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Interesting Weekend

blemas

Junior Member
175
46
Summit County
I was able to get out in the woods this weekend and had some interesting experiences and learned a thing or two (again). Friday was the first time I have been skunked in awhile and with the heat I wasn't surprised. Saturday morning was a different story. I moved my stand from the southwest corner of our property where I have been seeing a fair amount of travel, to the top side of an oak flat that would allow me to observe two different trail heads to see where they were moving from. At about 8:30 I caught movement at about 60 yds through some thick nasty stuff and made out the rack of a nice buck, he is a 2.5 year old 8pt that has smiled for the camera a few times. What I didn't see was the doe that he was trailing! Sneaky girl, she was just slowly working her way up the trail and he was walking along letting out 4 - 5 second grunts. After glassing him, I knew that I was not going to shoot him so I was able to have some fun. After watching he tear the hell out of a sapling, I grunted at him and had him turn towards me. He took a couple of posturing steps, grunted and tore the hellout of another tree. I watched the two of them walk off into the sunset together and hopefully they will live happily ever after. My wife saw nothing that morning and was getting discouraged.

Fast forward to the afternoon, it was 65 degrees and we were not hopeful for the afternoon sit. We headed out at 2:30 and I started sweating after taking 2 steps into the woods. I took my time climbing the tree and managed not to become a sweaty mess as I reached the 25ft mark. After watching the squirrels chase each other and gather up some last minute acorns I decided to tip the can over and see if I could make a little luck for myself. After a few minutes I stood up and caught movement off to my left. I glassed the trail and what did I see but a BIG 10 point purposfully headed down into the flat where my I had spent the previous day! My wife was hunting the far side of the flat and may have a shot at him depending on his travel route.

She was siting in an 18ft ladder stand and at the same time I was watching him move down she had a nice mature doe milling under her ladder. The doe was there for about 10 minutes when she saw the buck enter the flat. My wife saw him about the same time the doe did. She sort of blew at him but continued to browse never getting more than 5yds from my wife! She couldn't move as the doe was literally right below her! The buck had been headed down a trail towards the ponds just off of our property but the doe caught his attention. He stoppedfor a second and checked her out and continued on his merry way. She continued up to the feeder and quickly ate the evenings rations before the turkey moved in on it. She got her fill and then slowly moved on her way as well.

We had a great day in the woods, learned a bit about travel routes and have yet another fantastic scent smoker story to tell. I was also surprised to see 3 new bucks on camera, all of them very nice and all of them on the trophy rock that sits 20 yds from my wife's stand. I am out of vacation time so only weekend hunts for the rest of the year but I am excited to get back at it.