done for the year.

reeltime · November 17, 2015

we returned from Pa. last night and I stopped by a customers house to check on their progress of having the house prepped for new hardwood floors. wasn't looking good as what was hidden under the carpet was hideous but not unexpected for a 100 year old farm house. in one corner the floor dropped 1.5 inches in 4 feet..

Anyway, started on that this morning and worked like mad till 2:30, I asked the customer if he cared if I went and jumped in my stand till dark and then come back and work if by chance I didn't shoot a buck. He just laughed and said sure go ahead, I was home and in the shower in 5 minutes. gear gathered and back on the road.

I had an encounter with what I thought should of been a good buck 2 weeks ago one evening but it was way late and I was just setting in the stand waiting for all the deer to leave when this buck came in and let a hair raising loud grunt rip and when he did so every deer around me scattered. he finally left and I was able to get down and sneak out of there about 7pm without tipping any other deer off of my presence and I was sure to soak down the stand and climbing sticks with scent killer when I left.

I get in there tonight and was kinda later than I wanted but the high winds last week littered my once clean walking path with limbs and a foot of crunchy leaves. I hook up the bow and ascend the 38 feet into the stand I call skyscraper, get the bow up knock an arrow hang it up, hear something and see a deer coming through the beech brush. a nice little 7 pointer walks under me smelling the scent killer I had sprayed on the climbing sticks on the way up.

He hung around for a little bit and walked off, I get my pack off and calls out and tucked into my pockets and here comes another deer, he walks under me and its a small 5 point, he leaves, 5 minutes later I hear another deer coming and its the devil deer, little body ( probably a late 2014 drop) with 2 1.5-2" white spikes. I am setting there thinking well this sucks, each buck to come through is getting smaller in size so next one will probably be a button buck. My customer texted me asking if I saw anything yet, sent him a reply with still waiting on a shooter.

I had just looked at my phone to check the time and it was 4:10, I hear another deer coming and out steps a basket rack 8 point. he mills around for a few minutes and then looks hard to the west, changed body posture turned and slinked back into the brush to the east.

within a few minutes I see a doe to the west headed towards me and then I see HIM, she eases out into the field and with a slight n/ne breeze all evening and these deer coming from a direction they were not expected to be coming from I thought it was gonna get blown but the scent killer proved its worth and they both went out in the field directly downwind of me only 70 yards out.

He just stood there watching her and I knew the only chance I had was to call and see if I could get him to investigate. I did a short tending grunt series to him and he spun around on a dime and marched right to the base of my tree but coming in on a side where the hemlock limbs provided no shot. I let him walk by the tree passing within 2 feet of the climbing stick, walked out to 6 yards stopped quartering away.

As he walked under me I came to full draw, when he stopped the green pin was tight on the shoulder and high on his back. at the shot the fletching and knock disappeared right where the pin was but he just walked away! he walked a half circle about 20 yards out stopping 2 times, I could hear the blood dripping on the leaves! He walked another 10 yards ending up behind me, the whole time I am as silently as possible trying to get another arrow out and on the string while keeping an eye on him, when he just fell over kicked his feet a couple times and then it was over.

I hung up the bow, took out my phone and looked at the time it was 4:30 on the button. I sent Judy and my customer a text that said big 8 down. sat there till 5 and then I had to get down to get my hands on him.

filled out my tag stuffed it in his mouth and headed for the truck to come to the house to get the deer cart and change out of my hunting clothes. My customer was at my house and he went with me and had not seen a picture yet. He was a little surprised when he first saw him laying by the log.

just under 18 inches inside, dead on 20 inches outside. lacks brow tine length but good G2's at 9" pretty decent 3.5 year old 8 point with a good body weight at 168 dressed.