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Showing content with the highest reputation on 10/21/19 in all areas

  1. Found my buck, no deer sesrch was needed. Im just dumb sometimes, ill explain more tomorrow. Exhausted now but thanks for the well wishes. Hit right were i thought, liver. Went 100-125 yards. 9pt 2.5 yr old.
    45 points
  2. Got some work to do I'll catch up with the story later. Got it done in 7P
    41 points
  3. After being out way too late playing euchre with a bunch of buddies saturday night (i know wild saturday...god i feel old) waking up sunday was brutal. Brother in law showed up at 615 and off to the woods we go. I give him first choice on stands he picked a stand no one has sat this year, i took my favorite "swamp" stand. This is the 5th deer ive shot out of it in 3 years during archery. Anyhoo, early on he txts me theres a small buck walking down the path to me. Get my phone ready to video the beast. He did not disappoint, tiny spikes may not have made the 3" mark. He fed his way from down wind of me to up wind were i have a mock scrape set up. Got to watch him use the licking branch and off he went back behind me on my right. 15 minutes later i see a larger spike back were the little guy went, this guys spikes are slightly taller than his ears. Then a hour of no movement, at 905ish i hear some twigs snapping from behind over my right shoulder and see a doe and 2 fawns or 2 doe and a fawn. Never had a chance to get a good look at them all because a second later all hell breaks loose and a grunting maniac comes flying in after the doe and they all scatter. The glimpse i got of him told me he was good enough to warrant a shot. The doe came busting out of the brush and seconds later he came walking out. He was slightly quartering away at around 30 yards. Drew my bow and had the dot behind the shoulder as he walked. Hit the realse and saw the impact mid body arrow was in up to the nock...FU#K... when i hit the realse i stopped moving with him, first dumb move of my day. Called my bil and we sat for 20 more minutes, i climbed down checked a trail camera near by and we walked out away from the hit sight. I figured liver and was hoping it made it to 1 lung. Brother in law went home, we had a meeting with a finacial guy. After our meeting i took my son back to go look. It had been 2.5 hrs from.the hit. Looked around at were i thought he was standing and couldnt find anything. Couldnt find sign of anything, so i went walking in the direction i believed the buck went. I could not find any sign of deer. At this point im very down on myself and just rushing through the whole search process hoping i just stumble upon sign 2nd dumb mistake of the day. My son yells to me he found hair, i head over and yep hair. I look for a few seconds and start slowly walking in the direction i think he went...im not getting any smarter here folks...cant find anything so i start calling deer search numbers and leave messages with a couple guys. We head in to go get pumpkins, bil and family were coming over for dinner so i knew i had more eyes coming later. After dinner we are watching some football, at this point i was contacted by a deer search guy and he would be coming put that night. Im content with that, my bil wants to go look. So a 615 we head out to look. We walk around were i thought the buck was standing...nothing, i take him to the hair which is maybe 15 feet away. We look around there carefully for a few minutes and boom, he finds a drop of blood. We are now finding specs every few feet. Very slow going (the way i should have been going the whole time!) Its now dark in the woods so flashlights and we r doin ok finding blood every few minutes, we hit a few spots were it takes awhile, one guy stays at ladt blood the other moves ahead. We eventually find the back half of my arrow. 15ft ahead it appears to buck makes a 90* turn. Bloid gets better spots the size of a baseball, then another, and another. Shine my light ahead and we are lookin at a white belly. Dead in his first bed. Lessons learned here, first no matter how long you have been hunting TAKE YOUR TIME ON THE TRACK! As soon as i couldnt find blood were i believed the deer had been, i started heading in the direction i thought it went. At the spot of hair, if i was facing 12:00, i belived he went towards 11 oclock. In reality he went to 2 oclock. So as i was going i was getting progressively farther from the deer. I was dead set on checking the area i thought he went, after finding no sign of a hit deer i shouldve been checking in other directions. It really comes down to just taking your time, and maybe what u think you saw, well maybe it happened a little differently. Im 36 years old, been bow hunting for 22 years... the saying "never stop learning" comes to mind.
    38 points
  4. Well today I almost didn’t get up, I managed to crawl into my truck and go to one of my favorite stands. Used black widow xxx estrous and dominator buck urine on a dragline. Wa supposed to be a east wind but it was blowing NW. 6:45 I hear a snort wheeze and grunting/ hear buck making a scrape, see 3-4 deer in the area of my dragline. They walk off into the woods at 7:05 but I don’t think they went far, at 7:23 I hit the grunt tube, out steps this buck at 18 yards grunting. I sent an arrow through him and was real concerned it was too low, he runs down hill and I loose him in the fog (could only see 50 yards or so) but his tail was down and it looked like a death run. I get down and checked the arrow and have bright blood and immediate blood spray. I sit back down for 2 hours to be safe and call a buddy to help. We went literally 50 yards of blood spraying everywhere through 4 foot weeds. A perfect heart shot. My 2nd biggest buck ever and 2nd biggest with bow. Guess I’ll be antler hunting in PA the rest of bow season. I didn’t weight him but I’d put him in the 170 lbs dressed range.
    33 points
  5. Well double lunged her. She fell just out of sight. In fact made it about 60 yards down the mower path to the parking landing. You can see she died 40 yards from the truck . Easy track job and easy load!!!! Big old doe!!!! I have one doe tag left but with 2 in the freezer it's time to find some bone.
    30 points
  6. I got to my stand around 6:10 and was enjoying the nice cold temps until 6:22 when a deer blew 5 times behind me down wind. With the way things have been going for me for the last few months I was already in a bad mood thinking my morning was shot already. I was trying to be hopeful and around 7:42 I heard wha sounded like a couple steps behind me and when I turned I had a fawn standing broadside at 10 yards. I moved really slowly to grab my bow and get up, but at that time the neighbor decided he wanted to ride his quad down to his horses to feed them. The deer are used to us, but it decided to run 10 yards into some thick stuff. It stopped in a small window at about 23 yards quartering away and I figured its now or never. I took the shot and heard a good thump and watched him run away with its tail down. I thought I heard a crash, but I couldnt see where I hit it so I didnt want to rush to conclusions. The path it ran down has a trail cam on it and has very tall grass so I didnt want to walk down it and pick up a tick again. I circled around to where it should have came out in a small grassy opening and found a few drops of blood. I looked for more blood for the next hour and couldnt find anymore. I was getting really discouraged and decided to walk down a path it might have gone down but found nothing. Its all tall grass around as you can see so i remeber telling my self I could walk with in feet of it and not see it. Just at that time I look to my left and see it in the grass off the trail. It was a high quarter away lung shot so the cavity was filled with blood. I dragged it 200 yards to where i skin and quarter all my deer and by the end I was sweating like a pig and exhausted.
    24 points
  7. Had a bear at 20 yards decided to pass. Think I will only shoot one in a lifetime and would like it to be over 300 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    22 points
  8. Was deep in the northern ADKs over the weekend...no deer...hunting partner had moose on either side of him. Much different hunting than I’m use to on the flatlands. (On another note, I’ll provide information on some of the Primitive deer part processing at a later date). A few Picts from the hunt...good luck to those in the woods!
    21 points
  9. At 7:50 this morning this buck came into the apple tree I’ve hunted over a few times already, this time I was able to slip an arrow into him. He was quartering to more than anyone should like, I was a little upset with myself for taking this shot but it worked out. I got one lung, no liver no heart no guts. Full squad on the track job and we found the broken arrow and three spots of blood.@treeguy has a tracking dog contact so I texted him all the info and told the guys lets back out and wait for this guy to get back to me. On the way out I said let’s check this one road for blood, last deer I shot there ran down it. We go a few yards and@sodfather yells DUDE HES RIGHT THERE!! And there he lay lol. If he was messing with me we’d still be fighting back there like Peter Griffin and the giant chicken! What a blast having these guys along and Andrew and Bizzy in the mix via phone Someone zinged him earlier this season and has a story Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
    17 points
  10. Wife got it done with the muzzleloader tonight first one with the muzzleloader
    16 points
  11. On stand by 6:15 and by 6:20 i hear the distinct crunch we all love. A shadowy figure comes creeping through at what i know is 18 yards and heads out. 7:15 brings another doe from behind me who decides she likes the smell of the Evercalm (regular strength) and is nosing the trail where i walked with it smeared on my boots. Gets to about 40 yards in some brush and decides that she would rather follow the other deer trail instead of mine. Hit the bleat can and no interest. 8:05..a nice doe comes through one level too low traveling North to South (left to right on your radio). Tickle some tines...she looks and not that interested. 8:15....whats that i hear? Yup! Coming from where the very first doe in darkness came which would put her at 18 yards...only its not a her but a spike i was hoping would be under the 3” to count as a doe foe the program. Meat first - ZIPPED him! Ran off a long way and when I lost sight i hear more crunch crunch crunch. Reload and sure enough....another spike who gets to star in my first deer selfie. Wait 25 minutes or so ...climb down to find a complete pass through and good blood at the got site. Head back tot he tree to pack up a bit before i track and look up to see two more doe heading my way. Cant shoot them from the ground in this program so they head back from whence they came. Long track that ended where i whiffed on a doe at 3 yards two seasons ago. Thats my tree in the background of this pic and the entrance (Nap Thunderheads) Long drag made easier with a TF idea and some scrounging the local Ashley furniture store-deer taco worked like a charm. What a day after seeing nothing in all my sits. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    15 points
  12. You just gotta chunk 'em up into smaller, more manageable pieces first.
    12 points
  13. Left off the best pic! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
    12 points
  14. Ok so here's the story. My day started straight out crap, my regular spot has been challenging this year to say the least. I have limited ways to access is the biggest problem, it's a deep ravine at the back side with a few draws and points on my side that I usually hunt with 44 acres of standing corn on the opposite side of the ravine. The deer have been coming onto my side of the ravine fairly early to bed so I figure get there before they do well at 5:15 this morning I bump deer. Ok not a huge deal get to my stand climb up my bow rope somehow gets wrapped in my backpack so climb down untangle get in the stand and relax. Just before sunrise I start to cool down so I'm going to put my jacket on reach to my back to unbuckle my coat and hit the wrong buckle and listen to my bag hit every climbing stick and the ground coat still on the bag as well as my binoculars, and range finder. Ok take a breath and just slow and easy get down and grab it but first rub the sleep out my eyes and wouldn't you know my damn contact pops out. So here I sit trying to use my spit to put my contact back in my eye still have to get my bag and stuff so they what the hell I'm here it could be worse just listen to the world wake up. I sat until 10:30 not even a squirrel. I get out call a buddy see how he made out and rant for a bit. We make plans and head out to a piece of his just about 6 I see some movement in the corner of the field I'm next to and here goes this deer up the edge away from me I grunt he stops and looks but keeps going I hit the doe bleat same thing I gave a snort wheez he stops turns around and comes my direction but of course is trying to get down wind and does next thing I know I hear foot steps and he walks directly under my stand and stops 6 Yds out where I sent one. I clipped his spine and got a lung and he dropped right there so I put another one in him to finish the job. Easiest track I've ever had and thanks to a good friend for picking me up.
    10 points
  15. At 900 i got out of my stand because it was foggy and nothing was going on. The woods were quite so i decided to scout and still hunt the ridge i was on a bit. Didnt find the sign i wanted to see so i got back on the main trail and headed to the truck. I made it about 150yrds when i heard crashing but couldnt see anything through all the young beech trees still all green. I thought it was the flock of turkeys i bumped the day before in the same spot. I made it 10 more yards when i hear what i thought was a grunt. Then. I hear 5 grunts in a row and catch deer about 50yrds in front of me. About that time they take off running with the buck grunting the whole time. So i drop my pack and race 20yrds up the path hoping they go past. As soon as i got up to my spot and knocked an arrow 4 deer rush across it. But i could still hear a buck grunting from the way they came. About 30seconds later the deer i took out stepped out at what i thought was 30. Ended up being 36 dropped into the arrow and it went through front shoulder and lodged in the other hit lung and heart. After he took off i still hear the buck grunting so i knock another arrow since i saw mine fall. Another doe came across i could hear the grunting getting closer so i drew back and out came a maybe 6" spike grunting up a storm. He ended up leaving and since i was giving my deer time to make sure he was 100percent done. I grunted at him and he came back again and blew and left again(did this 3 times). He had to of grunted 30 times. Not getting one in 5yrs wasnt letting one go past and freezer empty it was a first chance i was taking it. Arrow flew perfect finally have a setup i trust. Now time to look for a bit bigger body deer. The little man loved it. Stayed on the truck for 30mins with it. All on a piece of stateland.
    10 points
  16. She boosted my scouting confidence 10 fold. I walked into a piece of the Pine Bush I had scouted via map, and when I arrived there, the sign was fresh. I'm hunting from a saddle now, and my tree options expanded beyond what the climber requires. I picked a slanted tree within range of a creek crossing and downwind of a trail that led to bedding. I sat for hours with no sightings, but the sound of acorns dropping 30 yards behind me pocked the sit. I trusted that the deer would be on their feet to feed, answering that dinner bell once the sun dropped below the trees. The first doe cut across the creek at 4:40. She routed away from me, and was in a hurry. I had no time to draw on her. The second doe cut across my field of vision uphill of me, browsing at the edge of someone's lawn about 75 yards away. That was at 5:20. At 5:50 the sun sunk below the trees, the temps dropped, and the groups of deer got up and on their feet. About 100 yards away a group of deer, with at least one large deer, started making their way towards me but never fully came into view, nor closer than 80 yards. All I could see were bodies, and legs moving through the leaves. At just after 6:00 p.m., I heard movement behind me, and two doe were about to cut across the stream, after eating on the fallen acorns. I picked up the bow, and came to full draw at the 25 yard mark. Just as the first doe was about to come into a sizable shooting lane, she stopped dead. She was downstream, and the thermals were most likely taking my scent down to her. I had dropped milkweed from the tree, but the beech saplings around me hung onto them, and I forgot having read about stream thermals in the evening. I adjusted slightly, and arrowed her through a thin opening between two pines. Thwop! Lungs. Post-shot, I shook worse than I had in years. I was pumped about the scouting, and my chosen setup. While it almost failed me right at the end, it did work, and I seared the lesson of that spot's thermals into my memory. The blood tracking story is a fond memory I have with @Canis Latrans, even though it cost him a ton of time. I wouldn't have found that doe nearly as easily without his help, and I'd still probably be dragging that deer up out of there if he hadn't turned around to meet me. I owe him some beer, and hope to hunt with him before bow season ends. In the end, she ran about 80 yards and piled up. She stumbled right after the shot, over some downed limbs, and I had lost the blood trail there in the dark. Canis' torch light picked right up on the blood, and from there, she bled out until he walked right up on her, an easy trail. Here's a poor pic of the deer, and the arrow shot:
    9 points
  17. Anyone offended by a dead deer can kick rocks. Seriously. If they’ve been on the road longer than 15 minutes they’ve passed three dead ones hit by cars Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
    8 points
  18. A few good bucks starting to show up at the zip-tie scrape setups. And tons of smaller ones too. I really like the one with the split G3.
    7 points
  19. I had an exceptional weekend in the woods this past weekend and I never even drew my bow back. Saturday morning I sat on an oak ridge, that has an overgrown field at the top of the ridge and all the way around the bottom of the ridge is very thick brush with very few mature trees and a creek running at the bottom. I have sat here before but not very often because the ladder stand we had in there was a cheapo and it was very uncomfortable, so even though it was a good spot I didn't spend much time there. We replaced that stand with a good one this summer so the sit is much more enjoyable. On my way in I bumped what I would guess was 5 or 6 deer off the ridge. Not blowing or anything but I could see the shadows and hear them trotting off. Around 1st light I had a single horned spike that took me a while to realize it wasn't a doe come in. He was my buddy for the whole weekend. He was around 75% of the time I was in the stand. I saw 4 other deer that came and went to eat acorns. There was a gray squirrel that would cross the creek on a log, go up a tree and then get chased out by a red squirrel. The red squirrel would run him back across the creek and then chatter at him to stay out of his spot. That gray squirrel would go back again after 5 minutes and get chased out again. This happened over and over, I had to keep from laughing out loud at the two of them. I left the stand around 11, met up with the guys and got something to eat and was back in around 2:30. Walking back in there was a deer under the stand. It was the single horned spike that had been around me all morning. He trotted off and I climbed up. It took him about 10 minutes to come back and hang out with me for the afternoon. There were so many squirrels on this ridge you had to pay attention because the squirrels were loud and the deer were somehow silent. 4 more deer came and went feeding on the acorns but that little spike never left. Not sure how he didn't weigh 500 lbs because he ate all day. At 5:45 I heard something behind me that didn't sound like a squirrel and I slowly turned my head over my right shoulder. A huge buck (I said Holy #$%&) to myself was walking the creek bank on the opposite side just outside the thick brush. I slowly turned back to grab my bow, my heart racing and slowly turned back. He was 90* to me at that point and I was trying to figure out how I could stand and turn as he was about 35 yds away with a little sapling off a tree covering him up for a shot. He was stopped there and I thought he was going to cross the creek and come right to me. He changed his mind and continued the path he was on, walking right out of my life, but what an awesome encounter. I slipped out of the stand with my little buddy still hanging around and walked back to my truck thinking about what a great day it was. Yesterday morning I decided to go back to the same stand. I wanted to be in there earlier hoping I didn't bump anything off the ridge so I planned to be in there by 6. I took a wrong step crossing what we call the mud pit in the dark and my right foot went into water up to my thigh and I tried to get out of there to quickly my left leg went in up past my knee and I had to catch myself with my right arm which also got soaked almost to my shoulder. Good thing I had my heated vest and jacket strapped to my back pack for the walk in, they didn't get wet. I again bumped deer off the ridge and climbed the stand. Took my shirt off and put my heated vest and jacket on wondering how long it would be until I was freezing. That little one horned spike was right in back in there before I could even see well enough to see it was him. He once again hung out the whole time I was in the stand. I got too watch two little buck spar for 5 minutes up on top of the ridge and saw 3 more doe, one of which ended up bedding down about 25 yds behind me. It was a great morning but I had to call it at 9:30 because I was wet up to my crotch and freezing. To bad I get wet because I didn't want to leave. Next weekend can't get here soon enough.....and to anybody that doesn't hunt....this is why we do it...
    7 points
  20. Just checked my fooodplot cam under my stand...this guy was eating acorns at 5 steps @ 7:05 this morning!!! We're sitting here right now, my wife is locked and loaded!!!
    7 points
  21. Not going to lie Biz, I considered shooting just because of the experience. We were definitely eyeball to eyeball. But the other 2 were were holy smokes bucks. The best still to come! But awesome experience and that’s why we really hunt anyways.
    7 points
  22. Went lookin for the other half of my arrow. Found it about 10-15 yards down his path. Have an app that will trace distance walked, from shot to dead deer he went 70 yards. Shot was 30 yards. Skinned, quartered and in the frindge.
    6 points
  23. Todd I refuse to hide my deer like it’s child porn , or any other thing to be ashamed of . I take mine right to a processor, but often bring one home to hang in the front yard, I’ve had groups of kids get off the bus and come over to see it . Then they ask to touch it , then I get to explain things about hunting ... My good friend now an attorney out West sometimes works pro bono for hunting causes and has held every office in his state bow association, became a hunter because as a kid doing his paper route ,guys all, had deer hanging from trees in their front yards . I totally disagree with the hide your deer from the public notion .
    6 points
  24. Not much belly sag...Relatively big ears indicates fairly small bear I'm no judge of bear weight, however...
    6 points
  25. paly it safe take 10/31-11/15
    6 points
  26. For lunch today at our Field to Fork hunter safety course and range day; corned venison, canned venison, and bbq pulled pronghorn. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
    6 points
  27. He was in my clover plot this morning. Too bad the pics are so foggy...
    5 points
  28. could you check the supply of mineral blocks, deer cane, corn and the likes for me please ?1 Cabelas here in Buffalo dang near wiped out and I need to replentish
    5 points
  29. The best scent i ever used was my own urine. I gave up on using scents for deer as ive never had them work while hunting. Only thing that ever worked was peeing in scrapes. That works like a charm for me
    5 points
  30. Spiedie chicken and extra hot sausage
    5 points
  31. Nashville hot chicken sammiches pre assembly Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    5 points
  32. Wicked cool hunt. Stud of a 2yr at 4-5yds. But I bino-ed two that absolutely confirmed I couldn’t shoot the 2yr. The other 2 left under my stand on the other hedge row. So cool to see a nice buck on the ground that close though.
    5 points
  33. Stuck a doe . Shot looked good she walked off looking hurt. Quartering away few inches behind leg. Arrow sounded good. Going give here an hr before I look for arrow. She was at 20 yards.
    5 points
  34. Well today was my 8th sit of the year and the first deer I've seen, unbelievably. After a quick stand move yesterday in the pouring rain I climbed in this morning, at 7:40 2 does came out at 5 yds and the biggest gave me a 21yd quartering away shot. Entrance was behind the last rib, exit was low behind off shoulder. At the arrow there were intestines laying on the ground, not terribly alarming as I knew the angle and could see the exit as she ran. Waited 3 hours just to be safe, she was laying right where I last saw her. Spitfire Maxx heads are nasty! 2 minutes after I shot her my other cell cam 250yds away sent me the pic of a nice 8 walking by my other spot! Feels good to have one on the ground. Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk
    5 points
  35. To add to my post, I say new because most manufacturers have something in the 400+ for 5-5,500 new. For 2k more you don't have to worry about it, it's new Sent from my LM-V405 using Tapatalk
    4 points
  36. Crab stuffed Salmon , Sea Bass and Spanish Rice !
    4 points
  37. Funny story, when I was probably 8-10 years old my great uncle was doing a logging job down in Cobleskill NY opening day I skipped school and road down with my great grandfather to meet my uncle and grandfather to hunt. On our way back home my Great Grandfather insisted on strapping the three deer they killed “2 bucks and a doe” to the hood of his Caprice wagon for the hour and a half ride home. I remember him saying “you pay attention out that side because I can’t see over these deer” I don’t know if he was kidding or serious but I remember taking my job very seriously and giving him the play by play the whole ride home. I remember getting many thumbs up and we had big smiles on our faces for the ride. I have always had trucks and never had a need to strap the to a car but would have zero issues doing it. If someone don’t like it they don’t have to look just like I do with many things in our society that I don’t agree with. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    4 points
  38. My Pop used to transport them this way
    4 points
  39. This little shit stood under my stand for 20 minutes eating acorns after I shot the big one.
    4 points
  40. Only takes one doe to go into estrous early to start a frenzy!
    4 points
  41. 4 points
  42. Had BBQ and Hot pot at 99 flavor taste in china town. My brothers GF is Chinese and ordered the whole menu! Was amazing Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    4 points
  43. This was biggest of 3 little guys I let walk today.https://youtu.be/gdZma1m2JoQ
    4 points
  44. Had this skull laying around and decided to give it a try. thanks to @dinorocks for giving me some pointers. I really like it. Merica’
    4 points
  45. 10/20/19 #1 Kunox and I tracked a buck this morning that was shot yesterday afternoon. The hunter had a misfire, but the buck hung around long enough for him to put a new primer in and fire. After 15 minutes he started tracking and went 160 yards before losing the trail. Kunox took us to last blood and kept on going for a few hundred yards. We reached a property line and I took him back for a restart. This time he hung a hard left at last blood and we started seeing occasional drops. 100 yards later and we had a property line issue that took 20 minutes to resolve. Kunox did not take the delay very well, to say the least. After we got permission to continue, he took us 115 yards to the dead deer. He was going crazy because I’m sure he could smell the buck from where we stopped. The hunter had hit liver and did some minor damage to a lung as well. #2 Our second track today was for a group of hunters from Vermont that lease 1000 acres. Great guys....very friendly. The hunter shot a buck last night and they had tracked for 600 yards and bumped the buck once before backing out. We started at the hit site and Kunox took us up the trail 200 yards before veering off to the right. Last night the buck had continued straight for another 400 yards, but Kunox was insisting on going this way, so I humored him and was rewarded for it. The buck had circled all the way back to where we were and was 50 yards off the original trail. The 8 pointer had been gut shot.
    4 points
  46. Was a great morning (10/10)...weather was crisp and very little wind. Decided to hunt before heading into work and if i got lucky i could always take the day off or head in late. Got in stand quiet and immediatlely heard deer moving around in the thick stuff to the north. All the movement shut down as the sun came up and birds and squirels started to make noise, i figured deer had been feeding all night and were headed back to bedding area before light. Around 7:35 i see a small doe coming thru the woods to my south working her way to the bedding area north of me. She got to 20 yards and was hung up for 15 minutes. She was nervous and something was not right for her to continue...I knew she couldnt smell me as wind was perfect for the direction she came from. She finally turned and took a couple big bounds back from where she came from. I figured another deer was in the thick stuff but i couldnt see anything and thought my morning was done. 3 minutes later i see movement in front of me and right away i see the antlers and tell myself its one of the shooters we have seen. I watch as the buck comes directly towards me head down and smelling the ground. He gets to 25 years and stops behind trees puts his head back and is licking the air, again i know wind is perfect so i wait till he puts his head down and just flicks his tail, i go to full draw as he steps out from trees and slight quarter to me, put my pin on his shoulder and touch release....i see blood instantly as he takes off, i can see him stop and i lose sight of him 30 yards from the stand. I make all my calls to let people know im gonna be late (and i need to settle back down as the aderenline was pumping)...i get down and go to where i shot him find blood right away. Its amazing how you watch and replay the shot and deer running marking every tree and bush from the stand but as soon as your on the ground it all changes! I follow blood for about 20 yards and there he is lying right where i lost him, double lung and one of the easiest track jobs ever. This buck was in FULL rut, his tarsel glands are black as can be, big neck and he had the definite smell of a buck in rut...makes sense now why that doe would not commit to heading to the bedding area, she was not ready for this guy to be around her. Good luck everyone, don't overthink the "rut calendar" or moon phases and when the "best" time to be in the woods is! The best time to be in the woods is anytime you can!!
    4 points
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