ironwood
Active Member
Zach and I start our weekend on private property with Zach in a stand that was hastily put up after dark on Friday night. I had been watch the wind forecast change all week and at the last minute I decided we did not have our act together for the morning hunt. This was the first time I sent Zach to his stand alone and it had a little different feel to it. Growing pains I guess I could call it. Well he had some growing pains of his own that morning. It must have been unbelievable for him; he told me when I joined him later that morning that he had seen twelve shooter buck. Two he called booners that he took shots at and missed. I have never had a morning like that in all my years of deer hunting. The pains for him were the misses but what a great morning.
Later that day we decided to hunt a small piece of public ground not far from our place. With fresh snow we where able to assess the amount of pressure the park had that day and thought things looked good for us. I sent him circling left around the park and I went right. The plan to meet on the opposite corner of the park, having never been to this county park before I watched for traffic patterns as I went. The snow really helped to educate me fast. When we met he had really covered the ground fast and was sweating his butt off. After telling him to change his pace we shared what we had seen for deer and turkey sign and continued our circles. Because he was so far head of me in his circle of the park I told him to stop at a spot that I thought really looked promising. I was nearing the end of my loop when I heard three shots ring out and a grin crossed my face. The plan was not to take a doe this far from transportation and keeping us off afternoon stand. When I saw him coming my way I knew he had taken a buck by his actions. He shared these events with me. He had waited at the spot I had instructed him to and was just getting underway again when he saw deer in the adjacent picked corn field coming his way. Then he saw the buck standing across the river at a crossing. Suddenly there where trucks on a nearby road running the deer and he thought they where shooting as well. The buck quickly began crossing the river and Zach shot him in the neck and again as he stumbled on the river bank. Unfortunately he expired in the middle of the river and when Zach first was able to look closely at him he thought there was some serious ground shrinkage going on. I too at first look thought he had shot a small basket eight pointer. After roping the tines we could see, we where both very happy to see the rest of his rack come into view. He measured 137 inches, is an 11 pointer with a split brow and is Zach’s best buck to date. Thanks to Buck Owens for talking about this particular piece of public ground and the great boot warmers that kept me comfortable enough for my shot in the following paragraph.
Since the young guy had such a great morning and was having trouble with the longer shots. I filled that new stand on Sunday morning. I watched several good deer at some distance and was trying to bring them into the horns with obvious reactions but not the ones I wanted. Then success, a small buck came in and pasted looking for the action. Twenty minute later and coming from the same direction as the last buck I spotted a large body heading my way. The deer was nearly ¼ of a mile away so I hit the horns hard and he reacted right away. He stopped after running some distance so I hit them again hard and he was running in again. At about 120 yard I was afraid he would come through my scent stream going to fast. I grunted away from him and he turned the right direction for a several yard then continued toward my scent stream. I readied my position and knew I would have to be set for my chance. At 75 yards he was right in my wind and stop, stomped his foot once and I took my shot. He spun and ran back the way he had come and I could see the work of the Remington Cooper Solid. I watched and waited for the crash, and he performed. It was one of my greatest hunting experiences. After not recovering a similar deer during the bow season I was really glad to have been blessed with this hunt and to have been with my youngest son, known as T-t-t-t-turdy point buck on this sight. He measures 156 inches and is an eight with a couple of small extra points and my best to date.
Later that day we decided to hunt a small piece of public ground not far from our place. With fresh snow we where able to assess the amount of pressure the park had that day and thought things looked good for us. I sent him circling left around the park and I went right. The plan to meet on the opposite corner of the park, having never been to this county park before I watched for traffic patterns as I went. The snow really helped to educate me fast. When we met he had really covered the ground fast and was sweating his butt off. After telling him to change his pace we shared what we had seen for deer and turkey sign and continued our circles. Because he was so far head of me in his circle of the park I told him to stop at a spot that I thought really looked promising. I was nearing the end of my loop when I heard three shots ring out and a grin crossed my face. The plan was not to take a doe this far from transportation and keeping us off afternoon stand. When I saw him coming my way I knew he had taken a buck by his actions. He shared these events with me. He had waited at the spot I had instructed him to and was just getting underway again when he saw deer in the adjacent picked corn field coming his way. Then he saw the buck standing across the river at a crossing. Suddenly there where trucks on a nearby road running the deer and he thought they where shooting as well. The buck quickly began crossing the river and Zach shot him in the neck and again as he stumbled on the river bank. Unfortunately he expired in the middle of the river and when Zach first was able to look closely at him he thought there was some serious ground shrinkage going on. I too at first look thought he had shot a small basket eight pointer. After roping the tines we could see, we where both very happy to see the rest of his rack come into view. He measured 137 inches, is an 11 pointer with a split brow and is Zach’s best buck to date. Thanks to Buck Owens for talking about this particular piece of public ground and the great boot warmers that kept me comfortable enough for my shot in the following paragraph.
Since the young guy had such a great morning and was having trouble with the longer shots. I filled that new stand on Sunday morning. I watched several good deer at some distance and was trying to bring them into the horns with obvious reactions but not the ones I wanted. Then success, a small buck came in and pasted looking for the action. Twenty minute later and coming from the same direction as the last buck I spotted a large body heading my way. The deer was nearly ¼ of a mile away so I hit the horns hard and he reacted right away. He stopped after running some distance so I hit them again hard and he was running in again. At about 120 yard I was afraid he would come through my scent stream going to fast. I grunted away from him and he turned the right direction for a several yard then continued toward my scent stream. I readied my position and knew I would have to be set for my chance. At 75 yards he was right in my wind and stop, stomped his foot once and I took my shot. He spun and ran back the way he had come and I could see the work of the Remington Cooper Solid. I watched and waited for the crash, and he performed. It was one of my greatest hunting experiences. After not recovering a similar deer during the bow season I was really glad to have been blessed with this hunt and to have been with my youngest son, known as T-t-t-t-turdy point buck on this sight. He measures 156 inches and is an eight with a couple of small extra points and my best to date.
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