Thinkin Rut
PMA Member
My son harvested his last youth buck Saturday night during early muzzy season. Tanner called all the shots on this hunt from the set up to the shot. He chose to hunt from the ground after he was uncomfortable with a previous stand site. The set up was at the end of a long brushy finger surrounded by a strip of CRP and beans beyond that. At the end of the finger was a bowl type area and a pond. He chose the edge of the CRP and beans overlooking the pond with the wind in his face.
There was little activity until around 5:15 when the first doe entered the beans. A little later a 100 inch buck, then a fork had a pushing match in the CRP a ways from the pond. Tanner noticed movement closer to the pond which turned out to be some does. A few minutes later he told me he seen a rack, maybe a 140 or so. The does moved on but the buck stayed ripping up the trees. Tanner decided to do a short belly crawl to get a little closer and to gain visibility. Hid did a few grunts and he said he lost the deer in the CRP but he thought he was on the move. He stayed on his belly and pointed the gun down a mowed path toward where he thought the buck would appear. Like magic the buck was coming straight at him down the mowed path. With no chance of the deer giving him a broadside shot, Tanner let the deer get to within 50-60 yards and went with a frontal shot. After the smoke cleared, the deer was down in his tracks. The old buck did have enough energy to raise his head several times so a mercy shot was applied. Tanner has learned a lot from his youth seasons but maybe a short coarse in field judging may be needed!:grin: The buck green scored 198 4/8 net non typical and 201 4/8 gross. This buck has an extremely symmetrical main frame with 44 inches of mass and 17 2/8 non typical points. Tanner’s hoping to have him back for the classic.
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There was little activity until around 5:15 when the first doe entered the beans. A little later a 100 inch buck, then a fork had a pushing match in the CRP a ways from the pond. Tanner noticed movement closer to the pond which turned out to be some does. A few minutes later he told me he seen a rack, maybe a 140 or so. The does moved on but the buck stayed ripping up the trees. Tanner decided to do a short belly crawl to get a little closer and to gain visibility. Hid did a few grunts and he said he lost the deer in the CRP but he thought he was on the move. He stayed on his belly and pointed the gun down a mowed path toward where he thought the buck would appear. Like magic the buck was coming straight at him down the mowed path. With no chance of the deer giving him a broadside shot, Tanner let the deer get to within 50-60 yards and went with a frontal shot. After the smoke cleared, the deer was down in his tracks. The old buck did have enough energy to raise his head several times so a mercy shot was applied. Tanner has learned a lot from his youth seasons but maybe a short coarse in field judging may be needed!:grin: The buck green scored 198 4/8 net non typical and 201 4/8 gross. This buck has an extremely symmetrical main frame with 44 inches of mass and 17 2/8 non typical points. Tanner’s hoping to have him back for the classic.
