Day 2..Hang and hunt again, frosty, calm beautiful. Sit until noon, only a doe and 2 fawns spotted. Really high expectations due to perfect weather. Not impressed! Evening, still spectacular weather, no deer seen or heard. Once again very disappointed. I know may be a little early in the rut, but should be seeing more deer. Getting concerned now.
Day 3.. Rattled in 120”ish 8 point from south out of alfalfa field on adjoining property, Yes! Finally a buck! Pass at 25 yards. Worried that may have been a mistake. Only 2 does and a fawn were the other deer seen. Once again great weather morning. Evening, move closer to field edge. Sit for 5 hours, finally rattle at 0545 pm. Nuttin. Standing there glassing the alfalfa field. At 0615 hear a leaf crunch in grass behind me.
Turn my head, crap big deer at 25 yards! Glance at the rack, think is mid 130’s” 10 pt, never look at the rack again.
I grab my bow and try to quickly and stealthfully get swiveled to my right. Stupid safety harness tether too low, and trying to wrap around my neck! I’m freaking out now, can’t draw my bow!
The buck keeps walking. I turn all the way around, and have small shooting window on backside of the tree. I can’t believe the buck has not spotted the sh!? show going on in the tree at 15 yards!
I get turned around, have to squat down below bow hanger to shoot at the now heavily quartered away buck at 25 yards. Finally get the bow drawn, settle the pins at the back of the ribs, and release.
The buck, high mule kicks and heads over the hill tail down, full speed. I wait 30 min, then get down. I find blood away, and broken arrow in 50 yards. Buck travelled 300 yards after the shot.
Took some interesting night time tracking but, found this…
Matt
About 15 years ago, I had a decent 10 point buck on camera, that had a 3-4” unicorn tine coming out of the center of his skull, right between his other antlers. I had dozens of pics of him. Was hoping I’d see him during season, but not close enough to tempt me to shoot him. He had tons of potential. Never saw him during the season, and he never showed up on camera again, but a friend ended up killing him the following year, about a mile away. He blew up into a mainframe 13 point typical, with the unicorn point being about 6” long, plus he had a droptine coming off his right main beam!
