sep0667
Land of the Whitetail
I've hunted quite a bit this fall starting in mid-oct. Bouncing around between a few properties, mostly concentrated on an urban zone that I am in that has a 170s in it, or atleast did as I have not had a photo or sighting since late Oct.
With the super cold temps and needing a break from getting up early to either hunt or go to work I decided Saturday11/19 I would sleep in. Ended up not hunting at all and watched a great Hawkeye victory in the afternoon. It was nice to have a day that wasn't spent working or getting up early to hunt. A much needed total off day. Plus a north wind was not ideal for where we were going. Sunday dad and I planned to go down to my farm to hunt with the predicted south wind. He was worried about the cold temps and I had talked him into getting an Artic Shield Body Insulator Suit ( two huge thumbs up from me on those by the way, I dont think I'll sit in below 35 degrees without mine anymore). Since it would be his first time using the suit we opted to head down midmorning so he could get the suit on and climb up with it for the first time etc in daylight versus dark.
We got set up about 1100. It was a south wind and we have two stands set that are perfect for a south wind, both on the north edge of the timber with open ag behind the stand. I brought a pole saw with me as I knew there were a few limbs that needed some small branches snipped off yet. I was excited to see how many trails there were in the snow. There were several well used trails all intersecting right in front of my stand under 25 yards. I felt this would be a good stand when I hung it a couple months ago. I was able to get them snipped off easily and actually spotted a buck as I was doing that through the timber. Maybe just 20 minutes later I see three does feeding through the timber coming my way. I also see a small buck off to my left. I thought I heard a faint grunt or two by the does, but didn't see a buck, maybe I was just hearing things. The does work closer, maybe 60 yards through the trees. I'm looking to my left watching the little buck and I think I hear a faint grunt again. I look back over towards the does and through the trees I see a buck, looks like a nice one. I forgot my pack with my binos, grunt tube, pack-rack, snacks at the truck. So with no binos I could tell he was a nice buck, maybe one that I had on cam, but could not confirm. He pushes the does towards me a a bit and I can see that yes, he is the big one I had on cam. But, sure enough the does circle away from me and go back into the trees where they came from where I lose sight, he follows, and I lose sight of them. I can't see real far through the timber, its thick and there are several cedars at stand heigh 20-30 yards out that block my view. Really wish I had my grunt tube now, and my snacks.
A few minutes go by and a doe comes in from the left across a valley and creek to the timber I'm in and goes up towards where the buck and the 3 does went. Maybe five minutes later I look up and see a doe coming right on a path that would lead her either straight to me under 8 yards or curve off and go by at about 20. As she gets to about 40 yards out I see the buck in tow. The doe is coming in perfect and my heart starts pounding. They are walking at me, but to my right and I am right handed. Not ideal for a shot. The doe comes in perfect, she stays on the path that is about 20 yards to my right and moves behind me just over my right shoulder. I keep my eyes on her as I know the buck is preoccupied watching her. I slow stand and get turned, not all at once, but in a few different movements when I know the doe wont notice. The buck follows on trail. I knew at this point I had him, all I was going to have to do was get drawn and execute the shot. As he was coming in he got to about 20 yards and stopped in the perfect spot for me to draw. Between me and him is a decent sized walnut tree and he paused under a cedar to lick the branch as if it was a scrape. I could see his rack sticking out each side of the walnut and his tailend. Once he put his head down from the branch I drew. He stepped out to follow the doe and I settled the 20yd pin right behind the shoulder and released. I heard that great sound we like to hear, but the shot was a touch buck. He ran about 10 yards and then slowly walked about 10, stood for a couple of minutes and then laid down. He laid there maybe 5 minutes, his head was wobbly the whole time. Then he got up and started walking towards me looking like he didn't know how to walk or hold his head still. I was ready to put another arrow through him, and then she stumbled and expired just 10 yards from my stand. I looked at the time and it was only a few minutes after 1200.
I texted dad to let him know and we decided to sit until 230 in hopes something would come by him. In the next couple hours I saw several more does and some small bucks. I had 4-5 deer under 20 yards. Dad had some good movement by him too. He said he had a nice 8pt walk straight at him and directly under the tree and straight away, didn't have a good shot opportunity at him.
I didn't score him, I guessed this buck would go around 155, taxidermist agreed What do you think he will go? I love the little split on his left 3 and all the junk and trash around the bases and gnarly brow tines. He also had taken a tine or stick to his left eye. It wasn't poked out, but not sure he could see out of it, it was sort of sunk in and all goopy around it. Also he had broken his noise of something at some point. I'm sure he shredded up some trees. I know he will go great in the freezer! Couldn't be happier with him! First buck off my own farm. Just sitting there in the stand and looking at the woods and seeing the deer moving around etc hits a little different when you own the ground.
With the super cold temps and needing a break from getting up early to either hunt or go to work I decided Saturday11/19 I would sleep in. Ended up not hunting at all and watched a great Hawkeye victory in the afternoon. It was nice to have a day that wasn't spent working or getting up early to hunt. A much needed total off day. Plus a north wind was not ideal for where we were going. Sunday dad and I planned to go down to my farm to hunt with the predicted south wind. He was worried about the cold temps and I had talked him into getting an Artic Shield Body Insulator Suit ( two huge thumbs up from me on those by the way, I dont think I'll sit in below 35 degrees without mine anymore). Since it would be his first time using the suit we opted to head down midmorning so he could get the suit on and climb up with it for the first time etc in daylight versus dark.
We got set up about 1100. It was a south wind and we have two stands set that are perfect for a south wind, both on the north edge of the timber with open ag behind the stand. I brought a pole saw with me as I knew there were a few limbs that needed some small branches snipped off yet. I was excited to see how many trails there were in the snow. There were several well used trails all intersecting right in front of my stand under 25 yards. I felt this would be a good stand when I hung it a couple months ago. I was able to get them snipped off easily and actually spotted a buck as I was doing that through the timber. Maybe just 20 minutes later I see three does feeding through the timber coming my way. I also see a small buck off to my left. I thought I heard a faint grunt or two by the does, but didn't see a buck, maybe I was just hearing things. The does work closer, maybe 60 yards through the trees. I'm looking to my left watching the little buck and I think I hear a faint grunt again. I look back over towards the does and through the trees I see a buck, looks like a nice one. I forgot my pack with my binos, grunt tube, pack-rack, snacks at the truck. So with no binos I could tell he was a nice buck, maybe one that I had on cam, but could not confirm. He pushes the does towards me a a bit and I can see that yes, he is the big one I had on cam. But, sure enough the does circle away from me and go back into the trees where they came from where I lose sight, he follows, and I lose sight of them. I can't see real far through the timber, its thick and there are several cedars at stand heigh 20-30 yards out that block my view. Really wish I had my grunt tube now, and my snacks.
A few minutes go by and a doe comes in from the left across a valley and creek to the timber I'm in and goes up towards where the buck and the 3 does went. Maybe five minutes later I look up and see a doe coming right on a path that would lead her either straight to me under 8 yards or curve off and go by at about 20. As she gets to about 40 yards out I see the buck in tow. The doe is coming in perfect and my heart starts pounding. They are walking at me, but to my right and I am right handed. Not ideal for a shot. The doe comes in perfect, she stays on the path that is about 20 yards to my right and moves behind me just over my right shoulder. I keep my eyes on her as I know the buck is preoccupied watching her. I slow stand and get turned, not all at once, but in a few different movements when I know the doe wont notice. The buck follows on trail. I knew at this point I had him, all I was going to have to do was get drawn and execute the shot. As he was coming in he got to about 20 yards and stopped in the perfect spot for me to draw. Between me and him is a decent sized walnut tree and he paused under a cedar to lick the branch as if it was a scrape. I could see his rack sticking out each side of the walnut and his tailend. Once he put his head down from the branch I drew. He stepped out to follow the doe and I settled the 20yd pin right behind the shoulder and released. I heard that great sound we like to hear, but the shot was a touch buck. He ran about 10 yards and then slowly walked about 10, stood for a couple of minutes and then laid down. He laid there maybe 5 minutes, his head was wobbly the whole time. Then he got up and started walking towards me looking like he didn't know how to walk or hold his head still. I was ready to put another arrow through him, and then she stumbled and expired just 10 yards from my stand. I looked at the time and it was only a few minutes after 1200.
I texted dad to let him know and we decided to sit until 230 in hopes something would come by him. In the next couple hours I saw several more does and some small bucks. I had 4-5 deer under 20 yards. Dad had some good movement by him too. He said he had a nice 8pt walk straight at him and directly under the tree and straight away, didn't have a good shot opportunity at him.
I didn't score him, I guessed this buck would go around 155, taxidermist agreed What do you think he will go? I love the little split on his left 3 and all the junk and trash around the bases and gnarly brow tines. He also had taken a tine or stick to his left eye. It wasn't poked out, but not sure he could see out of it, it was sort of sunk in and all goopy around it. Also he had broken his noise of something at some point. I'm sure he shredded up some trees. I know he will go great in the freezer! Couldn't be happier with him! First buck off my own farm. Just sitting there in the stand and looking at the woods and seeing the deer moving around etc hits a little different when you own the ground.
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