On Monday, November 3, 2008, I debated what stand would be good for a south wind. The best I could come up with was the "bean pole" stand that I have harvested my archery buck from for the last three years (See my posts titled "My 2007 Season" and "Success" and my avatar is my 2005 buck from this tree) . Even this stand wasn't ideal for a south wind, as I found out soon after getting set up. I had the Lone Wolf up well before shooting time. It wasn't long before I heard deer moving under me. They were coming in on the trail I walked in on, but they didn't freak until they hit the swirling wind coming from me. Twice this happened, both times ending in the deer running a short distance into a grassy field, then standing there blowing.
I was standing up as I figured I wouldn't have much time to draw when the deer appear in this area. I heard something approaching from behind again, this time the small buck caught my movement as I swiveled my head to look at him. He ran back down the trail 5 yards and then moved into the grassy field where the rest of the deer had gone. Now I'm really questioning my choice of stands. It isn't 6:30 and I've been busted by every deer that has come through. At least the wind was starting to pick up; I'd rather have a steady wind than a swirling one.
I catch movement off to my right and slowly look that direction. There is a 4 pointer working my way, he's upwind so there is no chance of him winding me. He keeps walking my direction, stops 8 yards from the base of my tree and starts working over a bush. It was all I could do to keep from laughing, as this young guy thought he was so tough working that bush. I wish I had my camera out so that I could catch it on video. He even got one part of the bush snapped off and it was up on his back. I realized I was focusing on him too much when I heard a noise off to the left, the other side of my stand. The little forkhorn even took a break from thrashing the bush to look that way.
I look back to my left and see a buck coming to the fence. Immediate thought is shooter, no second guessing, no scoring or counting points. I also noticed another deer over there, but it's mostly hidden from view by a huge cedar tree. I didn't know if it was a buck or doe, couldn't see the head, didn't care as there was no shot on it.
The buck that has my attention trots up to a fence (tough to see the fence in the picture, but it is where he stood marked by the letter A). He was fully focused on the little forkie behind me, thank goodness! Once at the fence, he raised his head and sniffed the air and started getting nervous. He started to head back away from me, so I figured if something was going to happen, I better draw. My movement must have freaked the forkie, who I heard run off behind me a ways. The buck of interest stopped with his vitals covered by a BUNCH of branches where the letter B is. He stood there for a good minute, no exaggeration there. I knew I had to hang on as the movement of letting down and trying to redraw was not going to happen. Finally, he took a couple of steps to where the C is in the pic. Some branches framed his vitals and I figured it was time to "thread the needle". I like taking these kinds of shots as it forces you to pick a spot and AIM! The picture makes the shot look much riskier than it actually was. If I had nicked a branch, the buck was far enough away that the chances of a wounding shot were extremely small. I watched the arrow fly true, saw the white blazer fletching disappear into his rib cage. I pumped my fist at the shot, as I knew it was perfect. He took off on a dash and I heard him crash. I looked at the time on my cell phone, 6:48 am. I climbed down a half hour later just to be safe. I found my arrow stuck in the dirt next to a new scrape. Even though I got a pass through, I was less than impressed with the blood trail. I knew which way he ran so I started walking that direction and he hadn't made it 50 yards, double lung shot.
Picture taken once I got him out of the woods.
I think I owe that tree a little fertilizer.
I was standing up as I figured I wouldn't have much time to draw when the deer appear in this area. I heard something approaching from behind again, this time the small buck caught my movement as I swiveled my head to look at him. He ran back down the trail 5 yards and then moved into the grassy field where the rest of the deer had gone. Now I'm really questioning my choice of stands. It isn't 6:30 and I've been busted by every deer that has come through. At least the wind was starting to pick up; I'd rather have a steady wind than a swirling one.
I catch movement off to my right and slowly look that direction. There is a 4 pointer working my way, he's upwind so there is no chance of him winding me. He keeps walking my direction, stops 8 yards from the base of my tree and starts working over a bush. It was all I could do to keep from laughing, as this young guy thought he was so tough working that bush. I wish I had my camera out so that I could catch it on video. He even got one part of the bush snapped off and it was up on his back. I realized I was focusing on him too much when I heard a noise off to the left, the other side of my stand. The little forkhorn even took a break from thrashing the bush to look that way.
I look back to my left and see a buck coming to the fence. Immediate thought is shooter, no second guessing, no scoring or counting points. I also noticed another deer over there, but it's mostly hidden from view by a huge cedar tree. I didn't know if it was a buck or doe, couldn't see the head, didn't care as there was no shot on it.
The buck that has my attention trots up to a fence (tough to see the fence in the picture, but it is where he stood marked by the letter A). He was fully focused on the little forkie behind me, thank goodness! Once at the fence, he raised his head and sniffed the air and started getting nervous. He started to head back away from me, so I figured if something was going to happen, I better draw. My movement must have freaked the forkie, who I heard run off behind me a ways. The buck of interest stopped with his vitals covered by a BUNCH of branches where the letter B is. He stood there for a good minute, no exaggeration there. I knew I had to hang on as the movement of letting down and trying to redraw was not going to happen. Finally, he took a couple of steps to where the C is in the pic. Some branches framed his vitals and I figured it was time to "thread the needle". I like taking these kinds of shots as it forces you to pick a spot and AIM! The picture makes the shot look much riskier than it actually was. If I had nicked a branch, the buck was far enough away that the chances of a wounding shot were extremely small. I watched the arrow fly true, saw the white blazer fletching disappear into his rib cage. I pumped my fist at the shot, as I knew it was perfect. He took off on a dash and I heard him crash. I looked at the time on my cell phone, 6:48 am. I climbed down a half hour later just to be safe. I found my arrow stuck in the dirt next to a new scrape. Even though I got a pass through, I was less than impressed with the blood trail. I knew which way he ran so I started walking that direction and he hadn't made it 50 yards, double lung shot.
Picture taken once I got him out of the woods.
I think I owe that tree a little fertilizer.
