The MK almost barked... interesting hunt

[WV Hunter]

Had an interesting morning. Got out a little late this morning. Went to a small box stand I built that's on the ground, overlooking a creek bottom right near my house. Settled in about 7:30. About 8am I see 2 does and 3 fawns feeding along. Then about 30 mins later, a Mink comes by about 15yds away. :shock: First time in my life I've seen one, really cool and was jet black. Shortly after that a turkey flies and lands literally about 12 feet from me...shocked me as I had no idea it was coming until it hit the ground right next to me. LOL

Fast fwd to about 10am, I leave the stand and head to the house and shed some layers. Warming up quick. One of our ladder stands the platform came loose from the ladder on one side...I decided to run back there and fix it. So I grab a ratchet strap and my gun and head out. Took a little bit to fix the stand, and then I proceeded to jump on it to make sure it mated good again. Clank, clank. Musta come out when we had some serious wind a while back. So I grab my gun, and head down the logging road back to the house to get on with my day. I walk about 30yds and see a deer walking about 60yds ahead. It stops right behind a tree. I shoulder my rifle and DANG... its a dandy

Unfortunately, he stopped with a tree covering his entire front end. All I can see is his head and his hind quarters. And of course he looks around and sees me standing there in the middle of the road and locks on me. We had a stare down for at least 5 minutes. I just knew he was gonna take a couple more steps. Finally he turns and begins to move off...and of course at a pretty deliberate walk, keeping about every tree he can between us. No snort, no tail - just heading out. I never got a clear shot so I just watched him move off. I followed him a ways with my binos, and then hung around for a while, hoping maybe he'd circle back or something. No luck. He was a super nice 8pt for my area...wide, heavy, dark horns. I looked back through my game cam pics and I have him back in August still in velvet. The MK will have to wait.

If he would have only stopped with the tree covering his rear end instead.... funny how it seems to work that way. He didn't see me first - I saw him first. Doesn't usually work that way. It was just dumb luck where he stopped. Oh well, that's why its hunting. Maybe tomorrow. :yeah:

On a positive note, my son killed a nice 6 point a week ago monday with his MK-85. Decent body and rack (probably 100"), no brows. He was happy for sure! I'll try and post up some pics of it...just haven't had time to try and fight photobucket. Tomorrow is the last day of early ML... rifle opens Sat, and the war begins.

 

[Grouse]

Very interesting and intense. Thanks for sharing!! Sometimes those situations happen for a reason. Hopefully he or a bigger one shows up on your next hunt!!

 

[cayuga]

Those kind of experiences sure make your heart race. That is still real exciting.

Many years back on my property I had built a box stand out of some small balsam trees, making a log cabin type box, then wrapped the inside with a green tarp. I would sit in there and overlook two trails that came around a hill out of the marsh. I was hunting with a .54 caliber Renegade loaded with a round ball. Well that afternoon I hear a "CRACK" coming from the hill trail. And there is stands a monster buck. I mean one I had dreamed of getting all my life. I can see his head, but his body and neck are hidden by a brush pile.

I sat in that blind with the rifle in shooting sticks aimed at him waiting for a shot. All I had for a shot was the back of his head, right under that rack. So I waited. And waited. And the buck turned with the trees between us, and went back around the hill to the march. I could have cried. Later I talked to a taxidermist friend of mine and he chewed me out saying, I could have re-attached the horns you dumb sh**t! Well I still don't regret holding my shot. I hunted for the back the rest of the season, but never saw it.

 

[SCHUNTER]

Enjoyed the story. Hope you get a crack at him later on.

 

[Tannhauser]

Great story! I hope he shows up again.

 

[ShawnT]

It is weird how that stuff works, Like they just knew something was around. My largest buck so far took me 3 years to get a shot on. Would always seem him only 1 time a season and like yours he seemed to always have something between him and me. Those Mink are fun to watch. I have seen a couple along creeks early in the morning. Really cool when you get to see them out. Hang in there that bruiser will be back since he was not spooked.

 

[WV Hunter]

I had a couple hours this morning, sat in that stand. Saw 4 does early, then about 10am I see a solo deer moving right where the big buck was...heading exact same path. I locked on it with my binos hoping it was him... all the sudden I see rack! And it was a basket 5pt. :lol:

There's always another day.

 

[toytruck]

Don't wait too long...tag soup just isn't very filling when the snow blows!! oke: :lol:

 

[WV Hunter]

Don't wait too long...tag soup just isn't very filling when the snow blows!! oke: :lol:

Haha, I hear ya. I spend majority of my time passing up bucks, and ending up with does. But its all good. I'll shoot some this week in WV... heck, maybe I'll get lucky and bump into Mr Big :yeah:

Weather has turned nasty for a couple days...30-40mph winds Not too excited about that. I'll be hunting on the ground tomorrow...