KSHUNTER
PMA Member
This summer I started running cameras, and it was horrible! I got 1 picture of a mature deer; everything else was young or does. I knew there should be some good bucks in the area, but I still wanted some visual conformation. Finally in late September I started getting pictures of a good deer that I believed to be 4.5 if not 5.5 years old.
The buck was completely nocturnal, over the last month and a half I have collected 100's of pictures of him, not one was during daylight. Although not the biggest of bucks, he was mature and I knew I would be happy to put my tag on the deer!
During the month of October I hunted a total of 1 day! It was hard to do but I wanted to keep my spots fresh for November and I managed to stay away. Then beginning November 8th I had 13 days straight to make something happen.
My hunts started off great with a ton of bucks cruising, and steady movement almost all day long. Then the weekend hit, and movement shutdown! I started seeing bucks locked down, and after 6 days of HARD hunting I had seen zero mature bucks on their feet. I had been spreading my pressure out and playing the wind, but had no breaks. Truthfully, when I started seeing the buck movement slow down and bucks locking down I thought my chances were slim.
Just like a lot of you out there I started questioning stand choices, and everything else, but knew the only thing I could do was spend time in a stand and hope for the best.
The morning of the 15th broke warm and windy, seen 2 young bucks that morning, but was pretty slow. I pulled out about 10:30 and headed home to check the wind for my afternoon hunt, the wind was going to be out of the NE, which is rare, and I didn't have a set for that wind on the place I wanted to hunt. I knew where wanted to hunt, so I grabbed the lone wolf, and headed to the spot a little after noon with the temp setting in the mid 60's, I wasn't expecting very much!
I headed alongside a cattle pasture that would lead me to an inside corner that sits off some bedding cover, but for some reason packing a stand in a sleeveless shirt doesn't give one much hope....
I got the stand hung and settled in for I expected to be a long sit, and it was! Then at 4:50 I heard cracking of leaves that didn’t sound like a squirrel, I stood and got prepared, through the brush I caught a flash of movement and knew it was at least a deer headed my way.
He stepped into the open at 35 yards, I raised my binoculars and realized it was the deer I had so many pictures of, his brow tines are unmistakable. At that moment I started getting the shakes, worst than I really have ever before? I drew and waited.
He was heading straight to me cutting the distance quickly, but no shot was being presented, I held my draw; he cut it to 30, 20, 15, and then a few steps closer, but no shot! Then he stopped and started throwing his head up, he was at a crosswind to me, but he started acting like that 6th sense was kicking in, I was afraid my chance was about to be blown.
Finally he took a step and gave me a quartering to shot, I decided that the angle would work, I watched the fletching disappear, it looked perfect! He runs off the way he came, crashing through the brush, then crashing stops, and I knew it was down.
I sat down and gathered myself then slowly made my way down the tree a few minutes later, the top ten inches of arrow are broken off but covered in good blood. The blood trail was short and sweet, with my prize at the end! I couldn't be happier! Ending up going just a touch over 147 inches.
Good luck to all that are still out there, hope it happens!
The buck was completely nocturnal, over the last month and a half I have collected 100's of pictures of him, not one was during daylight. Although not the biggest of bucks, he was mature and I knew I would be happy to put my tag on the deer!
During the month of October I hunted a total of 1 day! It was hard to do but I wanted to keep my spots fresh for November and I managed to stay away. Then beginning November 8th I had 13 days straight to make something happen.
My hunts started off great with a ton of bucks cruising, and steady movement almost all day long. Then the weekend hit, and movement shutdown! I started seeing bucks locked down, and after 6 days of HARD hunting I had seen zero mature bucks on their feet. I had been spreading my pressure out and playing the wind, but had no breaks. Truthfully, when I started seeing the buck movement slow down and bucks locking down I thought my chances were slim.
Just like a lot of you out there I started questioning stand choices, and everything else, but knew the only thing I could do was spend time in a stand and hope for the best.
The morning of the 15th broke warm and windy, seen 2 young bucks that morning, but was pretty slow. I pulled out about 10:30 and headed home to check the wind for my afternoon hunt, the wind was going to be out of the NE, which is rare, and I didn't have a set for that wind on the place I wanted to hunt. I knew where wanted to hunt, so I grabbed the lone wolf, and headed to the spot a little after noon with the temp setting in the mid 60's, I wasn't expecting very much!
I headed alongside a cattle pasture that would lead me to an inside corner that sits off some bedding cover, but for some reason packing a stand in a sleeveless shirt doesn't give one much hope....
I got the stand hung and settled in for I expected to be a long sit, and it was! Then at 4:50 I heard cracking of leaves that didn’t sound like a squirrel, I stood and got prepared, through the brush I caught a flash of movement and knew it was at least a deer headed my way.
He stepped into the open at 35 yards, I raised my binoculars and realized it was the deer I had so many pictures of, his brow tines are unmistakable. At that moment I started getting the shakes, worst than I really have ever before? I drew and waited.
He was heading straight to me cutting the distance quickly, but no shot was being presented, I held my draw; he cut it to 30, 20, 15, and then a few steps closer, but no shot! Then he stopped and started throwing his head up, he was at a crosswind to me, but he started acting like that 6th sense was kicking in, I was afraid my chance was about to be blown.
Finally he took a step and gave me a quartering to shot, I decided that the angle would work, I watched the fletching disappear, it looked perfect! He runs off the way he came, crashing through the brush, then crashing stops, and I knew it was down.
I sat down and gathered myself then slowly made my way down the tree a few minutes later, the top ten inches of arrow are broken off but covered in good blood. The blood trail was short and sweet, with my prize at the end! I couldn't be happier! Ending up going just a touch over 147 inches.
Good luck to all that are still out there, hope it happens!
