Hunt that was the best lanned

[sweet old bill]

 At 75 years young I do look back at the hunts of the past and this is my number 1 hunt, not due to the size of the buck taken but for the year long planning. I first started seeing this buck in my back yard after the gun season. He would show up about 10 am and have a few bites from a old apple tree, then go and bed down on a down side of the hill. During the summer period I did not see much of any buck at all, but most nights I did have about 5 doe's show up at the back field to have a dinner of the fresh grass and small other brush. But once again in early September he started showing up at all times of the day. I made a field blind, that I could sit in all day, the wind as always blowing it seemed up the hill to me. I found a area were I could make a fake scrap, I used rubber gloves to handle the bucket, scrap peep lure and a small hand rake. Within two days I could see were he was also now using my fake scrap. I sat n the blind for another 3 days and did not see a buck at all. But the doe's sure came in at all times of the day. They would have a few bites and lay down. I got to the blind at about 6am and it was the first cold frost weekend in Oct, and god the wind was blowing and after just first light, I started have deer come thru, I had 3 does with a hour. My nose was running I felt cold all over and then looking down the hill here he came, I could see his breath from his nose, he seemed not to be mindfull at all. I had the bow across my Knees and when he went in back of a large tree I got the bow up and was ready to draw and release.  I waited and he within my killing range of 25 yards and or less and I took the shot. He went only 12 yards and piled up. He was a 6 point buck. chest and neck was already in full rut.

[Lawdwaz]

Nice going Bill.  

[NFA-ADK]

Love it when a plan works out!  Congrats sounds like a great hunt! 

[grampy]

I just love stories like this! Especially from our most experienced hunters. Way to go Bill!

[Doc]

That's what it is really all about isn't it? ......The planning and scouting and scheming, and in the end the final ending to the challenge .... the kill and the satisfaction of having out-smarted the critter in his own element. I can see how that hunt would stand out in your mind as a favorite.

[grampy]

I couldn't agree more Doc! Well said.

[ny hunter]

Awesome story and congrats ,,.........

[hunter]

Congrats Bill

[BuckThornBooners]

Good story 

 

Edited February 4, 2017 by BuckThornBooners

[DirtTime]

Sounds like a perfect ending to a great hunt Bill. 

[sweet old bill]

My thanks to all, but also can think back to a week in early Nov 5 on a weekend when I got in a 12 foot ladder tree stand and it started to rain and changed over to freezing rain. I could not for the life of me get out of the Alum ladder stand as the freezing rain was on all the ladder steps and when I would put a foot on to lower myself to the ground I would start to slide off.  I was in the stand for several hours till it warmed up and changed back to all rain.

[Doc]

19 minutes ago, sweet old bill said:

My thanks to all, but also can think back to a week in early Nov 5 on a weekend when I got in a 12 foot ladder tree stand and it started to rain and changed over to freezing rain. I could not for the life of me get out of the Alum ladder stand as the freezing rain was on all the ladder steps and when I would put a foot on to lower myself to the ground I would start to slide off.  I was in the stand for several hours till it warmed up and changed back to all rain.

Ha-ha ..... we always get the bad along with the good. I remember a hunt up behind the house when I was messing around a bit too close to our ravine during an ice storm, and went down on my but and began to slide toward the edge that was a straight down drop to the bottom of the falls (all rock and shale) vertical walls. I was fortunate in that there was a small sapling that I grabbed onto before I got to the edge. Eventually, I was able to get back up onto flat ground. Don't ask me what I was doing hunting that close to the edge. It was just a case of being young and stupid with that dumb invincible feeling of indestructibility. But I too learned the hard way about ice in a slightly different way.

 

My childhood playground....lol 

[dbHunterNY]

a lot of hunters get lucky because they have skills and they're in a good spot where eventually something will show.  by far the hunters with a solid plan like yours get it done.  nice job, congrats, and keep the memories alive.

[Coachdad]

Thanks for sharing your story Bill. Nice work.