Expectations were not high for this year, between the EHD, the drought conditions which left the fields burned to a crisp after the 3rd cutting of hay, and the crab apples falling early, not to mention the Amish put a hurtin on the deer big time last year on the neighbors farm, I decided to take the first decent buck I had a chance at this year.
Got in the stand a little late but still saw a couple small bucks and 5 does this morning. The wind started to pick up pretty good around 10:00 this morning so I decided to move to a stand in some pines that does not see as much wind for the evening hunt.
I went into a rattling sequence around 5:10, couple minutes went by and I saw movement coming up out of the creek bed, sure enough it was a buck. He moved slowly parallel to me about 50yds below on the next flat, looking for whatever caused the commotion, he finally started angling up the hill behind my stand very cautiously, once he got to the top of the rise where he could see onto the flat my stand was located on he stopped and stared for about 5 minutes. He then urinated down his hind legs and started to make a scrape and then urinated on himself again. Apparently he had calmed down as he started to browse. After a lot of inner turmoil, I decided to take the 20yd shot at 5:39, he took a step as I was squeezing the trigger and the bolt hit a little further back than planned, but took out part of a lung and the liver. He ran about 15yds and stopped, then I saw him quiver and he turned and ran back down towards the creek but only made it about 20yds before he piled up in some treetops. He did not move after he piled up but I gave him 20 minutes to be safe before I got down. There was the usual ground shrinkage but still a decent buck.
Sorry for the truck bed pic, but by the time I dragged him out and got him checked in, it was 10:00 by the time I got home.
I scored him at 136 5/8 gross, 132 6/8 net. 175lbs dressed, probably 3 1/2 years old.
All in all a pretty good day, the RED SOX are champs AGAIN
and I got a decent buck.
Got in the stand a little late but still saw a couple small bucks and 5 does this morning. The wind started to pick up pretty good around 10:00 this morning so I decided to move to a stand in some pines that does not see as much wind for the evening hunt.
I went into a rattling sequence around 5:10, couple minutes went by and I saw movement coming up out of the creek bed, sure enough it was a buck. He moved slowly parallel to me about 50yds below on the next flat, looking for whatever caused the commotion, he finally started angling up the hill behind my stand very cautiously, once he got to the top of the rise where he could see onto the flat my stand was located on he stopped and stared for about 5 minutes. He then urinated down his hind legs and started to make a scrape and then urinated on himself again. Apparently he had calmed down as he started to browse. After a lot of inner turmoil, I decided to take the 20yd shot at 5:39, he took a step as I was squeezing the trigger and the bolt hit a little further back than planned, but took out part of a lung and the liver. He ran about 15yds and stopped, then I saw him quiver and he turned and ran back down towards the creek but only made it about 20yds before he piled up in some treetops. He did not move after he piled up but I gave him 20 minutes to be safe before I got down. There was the usual ground shrinkage but still a decent buck.
Sorry for the truck bed pic, but by the time I dragged him out and got him checked in, it was 10:00 by the time I got home.
I scored him at 136 5/8 gross, 132 6/8 net. 175lbs dressed, probably 3 1/2 years old.
All in all a pretty good day, the RED SOX are champs AGAIN
and I got a decent buck.
