My vacation started Monday morning, sat in my usual stand for opening day of vacation. Had a lot of action, rattled in 5 bucks but they were all young 4pts that put on a pretty good show. One decent 6 caught me with my hand in a bag of granola, thankfully it wasn't a real big deer cause I would have been in a tight spot. Monday ended with a sighting of a short tined heavy, wide 12 point but he was on a mission to get somewhere and wouldn't stop. My hopes were high for the next couple days. The switch was about to get flipped and we had all week to hunt! The first 13 hours in the stand was amazing as usual.
Tuesday through Thursday was absolute mayhem for the first hour of shooting light, and then again in mid afternoon. Bucks were chasing early an cruising late. I was climbing up the tree Wednesday when I heard the deer coming from in front of me. With the moonlight bright enough to see the silhouette of a big bodied deer I just hung out about 6' off the ground. He must have seen the blob behind the tree because it turned and went up the hill to my left. I kicked my light on an about fell out of the tree when I saw the antlers. He never came back through. 15 deer total on Thursday and I couldn't wait to get back out Friday morning.
Friday morning I was in a new spot opposite the saddle I had been hunting because all of the bucks seemed to be cruising both shoulders of the hill and dropping into the thickets. I was hoping to catch one as he came in or out of the thicket. Bad preparation kept me about 15' off the ground but I made it work. 5 a.m. And the deer were all over the hill, back and forth gettin closer to me as the chasing intensified. Over the hill then back to me, this went on till it was grey enough to see the saddle. Another big buck was pounding the hill behind a doe, cutting her off and keeping her in a thicket. They made it as close as 30yds but he never came into the thicket, she finally bolted straight over the hill. The woods were quiet until around 830. I just put my phone away after my buddy said he was leaving to get allergy pills. I resituated and looked behind my right shoulder and there was a buck coming through te thicket. I tried to get a good look at him but there is so much undergrowth I couldn't see until he cleared it. He was a decent 8 or 10. Decision time, he was working the shoulder of the hill from right to left. If he goes another 20 yards I have a perfect downhill shot. I grunted and he stopped for what seemed like an hour. He put his head down and I decided to take him, I drew and waited, and waited, and waited. He finally cleared the edge into the pipeline but was picking up the pace so I stopped him, but when I did he stopped behind a Beech limb. I had to put the pin high to clear the limb, settled and squeezed the shot off. I heard the broadhead hit the off shoulder and the arrow hung out his right side. He ran 10 yards and I saw the blood come out, another 10 and he did the sideways wobble and went down hard.
Not a giant, not a wall hanger, but I've been hunting a long time and there are those special days when everything comes together for a reason and I take what I am given. It was an incredible week, and I couldn't be happier to take this buck home with me.
Tuesday through Thursday was absolute mayhem for the first hour of shooting light, and then again in mid afternoon. Bucks were chasing early an cruising late. I was climbing up the tree Wednesday when I heard the deer coming from in front of me. With the moonlight bright enough to see the silhouette of a big bodied deer I just hung out about 6' off the ground. He must have seen the blob behind the tree because it turned and went up the hill to my left. I kicked my light on an about fell out of the tree when I saw the antlers. He never came back through. 15 deer total on Thursday and I couldn't wait to get back out Friday morning.
Friday morning I was in a new spot opposite the saddle I had been hunting because all of the bucks seemed to be cruising both shoulders of the hill and dropping into the thickets. I was hoping to catch one as he came in or out of the thicket. Bad preparation kept me about 15' off the ground but I made it work. 5 a.m. And the deer were all over the hill, back and forth gettin closer to me as the chasing intensified. Over the hill then back to me, this went on till it was grey enough to see the saddle. Another big buck was pounding the hill behind a doe, cutting her off and keeping her in a thicket. They made it as close as 30yds but he never came into the thicket, she finally bolted straight over the hill. The woods were quiet until around 830. I just put my phone away after my buddy said he was leaving to get allergy pills. I resituated and looked behind my right shoulder and there was a buck coming through te thicket. I tried to get a good look at him but there is so much undergrowth I couldn't see until he cleared it. He was a decent 8 or 10. Decision time, he was working the shoulder of the hill from right to left. If he goes another 20 yards I have a perfect downhill shot. I grunted and he stopped for what seemed like an hour. He put his head down and I decided to take him, I drew and waited, and waited, and waited. He finally cleared the edge into the pipeline but was picking up the pace so I stopped him, but when I did he stopped behind a Beech limb. I had to put the pin high to clear the limb, settled and squeezed the shot off. I heard the broadhead hit the off shoulder and the arrow hung out his right side. He ran 10 yards and I saw the blood come out, another 10 and he did the sideways wobble and went down hard.
Not a giant, not a wall hanger, but I've been hunting a long time and there are those special days when everything comes together for a reason and I take what I am given. It was an incredible week, and I couldn't be happier to take this buck home with me.
