Cyclone27
PMA Member
I love it when a plan comes together!
This has been on of my busiest falls ever. I'm in my junior year of college and between taking 13 credits and working 40 hours a week I don't have a lot of time to devote to hunting. I knew what bucks I would like but I was satisfied with anything that would give me food. I set out on Saturday for only my 4th hunt of the season and was in the stand by 3:30 pm. It was my first time hunting this stand location as I had just moved it the previous hunt because it appeared to be a good funnel location. The wind was perfect so I got settled in and ready for anything. I get bored easily so I mess around on my phone to pass the time. At about 5:00 I snapped this picture to capture and appreciate this hunt. Not knowing that in an hour I'd harvest the biggest buck of my hunting career, so far, in that exact spot.
I didn't see my first sign of a deer until about 5:30 when I saw one walking in the corn about 65 yards away. It was a 1 1/2 year old buck and he was followed shortly after by another 1 1/2 year old. I recognized both of them from summer trail camera pictures. Instead of taking the funnel my way they walked over the hill and took a trail that was about 50 yards from the trail that I wanted them to take. I looked around for sign of any other deer and didn't see a thing.Then I picked up my binos to watch these two because even if I don't get a shot at a deer I love watching deer be deer. They moved out of sight so I took off my glove to check my phone. I sent out a message and took a look up to see a beautiful 10 point buck walking out of the corn field on a line to work a scrape that was 15 yards from my stand. I immediately recognized him from my trail camera. He only showed up twice and it was right before the velvet was shed.
Here I am. This hit list buck walking right at me and my bow is hanging on the tree and my hands are full. Amazingly as he would walk behind trees I managed to pocket my phone, drop my glove, and grab my bow completely undetected. I didn't have time to stand up and I hadn't practiced shooting from a seat. I attempted to draw and because of my seated position I couldn't get my bow back. He had one more tree to walk behind before I knew it was too late. As he was behind that tree I let my bow down softly, adjusted slightly in my seat, and drew back again as hard as I could. He took one step out from the tree and I let my pin sink on his vitals. He was quartered at me and I let the shot fly. Only about 15 seconds had passed since I first saw him. He took off running and went about 50 yards. He stopped, wobbly, and stood there for what felt like 20 minutes, although I think it was only about 5. I waited and waited for him to fall and he didn't. He took a few steps and moved behind a tree that blocked my sight of him. Another small buck had moved in on my stand and caught notice of me right away. I stood still as possible trying to calm my adrenaline and not scare him. He flipped his tail and carried on drinking from the creek below me. As he finished he made his was along the trail that my buck had taken. He stopped where my buck had disappeared. He stared off for a couple seconds, blew, and ran away. After he was gone I could move enough to see my deer again and I saw him lay his head down for the last time. I knew it was done. I slowly got out of my stand and made my way to him more excited than I ever had been for a deer. Most of the time they get smaller when you put your hands on them but he was bigger!
I later realized that I had caught this deer on camera last November. He showed up just twice, like he had this summer.
I know 150" isn't big for some people but I've never shot anything larger. I've also never had a plan work out so well. I left feeling like I had developed as a hunter that day. I was able to spot a location with potential and make it successful. I also stayed calm enough to put a humane shot on a deer and knew that he didn't suffer. Taking a 6 1/2 year old warrior, and doing so completely unnoticed, is one of the greatest feelings that I've experienced. I have tremendous respect for this animal and I'm happy that I'll get to pay that to him for the rest of my life.
Sorry for such a long post but if you stuck around this long thank you so much for reading!
This has been on of my busiest falls ever. I'm in my junior year of college and between taking 13 credits and working 40 hours a week I don't have a lot of time to devote to hunting. I knew what bucks I would like but I was satisfied with anything that would give me food. I set out on Saturday for only my 4th hunt of the season and was in the stand by 3:30 pm. It was my first time hunting this stand location as I had just moved it the previous hunt because it appeared to be a good funnel location. The wind was perfect so I got settled in and ready for anything. I get bored easily so I mess around on my phone to pass the time. At about 5:00 I snapped this picture to capture and appreciate this hunt. Not knowing that in an hour I'd harvest the biggest buck of my hunting career, so far, in that exact spot.
I didn't see my first sign of a deer until about 5:30 when I saw one walking in the corn about 65 yards away. It was a 1 1/2 year old buck and he was followed shortly after by another 1 1/2 year old. I recognized both of them from summer trail camera pictures. Instead of taking the funnel my way they walked over the hill and took a trail that was about 50 yards from the trail that I wanted them to take. I looked around for sign of any other deer and didn't see a thing.Then I picked up my binos to watch these two because even if I don't get a shot at a deer I love watching deer be deer. They moved out of sight so I took off my glove to check my phone. I sent out a message and took a look up to see a beautiful 10 point buck walking out of the corn field on a line to work a scrape that was 15 yards from my stand. I immediately recognized him from my trail camera. He only showed up twice and it was right before the velvet was shed.
Here I am. This hit list buck walking right at me and my bow is hanging on the tree and my hands are full. Amazingly as he would walk behind trees I managed to pocket my phone, drop my glove, and grab my bow completely undetected. I didn't have time to stand up and I hadn't practiced shooting from a seat. I attempted to draw and because of my seated position I couldn't get my bow back. He had one more tree to walk behind before I knew it was too late. As he was behind that tree I let my bow down softly, adjusted slightly in my seat, and drew back again as hard as I could. He took one step out from the tree and I let my pin sink on his vitals. He was quartered at me and I let the shot fly. Only about 15 seconds had passed since I first saw him. He took off running and went about 50 yards. He stopped, wobbly, and stood there for what felt like 20 minutes, although I think it was only about 5. I waited and waited for him to fall and he didn't. He took a few steps and moved behind a tree that blocked my sight of him. Another small buck had moved in on my stand and caught notice of me right away. I stood still as possible trying to calm my adrenaline and not scare him. He flipped his tail and carried on drinking from the creek below me. As he finished he made his was along the trail that my buck had taken. He stopped where my buck had disappeared. He stared off for a couple seconds, blew, and ran away. After he was gone I could move enough to see my deer again and I saw him lay his head down for the last time. I knew it was done. I slowly got out of my stand and made my way to him more excited than I ever had been for a deer. Most of the time they get smaller when you put your hands on them but he was bigger!
I later realized that I had caught this deer on camera last November. He showed up just twice, like he had this summer.
I know 150" isn't big for some people but I've never shot anything larger. I've also never had a plan work out so well. I left feeling like I had developed as a hunter that day. I was able to spot a location with potential and make it successful. I also stayed calm enough to put a humane shot on a deer and knew that he didn't suffer. Taking a 6 1/2 year old warrior, and doing so completely unnoticed, is one of the greatest feelings that I've experienced. I have tremendous respect for this animal and I'm happy that I'll get to pay that to him for the rest of my life.
Sorry for such a long post but if you stuck around this long thank you so much for reading!
