As some of you know I didn't hunt much last year due to my wife's battle with lymphoma. Well she finished all her treatments last winter and is getting back to her self more these day so I was able to get back to the woods with my bow this season. I have had my own issues with some pretty bad back problems so staying on stand a couple of hours at a time is about all I can take.
Anyway, I got out last Wednesday and watched a buck feed with a couple of does. He didn't look like a shooter but still a solid buck. The next day I moved to a stand closer to the deers entry trail and watched them pop out again and feed in a cut bean field. This time they stuck around until after dark and I found myself trying to slip out along the wood line without getting busted. Luckily the wind was in my favor and I escaped undetected. I gave it a couple of days and decided to try to get closer to their bedding area in the woods to intercept them before they came out in the field. The woods was really dry and it was going to be a challenge to get in without being busted. I took my time with every step and it probably took 30 minutes for me to reach my stand that was only 100 yards deep in the woods. I kept telling myself, don't rush it or you will be busted. I made it to the stand and felt really good, made in in quiet without a single twig snap or significant noise from the leaves. Within 30 minutes I saw a doe and yearling off about 60 yards browsing on acorns and honeysuckle as they moved by with no sign of alarm. Probably 20 minutes later I saw a couple more does in the same area just hanging in the brush browsing about 75 yards out. As I watched the does I suddenly saw the top of a small tree doing a dance. I knew it had to be a buck rubbing so I grabbed the binos. Yep, it looked like the same 9 pointer I saw in the field with the does the previous hunts. As I glassed him I said he's probably not a shooter but still a decent buck. About that time one the the does started moving my way and came to with 10 yards in front of me munching on acorns. The buck sees her make the move and starts heading my way grunting every few seconds. Even though I wasn't going to shoot my, my started pounding. The closer he got the more I debated the shot. I finally said ok if he steps into that opening and gives me a perfect shot I'm going to take it. Well wouldn't you know that's exactly what he did! I drew my bow, settled the 20 yard pin right behind his left shoulder and let it fly. He bolted only 50 to 60 yards and crashed. I sat there reflecting on what just happened and watched a smaller buck that I didn't even realize was there, go up and sniff him a couple of times, made sure he was dead and took off after the doe like a bat out of hell! Since I could see the buck was already done, I went ahead and got out of the stand to go check him out. I made a couple a call to my son to help me drag him out since my back is so screwed up. And started to field dress him out. The funny thing is the whole time I was dressing the buck, that small buck and doe were running circles around me!
This is not one of my biggest bucks by any means but the way the hunt went and the fact of making a move to get on him and getting a perfect shot opportunity made it very satisfying regardless of size. I also went back to my roots like Cotty did and never ran any cameras at all this year. I found it to be more exciting not knowing what might show up.
Anyway, I got out last Wednesday and watched a buck feed with a couple of does. He didn't look like a shooter but still a solid buck. The next day I moved to a stand closer to the deers entry trail and watched them pop out again and feed in a cut bean field. This time they stuck around until after dark and I found myself trying to slip out along the wood line without getting busted. Luckily the wind was in my favor and I escaped undetected. I gave it a couple of days and decided to try to get closer to their bedding area in the woods to intercept them before they came out in the field. The woods was really dry and it was going to be a challenge to get in without being busted. I took my time with every step and it probably took 30 minutes for me to reach my stand that was only 100 yards deep in the woods. I kept telling myself, don't rush it or you will be busted. I made it to the stand and felt really good, made in in quiet without a single twig snap or significant noise from the leaves. Within 30 minutes I saw a doe and yearling off about 60 yards browsing on acorns and honeysuckle as they moved by with no sign of alarm. Probably 20 minutes later I saw a couple more does in the same area just hanging in the brush browsing about 75 yards out. As I watched the does I suddenly saw the top of a small tree doing a dance. I knew it had to be a buck rubbing so I grabbed the binos. Yep, it looked like the same 9 pointer I saw in the field with the does the previous hunts. As I glassed him I said he's probably not a shooter but still a decent buck. About that time one the the does started moving my way and came to with 10 yards in front of me munching on acorns. The buck sees her make the move and starts heading my way grunting every few seconds. Even though I wasn't going to shoot my, my started pounding. The closer he got the more I debated the shot. I finally said ok if he steps into that opening and gives me a perfect shot I'm going to take it. Well wouldn't you know that's exactly what he did! I drew my bow, settled the 20 yard pin right behind his left shoulder and let it fly. He bolted only 50 to 60 yards and crashed. I sat there reflecting on what just happened and watched a smaller buck that I didn't even realize was there, go up and sniff him a couple of times, made sure he was dead and took off after the doe like a bat out of hell! Since I could see the buck was already done, I went ahead and got out of the stand to go check him out. I made a couple a call to my son to help me drag him out since my back is so screwed up. And started to field dress him out. The funny thing is the whole time I was dressing the buck, that small buck and doe were running circles around me!
This is not one of my biggest bucks by any means but the way the hunt went and the fact of making a move to get on him and getting a perfect shot opportunity made it very satisfying regardless of size. I also went back to my roots like Cotty did and never ran any cameras at all this year. I found it to be more exciting not knowing what might show up.
