I have been hunting this property where I shot this buck for around 10 years. It is 45 acres and I have killed several very nice bucks and missed a few others. I have always tried to do my part in QDM and told myself I would only shoot mature bucks regardless of where I hunted. That being said this is the only buck I have taken off the property in the last 4 years and this is my honey hole. All I can say is passing up small bucks is worth it, no matter how much property you control. OK on to the hunt!!!
I set up my climber 5 days ago from what I noticed to be a very active scrape line along very thick cover that butts up to mature hardwoods. I hunted it 3 out of the 4 last days when the wind would blow w or sw or downwind.
The last 3 days I have been seeing small bucks and young doe/button buck fawns. I called in most of those deer out of the thicket with a doe bleat can call and buck grunts. What was bothering me was not seeing any mature does around. I wasn't sure if bigger bucks had them locked down or if they were just staying put and not moving. I was feeling discouraged this morning and almost hunted a different property. Glad I didn't, I decided to stick it out.
This morning was calm and the woods were moonlit. At first light I noticed the scrape I was hunting downwind of was reworked by someone overnight. I hit the can call and a few grunts around 6:50 but nothing immediately responded. I was thinking about doing a rattling sequence when I noticed movement in the thick stuff. I see big white horns moving through the thicket and on a beeline headed right to a scrape that I thought was 40 yds away. Well I new that was a long shot and I hit the doe bleat to see if I could direct him my way. Nope, he was set on checking that scrape. I had an opening just before he made it to the scrape and decided to go full draw and prepare to stop him broadside as he came out of the thicket. I just didn't think he was going to come my way so it was now or never. I thought he was 40 yds away and aimed a little high on his back and released. I watched my nockturnal lighted nock as my grim reaper broadheads hit its mark. I heard a loud smack and noticed a lot of my arrow sticking out and watched it break off as he ran back into the thicket. Needless to say, I am totally shaking and adrenaline is at its peak, and I am worried about arrow penetration at this point. I waited 25 min before I got down from the tree and went to check for blood. Blood was pretty much instantly visible right where I had shot him. Followed the blood trail for about 25 yds, we're I then found my arrow. About 5-6 inches had broken off in the deer. Blood was looking good but decided to back out for 3 hrs to give him some time.
Around 11:00 we resumed working the trail and about 100 yds later, I walked up on this dandy 8 point.
