lunker99
Active Member
Was able to connect last night. Hit a little back from a sharp downward angle so waited till this morning to recover him. Had a 3.5 yr old 8 push a couple does into the field around 3:30. Once I decided he wasn't a shooter, she proceeded to drag him by my stand 4 times within 20 yds. This caught the attention of a 2.5 buck with a lot of potential who joined in on the fun. This went on for quite a while before this guy entered the field a little after 4. He started to head right for the action which would take him well outside of my range. Gave him a couple grunts which irritated him enough that he turned and started heading my direction. Got most of the way in before the live action drew his attention away. Ranged him at 53 yds which was a little far and he wasn't coming any closer. Gave a couple snort wheezes as he headed away which almost got him to come back but at that point he was heading for the two other bucks. Bullied the younger of the two completely away and kept the original 8 at a distance as he took control of the doe. She wasn't quite ready and led him, the original 8 and a couple other deer to the other end of the field that I couldn't see due to a terrace. Was hoping she would circle the field and come back my way, but they were gone long enough that I figured they weren't coming back. Finally around 5 here she came down the terrace line heading back my way with him still in tow. When she was getting close to the stand she shot into the terrace line. Terrace is on a fairly steep hill where my stand is not much higher than the uphill side but pretty high for the downhill side. Wind was blowing directly uphill so was hoping she would stay below me. She did as I hoped and came back out below me but he stayed in the trees in the terrace. She came a little further my way then even though he wasn't chasing at that point she sot back through the terrace to the uphill side. For some reason he didn't follow and came out on downhill side. She kept coming and got downwind and immediately locked up and started staring at me. Fortunately she didn't blow and he finished coming in. Heard her bolt as I drew, but since she had be running all night all he did was stop and look at her which gave me my shot. Hit him a little high and arrow didn't pass through with the sharp angle. Fortunately the lighted nock helped me track him after it got dark and I stayed in the stand watching until it stopped moving. I stayed in the stand for a half hour after it quit moving and snuck out of there hoping that he wouldn't go anywhere with the approaching snow. Luckily he was laying where I last saw him this morning. Broken brown tines and another broken point supported he was the bully/fighter of the field. Nice older deer with good mass but a little short on tine length.
