turtlshell
PMA Member
Well my pre-shotgun bow season has ended and I went out with another BONK!!!
Took a decoy with me tonight and it ruined a chance at a true GIANT. What makes the situation even more stupid is that I had the buck patterned. It hasn't been the best season for me this year, but I did manage to get into the wheel house of another amazing Iowa Whitetail.
After sailing an arrow over a 150" (+) on Nov12th, I decided to burn up my remaining vacation and take off this past monday, tuesday, and wednesday. I figured this buck was worth it so I was hell bent on getting another crack at him. Long story short, the weather was less than suitable for hunting this past week here in Eastern Iowa. Continuously variable winds, high winds, rain/snow, colder than my clothes allow, landowners cutting wood, etc etc. It was a rough week to put it mildly and I didn't log as many hours as I had anticipated. HOWEVER, I did manage to see the buck I missed and he was basically on the same pattern as when I got my original crack at him. He would bust a hot doe out of a bedding area and push her out into a wide open bean field. That's what he was doing when I caught him in the fence line on the 12th and is what he was busted doing on the evening of the 20th and morning of the 21st. I didn't have any stands in the bedding area and the wind was wrong to move into the area so I hunted a different farm.
After finishing the hunt on the other farm I pulled the set as my real intention was to get that set put up near the bedding area of the does the big boy was working over. Monday around noon I got the set put up in a good spot near the bedding area. Hunted it that night and saw 7 does, no buck. I figured he was still tending his last date out in the fenceline's of the bean field. Tuesday morning I hit the same stand and only saw four does move out of the bedding area at first light. I got cold and could only handle it until 9am. I figured the weather was right to have go down the fencelines again. I walked them all and didn't see hair or hide of any deer, let alone the big boy. His pattern HAD changed. Went back to the same stand Tuesday night with a decoy. Saw the big boy following two does back towards a different bedding area on a farm I can't hunt. They were 300yds away and coming out of a farm I can hunt. I rattled and grunted at him until I got his attention. The evening got weird towards last light when three different groups of does came in and got sketchy about the decoy. I had to spook three deer in order to get down.
The wind wasn't right to hunt for me on Wednesday and had family stuff going on all day Thursday, which brought my better half to town. With the misses keeping me warm, it was easy to sleep in Friday
. Didn't hunt last night either, but it was on purpose in order to see if the buck was still coming out of the OTHER farm like he did on Tuesday...and he sure as heck did.
Wind wasn't right for OTHER farm this morning so I went back to the bedding area stand to ensure nothing was there...and there certainly wasn't anything there. I must've spooked them good Tuesday night...which meant the deer were on the OTHER farm. I spent most of the day trying to decide how to go about hunting the OTHER farm. I have a ladder stand in a good "high traffic" area, but was considering a ground and pound at an extreme pinch point or lugging my climber to the fenceline where they were leaving the OTHER farm and heading back to the bedding area on the farm I can't hunt. According to the weatherman the wind wasn't going to be right for this farm until after 3pm. In general I like to be in my stand around 2pm for evening hunts, but I had to wait for the wind. As soon as I saw the flag out front switch I flew out there. Given the time delay my best choice was probably the ground and pound pinch point, but I opted for the ladder stand. One trail at this stand keeps the deer at 55-60yds so I decided to take a decoy. Thankfully two really large flocks of geese flew over when I was walking in so I was able to use their noise to cover my way to the stand QUICKLY. I was all set and ready to rally at 315pm.
I have always said I'll take what is offered to me after Thanksgiving, to avoid tag soup...except button bucks, 1.5yr old bucks, and 2.5yr old bucks. At 345pm I had a small deer at the decoy (25yds) but couldn't tell if it was a button buck or not. I decided not to shoot, besides it was a perfect night and I knew the big boy was there some where and that I had a good chance at getting a shot at him if he showed.
I didn't see a darn thing until after 5pm when the five local long beards decided to take flight to their evening roosts. Scared the crap out of me because they had snuck in undetected and it was a really quiet evening. Turkey wings against a branch at 60yds WILL wake you up when you're not expecting it. After the turkey chaos settled I could here some movement to the east and I was convinced some deer were coming. Sure enough, about five minutes later I hear some soft hoof stomping going on, but couldn't see the deer. FINALLY I saw a tail walking away through the brush at about 40yds. I knew this or these deer weren't diggin the decoy. A few minutes later I see a shadow emerge from brush pile on the 55-60yd away trail. When the deer fully exposed his body I was in shock. It was an absolute Giant. His body was twice the size of the Flambeau Big Boss decoy and I could easily make out his massive rack in the dim light. At the same time of being in awe, i knew the gig was about to fall through. Sure enough he snorted a few times and I heard three deer trot off. I assume it was the big boy and his two girlfriends. Whatever else was with him doesn't matter, I saw the deer I was after.
I'm truly blessed and thankful for a season in which I had two close encounters with giant bucks...but I'm dejected at the same time because minus the decoy tonight I'm confident the does would have lead the big boy past my stand at 20-25yds.
So that's the story of me playing my violin...I'll be back after them next fall. These property's get completely piss pounded during gun seasons and the bigger bucks move well away from the woods so my archery chances at a big boy are done for this season.
Took a decoy with me tonight and it ruined a chance at a true GIANT. What makes the situation even more stupid is that I had the buck patterned. It hasn't been the best season for me this year, but I did manage to get into the wheel house of another amazing Iowa Whitetail.
After sailing an arrow over a 150" (+) on Nov12th, I decided to burn up my remaining vacation and take off this past monday, tuesday, and wednesday. I figured this buck was worth it so I was hell bent on getting another crack at him. Long story short, the weather was less than suitable for hunting this past week here in Eastern Iowa. Continuously variable winds, high winds, rain/snow, colder than my clothes allow, landowners cutting wood, etc etc. It was a rough week to put it mildly and I didn't log as many hours as I had anticipated. HOWEVER, I did manage to see the buck I missed and he was basically on the same pattern as when I got my original crack at him. He would bust a hot doe out of a bedding area and push her out into a wide open bean field. That's what he was doing when I caught him in the fence line on the 12th and is what he was busted doing on the evening of the 20th and morning of the 21st. I didn't have any stands in the bedding area and the wind was wrong to move into the area so I hunted a different farm.
After finishing the hunt on the other farm I pulled the set as my real intention was to get that set put up near the bedding area of the does the big boy was working over. Monday around noon I got the set put up in a good spot near the bedding area. Hunted it that night and saw 7 does, no buck. I figured he was still tending his last date out in the fenceline's of the bean field. Tuesday morning I hit the same stand and only saw four does move out of the bedding area at first light. I got cold and could only handle it until 9am. I figured the weather was right to have go down the fencelines again. I walked them all and didn't see hair or hide of any deer, let alone the big boy. His pattern HAD changed. Went back to the same stand Tuesday night with a decoy. Saw the big boy following two does back towards a different bedding area on a farm I can't hunt. They were 300yds away and coming out of a farm I can hunt. I rattled and grunted at him until I got his attention. The evening got weird towards last light when three different groups of does came in and got sketchy about the decoy. I had to spook three deer in order to get down.
The wind wasn't right to hunt for me on Wednesday and had family stuff going on all day Thursday, which brought my better half to town. With the misses keeping me warm, it was easy to sleep in Friday
. Didn't hunt last night either, but it was on purpose in order to see if the buck was still coming out of the OTHER farm like he did on Tuesday...and he sure as heck did.Wind wasn't right for OTHER farm this morning so I went back to the bedding area stand to ensure nothing was there...and there certainly wasn't anything there. I must've spooked them good Tuesday night...which meant the deer were on the OTHER farm. I spent most of the day trying to decide how to go about hunting the OTHER farm. I have a ladder stand in a good "high traffic" area, but was considering a ground and pound at an extreme pinch point or lugging my climber to the fenceline where they were leaving the OTHER farm and heading back to the bedding area on the farm I can't hunt. According to the weatherman the wind wasn't going to be right for this farm until after 3pm. In general I like to be in my stand around 2pm for evening hunts, but I had to wait for the wind. As soon as I saw the flag out front switch I flew out there. Given the time delay my best choice was probably the ground and pound pinch point, but I opted for the ladder stand. One trail at this stand keeps the deer at 55-60yds so I decided to take a decoy. Thankfully two really large flocks of geese flew over when I was walking in so I was able to use their noise to cover my way to the stand QUICKLY. I was all set and ready to rally at 315pm.
I have always said I'll take what is offered to me after Thanksgiving, to avoid tag soup...except button bucks, 1.5yr old bucks, and 2.5yr old bucks. At 345pm I had a small deer at the decoy (25yds) but couldn't tell if it was a button buck or not. I decided not to shoot, besides it was a perfect night and I knew the big boy was there some where and that I had a good chance at getting a shot at him if he showed.
I didn't see a darn thing until after 5pm when the five local long beards decided to take flight to their evening roosts. Scared the crap out of me because they had snuck in undetected and it was a really quiet evening. Turkey wings against a branch at 60yds WILL wake you up when you're not expecting it. After the turkey chaos settled I could here some movement to the east and I was convinced some deer were coming. Sure enough, about five minutes later I hear some soft hoof stomping going on, but couldn't see the deer. FINALLY I saw a tail walking away through the brush at about 40yds. I knew this or these deer weren't diggin the decoy. A few minutes later I see a shadow emerge from brush pile on the 55-60yd away trail. When the deer fully exposed his body I was in shock. It was an absolute Giant. His body was twice the size of the Flambeau Big Boss decoy and I could easily make out his massive rack in the dim light. At the same time of being in awe, i knew the gig was about to fall through. Sure enough he snorted a few times and I heard three deer trot off. I assume it was the big boy and his two girlfriends. Whatever else was with him doesn't matter, I saw the deer I was after.
I'm truly blessed and thankful for a season in which I had two close encounters with giant bucks...but I'm dejected at the same time because minus the decoy tonight I'm confident the does would have lead the big boy past my stand at 20-25yds.
So that's the story of me playing my violin...I'll be back after them next fall. These property's get completely piss pounded during gun seasons and the bigger bucks move well away from the woods so my archery chances at a big boy are done for this season.
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