Almost had him.

Alex and I was out going to hang a couple cams after gun season today. I had a small areas that I seen some good bucks before, it didn't make much sense but I knew they had been there. Pour out some corn and hang a camera what's it going to hurt. As I started down the long private gated road I saw a deer stand up 200 yards ahead. I got some glass on him and realized it was the tall 10! I turned the truck off not wanting to bust him out of there. He was bedded in a ditch along that private road that is about 2 miles long and only 10 yards wide. Nothing but open fields on each side and the closest woods about a mile away further down the road. After sitting there for about 20 minutes he bedded back down. He was literally bedded along the side of this road with only his head poking out so he could see both directions. We were out just hanging cams so I didn't bring my bow. I texted JD and asked him to bring me his bow. I snuck out of the truck and walked back down the road keeping the truck between me and the deer. JD picked me up at the road and we drove about a mile and pulled off to the side of the road on another area I have permission. I shot his bow three times at a target that he brought and we got back in the truck. He dropped me off at the end of the road and I started down the edge of the field that runs along the pvt drive upwind o the tall 10. Once I got back even with the truck I took off my boots as it's much quieter to stalk I'm my socks. the buck was still bedded. I stalked down the edge of the field about 200 yards to where I thought the deer would walk out. I knew where he was going, there was a cornfield the only one for miles that it just been cut weeks prior. to my front about 45 yards was a small fence line of trees about 100 yards long that stuck out into the field. I knew he would walk out into this bean field, follow that fence line to the cut cornfield. He did just as I thought but he was on the other side of that small fence line. When he got to the end of it he was about 120 yards away. I put a small clump of grass between him and me and started to stalk when his head was down. I knew I was screwed now as I was in the middle of an open bean field and the wind was blowing right towards him. But I figured if I can keep that clump of grass between us I had a shot. a slim to none shot but a shot. I got to within 60 yards again and only needed about 10 more. His head was down feeding and he had no idea I was there. Then boom. He shot out of there like lightning. Back the way he came but further away. When he smelled me he never second-guessed it. His head was down, he was feeding, then he was prancing away. He never looked up, never looked around, never threw his nose in the air, or tried to locate me or see me. He got one whiff and he was gone. It's amazing how those big deer never second-guess themselves or try to validate something. They just act.

The good news is. I'm pretty confident he'll hang around. That cut corn is his winter feeding source. And he has been around this area for 4.5 years. Last year he did the same thing. Another day my friend. Another day.

Best pic I have of him right before he peeled. Haven't seen him around since. Jumped him beginning of November about a 1/2 mile north and here is where he ran. I had a feeling he was still over here. But there is literally nothing around. Found him now though. Got a plan. Well see if it works.