It was my fourth morning on stand and just as the dawn started to fade in, I could hear footsteps easing down the hill behind me. First a doe popped out and then there he was again. This was the third time in four days of hunting I'd had an up close encounter with the buck I wanted to harvest. Unfortunately, just like the prior two encounters he got squirrely and was gone before any chance to draw. The pair headed south and was soon out of sight. The property was full of activity that November 11th morning. Within a short time another pair of bucks and a few does had been bye. The bucks were much more aggressive than the prior few days.
About 45-60 minutes later I catch movement and a doe is running down the hill directly in front of me. She had 3 bucks in tow, one being my target. The disappeared for a stretch and then appeared again only to go back the way they came. As time went by the activity never slowed, more young bucks and does several walking directly under my stand. Again I catch a doe on the move and she brings my target into a thicket about 65 yards away and they disappear. For the next several hours I just hunker in watching the parade of deer moving all over the property.
Around 11:30 a small doe was feeding in my "kill zone" when I see her start to stare back at the ticket. A few minutes later he steps out and walks slowly right into the same sport where I shot my buck last year. Unfortunately, he is always facing me or very hard quartering to. Then he spins and goes right back to the ticket. Due to all of the texting and picture taking this is where my phone is all but dead. I have a locked up buck only 60ish yards away looks like I'm in for a long sit.
The longer I sat with nothing but my thoughts, I had talked myself into getting down. I was sure they had snuck away and I had no provisions for an all day sit. I grabbed the binos and did a check of my surroundings and then shimmied down the tree. I tool about 2 steps and saw a deer coming my way. I quickly ducked down and lost sight of him. Then I hear rustling coming from behind me. Hear comes another decent 8 pointer. Then from the ticket another 2 year old 8 and my target buck and I'm on the ground at the base of my tree! They are all more concerned with each other and I'm able to actually climb back up on noticed. The big buck heads back to the thicket and now I know I'm staying put until dark.
As the afternoon continues, I only can estimate time (wasn't wearing a watch and phone is dead). The locked up pair would get up and move and then I would lose them, but there was never much time before I would see them again. Although they had moved up the hill and almost directly behind me. This really sucked. My neck was getting stiff, I had a knot in my shoulder blade and my hips were hurting from looking behind me all afternoon. The afternoon continues and I'm starting to lose hope. Other deer continue to move though, but these two seem very content where there at.
The afternoon sun is now tucked behind the hill to my west and I know time is running short. There is a young deer feeding in the zone and suddenly a burst of activity from the ticket and I see the buck and doe charging my way. I waste no time drawing my bow. He charges in and runs off the young doe and turns to a perfect quartering away position. I really don't remember much other than my pins being lined up just behind the shoulder. As soon as the arrow released I could see it was going to be perfect. He took it right in the heart whirling and running about a 50 yard semi-circle, staggering and falling to his death in full view from my stand. It was 4:50 pm. On stand for approximately 10 hours and watching the pair almost the entire time.
About 45-60 minutes later I catch movement and a doe is running down the hill directly in front of me. She had 3 bucks in tow, one being my target. The disappeared for a stretch and then appeared again only to go back the way they came. As time went by the activity never slowed, more young bucks and does several walking directly under my stand. Again I catch a doe on the move and she brings my target into a thicket about 65 yards away and they disappear. For the next several hours I just hunker in watching the parade of deer moving all over the property.
Around 11:30 a small doe was feeding in my "kill zone" when I see her start to stare back at the ticket. A few minutes later he steps out and walks slowly right into the same sport where I shot my buck last year. Unfortunately, he is always facing me or very hard quartering to. Then he spins and goes right back to the ticket. Due to all of the texting and picture taking this is where my phone is all but dead. I have a locked up buck only 60ish yards away looks like I'm in for a long sit.
The longer I sat with nothing but my thoughts, I had talked myself into getting down. I was sure they had snuck away and I had no provisions for an all day sit. I grabbed the binos and did a check of my surroundings and then shimmied down the tree. I tool about 2 steps and saw a deer coming my way. I quickly ducked down and lost sight of him. Then I hear rustling coming from behind me. Hear comes another decent 8 pointer. Then from the ticket another 2 year old 8 and my target buck and I'm on the ground at the base of my tree! They are all more concerned with each other and I'm able to actually climb back up on noticed. The big buck heads back to the thicket and now I know I'm staying put until dark.
As the afternoon continues, I only can estimate time (wasn't wearing a watch and phone is dead). The locked up pair would get up and move and then I would lose them, but there was never much time before I would see them again. Although they had moved up the hill and almost directly behind me. This really sucked. My neck was getting stiff, I had a knot in my shoulder blade and my hips were hurting from looking behind me all afternoon. The afternoon continues and I'm starting to lose hope. Other deer continue to move though, but these two seem very content where there at.
The afternoon sun is now tucked behind the hill to my west and I know time is running short. There is a young deer feeding in the zone and suddenly a burst of activity from the ticket and I see the buck and doe charging my way. I waste no time drawing my bow. He charges in and runs off the young doe and turns to a perfect quartering away position. I really don't remember much other than my pins being lined up just behind the shoulder. As soon as the arrow released I could see it was going to be perfect. He took it right in the heart whirling and running about a 50 yard semi-circle, staggering and falling to his death in full view from my stand. It was 4:50 pm. On stand for approximately 10 hours and watching the pair almost the entire time.
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