Fox Valley Hunter
PMA Member
My father in-law ended his 2013 archery season on Oct 1st after sitting in his hay bale blind for about 90 minutes. The buck came in and rubbed the willow tree (Thanks 6X6) we had placed 25 yards in front of his blind and then walked towards the blind and turned broadside at 15 yards.
My season lasted a little longer. I started out the year with hopes of this buck that we started getting pics of in July.
I had an encounter on Oct 12th with the buck on the right in the picture below but decided to let him walk by at 15 yards. He milled around my decoy in bow range for a good 30 minutes trying to tempt me.
On Nov 2nd I finally saw my target buck enter the plot following a doe.They covered almost every inch of the plot except the part in front of my stand. I watched them in the plot with about 15 other deer for the rest of that evening.
Due to other commitments, I was only able to hunt 2 more days over the next 2 weeks. I did have a young buck that could really turn into something special come in and level my decoy on the 17th.
Going into this past weekend I was going to shoot any mature buck that offered me a shot. With a NW wind on Saturday morning I went to a stand that sits on the edge of a ditch that separates 2 alfalfa fields.
I hit my horns together at 6:45 AM and immediately had 2 young bucks coming my way from across the field. They got to me and one of them was looking south and seemed a little nervous. I scanned the field and there was a nice wide 10 heading our way. the little bucks decided to bolt and headed off to the east. The 10 took off after them. I hit the horns again and he stopped and turned back towards me. He was on his way back but typical of a mature buck he was coming in downwind of me. He made it within 60 yards and must have caught my wind. Just like that he was gone. I hung up my bow and sat back down thinking about how much I love being in a tree this time of year.
Within 5 minutes I hear steps coming down the ditch. It ends up being the young buck that leveled my decoy back on the 17th. That was the 4th time I had this buck in bow range this year. I hope he makes that mistake in the fall of 2015.
Another 10 minutes goes by and I hear steps again. This time it is a mature 10 but he is on a trail that will not offer me a shot. I try a soft grunt but he just raises is head and then continues down the trail. I let him get a little farther down the ditch and then just tickle the horns together. He comes running back my direction. By the time I get the horns hung up and grab my bow he has stepped out of the ditch into the field looking for the fight. I come to full draw and just as I let the arrow go he steps forward. My arrow hits him a little farther back then I would have liked but I was pretty sure I caught at least one lung.
He ran back down in the ditch and stops 40 yards away on the other side of a deadfall where I had no chance of another shot. He stood there for 3 or 4 minutes and then layed down. He raised his head several times over the next 20 minutes. I sat there watching him praying that he would not get back up and that he would give in sooner than later. Finally after watching him for 30 minutes with no more movement I knew he had expired.
Here are a few harvest photos along with a trail cam pic of him in velvet. good luck to everyone who is still hunting.
My season lasted a little longer. I started out the year with hopes of this buck that we started getting pics of in July.
I had an encounter on Oct 12th with the buck on the right in the picture below but decided to let him walk by at 15 yards. He milled around my decoy in bow range for a good 30 minutes trying to tempt me.
On Nov 2nd I finally saw my target buck enter the plot following a doe.They covered almost every inch of the plot except the part in front of my stand. I watched them in the plot with about 15 other deer for the rest of that evening.
Due to other commitments, I was only able to hunt 2 more days over the next 2 weeks. I did have a young buck that could really turn into something special come in and level my decoy on the 17th.
Going into this past weekend I was going to shoot any mature buck that offered me a shot. With a NW wind on Saturday morning I went to a stand that sits on the edge of a ditch that separates 2 alfalfa fields.
I hit my horns together at 6:45 AM and immediately had 2 young bucks coming my way from across the field. They got to me and one of them was looking south and seemed a little nervous. I scanned the field and there was a nice wide 10 heading our way. the little bucks decided to bolt and headed off to the east. The 10 took off after them. I hit the horns again and he stopped and turned back towards me. He was on his way back but typical of a mature buck he was coming in downwind of me. He made it within 60 yards and must have caught my wind. Just like that he was gone. I hung up my bow and sat back down thinking about how much I love being in a tree this time of year.
Within 5 minutes I hear steps coming down the ditch. It ends up being the young buck that leveled my decoy back on the 17th. That was the 4th time I had this buck in bow range this year. I hope he makes that mistake in the fall of 2015.
Another 10 minutes goes by and I hear steps again. This time it is a mature 10 but he is on a trail that will not offer me a shot. I try a soft grunt but he just raises is head and then continues down the trail. I let him get a little farther down the ditch and then just tickle the horns together. He comes running back my direction. By the time I get the horns hung up and grab my bow he has stepped out of the ditch into the field looking for the fight. I come to full draw and just as I let the arrow go he steps forward. My arrow hits him a little farther back then I would have liked but I was pretty sure I caught at least one lung.
He ran back down in the ditch and stops 40 yards away on the other side of a deadfall where I had no chance of another shot. He stood there for 3 or 4 minutes and then layed down. He raised his head several times over the next 20 minutes. I sat there watching him praying that he would not get back up and that he would give in sooner than later. Finally after watching him for 30 minutes with no more movement I knew he had expired.
Here are a few harvest photos along with a trail cam pic of him in velvet. good luck to everyone who is still hunting.
