hear more brush breaking (I'm not making this up). Out charges an even bigger 10 point buck chasing after the other 10. They stop about 100 yards away and posture up. They are circling each other with their heads pointed in getting ready to do battle. I am thinking this is the most awesome deer hunting experience I have ever seen! As I am watching these 2 circle, I hear more brush breaking...
And true to how this episode was going, an even bigger deer that I am pretty sure was a 12 point buck comes blasting out of the thick stuff. He was running in a way that I have never seen before. He was stomping his front hooves at the same time as he ran toward the two 10 pointers. They took one look at him and bolted in the other direction. He was obviously the boss of this area and they wanted nothing to do with him!
I would love to tell you that this ended with me and a hero shot, but it wasn't meant to be. That being said, it was the most exhilarating hunting experience ever. I highly doubt I will top this, but I will damn sure try. So cool!
It just proves that a hunt can be a thrill without a killing. What an event to witness Thanks for sharing your cool experience.
JB: that is truly awesome! -Exactly the reason why so many of us truly love bow hunting. Ultimately, is it really about the kill or the experiences we have that eventually get us there? Stories like the one you just told are engrained in our heads forever. Thank you for sharing!
As a MN native (Brainerd) who spent a lot of time in the true north hunting grouse and deer & fishing eyes, northerns, and crappies growing up I am curious as to where you “generally” hunt as I know many spots up there have taken a beating via wolves and winters...No GPS please!! :)
JB - sounds like you had a hunt of a lifetime right there! Thanks for sharing it with us. And yes, the hunt is about so much more than the kill. Although that is nice as well :-)
-Mitch
Buffalo1 - you are most welcome.
Duke - we are north of Brainerd in the Chippewa National Forest about half way from the north and south border of the forest. We have seen our ups and downs in the deer herd in our area. Can't be blamed on the wolves because there really aren't that many according to the DNR (wink wink). We have hunted this area since 1994. A couple of brutal winters have really put the smack down on the population but the herd is healthy in our area right now.
And you are correct, that event will forever be etched in my memories.
Definitely an experience you will carry with you for the rest of your life. So fortunate that you were at the right place at the right time.
Thank you sir for adding another great story to Bowsite, would have loved to have seen that. I haven't killed anything this year but would consider this a great season as well because I did see a 25 pt and have trail cam pictures of him before a neighbor got him in gun season. It's all good when we get to enjoy all of Gods creation.
That’s why we do it. Or why I do it. Never know what you’re gonna witness.
I've seen that aggressive run foot stomp thing twice. Never seen it on t.v. or any place else. They were both phenomenal days like you describe. On of them was this year, the other prbly close to ten years ago.
They kind of run and rear up at the same time stomping hard with both front hooves. I tell people about it, and I get a funny look. No one knows what I'm talking about. Both bucks I've seen do it were big, old super dominant bucks trying to intimidate other big bucks.
I've seen a buck fight or two in the past.....cool indeed ! Scrapes made, licking branches worked, does bred. Things like these make a man aware that there is more to this hunting thing than antlers and steak.
Though not in the league of a good free-for-all, I had a good experience yesterday morning. Besides seeing three bucks within forty yards (at different times), I watched two yearling bucks rubbing the same sapling at the same time ! In nearly 60 years of deer hunting, I've not seen that before. After the rub fest, one of them walked over to a licking branch and took the last couple of steps on his back feet. Haven't seen that before either !
Thanks JB, I would have liked to have seen that myself.
Great story JB. Thrill without a kill means you can have a blast without killing something. Some people say their sorry when they hear I didn't kill something on a hunt. Honestly some of my best hunts no blood is drawn.
For example....I had the pleasure of hunting a 180+" KS buck this year and only had one opportunity to kill him when he was late to go to bed at daybreak chasin a hot doe. Crawled 600 yards on my belly in a CRP field only to be busted at 35 yards by his doe while I was drawing on him when he stood up out of his bed. Successful hunt 100%. No regrets!
It's not just about the meat or the rack, it's about the memories that last a lifetime! Great story!
That's something that is very rare in MN, not often one gets to see any sort of rut behavior in this state anymore. Hopefully you will get a chance to add another chapter to that story but regardless you got to experience something pretty awesome!
A great hunt. I learned how to deer hunt in the Chippewa near Marcel. I've seen the foot stomping once but the buck was doing it near a bedding area. He did it to get the does to move. It worked. Crazy thing.
That's gonna be a great memory!!.
I saw the foot stomping in KS a few weeks ago a couple times. Bucks trying to intimidate other bucks.
Very cool encounter and the memory of that is going to last a lot longer than if you had shot that first 8 pointer that had come in! I've not seen a buck do the foot stomp thing buy I know my dog does it all the time when we're playing. I can only imagine the deer is doing it for the same reasons to the other bucks, to show how big and strong he is!
I saw the foot stomp this year for the first time in 58 years of hunting. This in SE MN, I had 2 does and a fawn below me when I heard this stomping, a forkhorn buck came in and singled out one of the does and started chasing her. She walked away and he continued to follow stomping with every step.
JB - that's an amazing encounter and hunt. Fantastic experience - thanks for taking us "on the ride" with you! Duke - that's cool RE Brainerd is a cool area. My MIL is in Lake Shore, grew up in Brainerd. So I get to spend a couple weeks each summer up there and the fishing and outdoor fun is awesome. Amazing how much it's built up, even in just the 20 years I've been a visitor... But man, I've seen some really nice bucks (velvet, mid summer) among the cottages along the lakes up there. Has to be fun to hunt - though I have no idea how hard it is to get access...
Almost sounds like you should have “shot your way” out of that dangerous situation :) whitetail dangerous game!
Only seen one buck do the foot stomping. He was a big, dominant buck that I failed to harvest. Had him at 15 yards but no shot, as he walked away I grunted and then did a snort/wheeze, my first time ever doing that. He came back hair bristled and stomping the whole way looking to kick butt! As he circled to get down wind of me I shot right under his belly at 35 yards. My only opportunity on a Booner with my bow in over 30 years of hunting.
Awesome adventure you had for sure!
Times like that is just one of many reasons why we hunt.
Thanks for sharing.
Great experience for sure! It’s why we keep doing it!
Thank you for the comments!
That's a great story, thanks for sharing it. As hunters, we experience so much more than non-hunters can even imagine. Good luck and I hope you get a crack at one of those big boys! I understand your hunting area as I grew up in Bemidji .
