The_Field_Ager

Nothing too serious I hope, and I wish you a full and speedy recovery. Don't you dare go away and no longer post your awesome photography

Daylight Bucks at 3yrs or older pretty much end after the opening weekend of gun in my neck of the woods. For me, gun season is 2 days long as is.

What a morning! 32, no wind, crisp and sunny. Perfect morning for the hunt. Kinda bummed I have no need to be out there. Might sit an hour just for the heck of it.

This is the moment yesterday, caught on trail cam, when I turned and saw my Buck heading right for me. Less than 20 yards. I knew the cam had picked him up but I only went to check this morning. I went through previous vids and pics and don't think I ever got this guy before.

It only takes a few seconds to turn things around. Hauling azz into and out of the woods with no action is a drag, but if we got/saw a deer every time we went out, most would likely quit doing it then too. Stay frosty

Incidentally. There were a surprising number of Bucks at the processors today. Guy there said the crossbow has been a factor in increased business for him. A couple of hum-dingers too. I spent 15 minutes in the carcass room checking out nice racks

I think lady luck and her sister worked hard today. I hope not to need so much attention next time

Into the wind for me this morning.

So, the morning start was not ideal. Wife forgot to set her alarm so it was already light, and after 7 am when I got up. It was windy and raining so I decided against a hunt. Suddenly the wind dropped and the rain abated. I stepped outside and the air felt good. I wondered if the rains all through the night meant deer would be late getting going. I hurriedly dressed and hit the same stand I have hunted all weekend, along a rub and scrape line and with camera data showing daylight Bucks, morning and afternoon. I got into the stand and could see the leaf litter around was disturbed. I figured it was too late and I had missed the action, 8:30 am by this point. I needed to go number 2 real bad, and so hobbled over to a creek nearby and sat on a downed tree going across it. It snapped just as I was finishing up and I went tumbling into the creek water and got a very wet arm. I figured this was a sign and was planning to head back in. As I passed the stand I decided to give it one more half hour. It was about 9:30 by this point. I got into a daze, thinking and talking to myself and looking in the wrong direction. For some reason I looked back over my shoulder, and there he was at 20 yards making to walk right past me, just as cameras had indicated he might. I barley had time to grab the bow, turn 270 degrees with him as he passed, all the while trying to catch my d-loop and failing. Panic set in, I was not going to be ready. I just managed to draw back before he entered the last shooting lane opportunity at 15 yards, and I don't remember letting loose. What I do remember is the horrifying sight of seeing my arrow buried in his rump.He had picked up the pace as he passed by. I should have bleated. Blood spurted but he darted on although looking very wounded and limpy. I was crushed. I figured I was going to have a stalk, track and finish adventure. He stopped at 50 yards, lay down and stopped moving. After a few minutes there was a little more movement. I decided he was hurt and I needed to get down and finish things. I came around behind and downwind of him but as I got to about 25 yards it seemed like it was over. I got to 15 yards, drew back and made some noise. He didn't budge. I knew it was over and I had gotten very lucky...very lucky indeed. I went back and tracked the blood. It was heavy and bubbly. I found the arrow and I had gotten decent penetration. I had obviously hit his femoral artery. All in all I'd say things started and ended in less than 8 minutes but those minutes watching him down lasted a lifetime while I feverishly calculated the best plan. It was a big disappointment to have made such a crappy shot based on me being distracted and rushing a shot I probably should never have taken and was not ready to take. Lesson learned. I will be frosty in the future when I know Bucks are using an area, as was the case here. Happy to have filled my bow tag however, given the inclement and odd weather we have been enjoying. I am handing the property over to my neighbor for gun season. My mission is to help him get a nice Buck. I don't feel the need for another deer just yet myself.

yup.Piled up within sight, about 50 yards away.Bubble blood all the way from the kill zone.

Well, this happened at about 10 am this morning. I made a shockingly bad shot that turned out to be shockingly devastating and mortal. I am converted to Swhackers though. Those things are formidable and deadly. Glamour shots and full story later when I get cleaned up and back from the processors 8 Points, looks like a 3 year old by the teeth.

So...it turns out Deer are not into torrential down pours in the middle of a lightning storm. I can confirm this

Warm wet and windy. The unholy trinity. I just checked cams. Nothin moving, day or night. I did have one yearling Buck pass by me as I walked the woods. Those yearling maniacs are always moving, heat, rain, wind or shine. I will sit magic hour later, but I am not wasting a moment more this afternoon in this kind of environment

Total washout today. Not a single Deer. Cannot catch a break with this endless wind. It seems worse than high temps for shutting down activity . Back at it tomorrow afternoon. Gotta go pray to the baby Jesus in the morning.

Nothing burger of a morning. Heading back out for the day now. Gonna try some Estrus. I have one Buck, morning and evening at one scrape site.

Last sips of coffee going down. I have a 5 minute walk to this mornings stand by which a very large scrape opened up recently. Gonna try an all dayer. Might have a quick stand move to enact later too based on more new scrape data. Scrapes are everywhere this year! Never saw anything like it.

All dayer planned for tomorrow.

He looks OK in the full video. Just a bit scrawny for me.

8:33 am this morning, working a large scrape. Nice rack, skinny body. Would have to think about this one b4 shooting:

Here are some pics of BIGBOY from 2016/2015

OMG! I think I just snapped a pic of BIGBOY, a deer I have been chasing for 4/5 seasons. He would be 6 or 7 if this his him. Probably on the downward trend in terms of his rack, but the Antlers are looking very familiar. Need to check another cam further along from this point and also check previous years pics for him and other large deer. Even so, this is the best deer I have seen thus far. Just need daytime snaps now [edit] OK, a comparison of previous pics suggests this is not The BIGBOY of legend. Not wide enough. I have this same deer from another angle on another cam. Still nice tho. I think I have video of this fellow with a smashed up right side this time last year.At yeast 3 I would say.

Cats n Dogs by me right now. Hoping for a break

I have duck taped my Hunter's Specialties umbrella to a bow hanger. The original plastic holder was garbage and broke. Seems a sturdy setup now

Disappointing lack of monsters on their feet today. Things seemed perfect and I have new scrapes all over the property. Didn't see anything till 2 when a basket 2 year old 8 came by at 12 yards. I moved stands after that and rattled in a 6 pointer about 30 minutes later. The morning was a total washout. Nothing moving. Sadly I have late afternoon commitments so that's me done.

Deer are hunkering down through the wind and sleet. Bumped a gaggle of Doe on the way back in.