Tweet
Less than a week in and it’s been extremely active. Lots of close encounters and lots of buck activity but we haven’t drawn back yet. Strange thing is we haven’t really been busted yet. A couple times on the way in or out we’ve been spotted just enough to get stared down for a spell then had them move off with that “I’m not sure so I’m not sticking around to find out” gait.
Tonight was crazy. Going in I walked up on a 6pt that we’ve spotted every afternoon. He never saw me, I was watching through the binos just as it started absolutely pouring. He was watching something off on the right then just turned and bolted left like he was making a run for the car in the store parking lot. Never flagged.
Later on from the stand I caught movement out in front headed the Kid’s way. It was just about 5:45, the same 6pt stepped out behind the Kid right as he stood up after checking around. The buck slinked back into the woods but must have looped up around him where I couldn’t see. Meanwhile it’s been getting dark fast back in the woods where I’m sitting. We can now hunt until a half hour after sunset but with the clouds and leaves still on the trees it gets too dark at sunset. I’ve been getting down trying not to get caught flat footed. Tonight as I head down I catch sight of a deer at the same spot as the 6pt on my way in. I’m in the open woods but don’t get noticed. There’s still about 15 minutes of legal time so I get a couple big tress between us and pull up the binos again.
My heart sinks when I see the rack. It’s the big 8 the Kid is after, and he’s headed right at me through a small clover plot with an apple tree in the middle about 50 yards away. He starts working the branches over with without much hurry. I’m stuck without much option so I decide to be aggressive and pull out my grunt tube. Like they say in racing, it’s a checkers or wreckers move. I give just one short, soft grunt and his head jerks up so I know he heard me. He stands there for a couple minutes looking my way then just turns and slowly walks off. I couldn’t have hoped for better short of getting a shot. I give it a few more minutes to be sure he’s gone then I cut back and head down to the Y in the road where the Kid and I have been splitting up on the way in and meeting on the way back down. He’s not there and it’s now getting pitch black. No call or text and he’s not back at the house so I know he’s stuck in the tree. I’m moving our car out of the garage to get the SxS out when the text pops up. “Buggy please”.
Turn out he had three bucks in the field around him and he couldn’t get down. The same 6pt was with the other two and they all came in 180* from where the 6 had tucked back into the woods earlier. The Kid’s been stuck four nights now, this time the worst. We’d talked that if it happened that one of us got to the house without hearing from the other to just get the buggy and ride up easy to move the deer off without giving up the stand.
So far we’ve been lucky, I’m sure the deer know we’re around but they’ve acted like they do in the summer when we bump into them. I’ve talked with the Kid, we’re giving the hill a rest until Youth Rifle this weekend to give his sister a chance before we mess things up with too much pressure. I’m
really hoping that 6 stays on pattern for her.
Tonight was crazy. Going in I walked up on a 6pt that we’ve spotted every afternoon. He never saw me, I was watching through the binos just as it started absolutely pouring. He was watching something off on the right then just turned and bolted left like he was making a run for the car in the store parking lot. Never flagged.
Later on from the stand I caught movement out in front headed the Kid’s way. It was just about 5:45, the same 6pt stepped out behind the Kid right as he stood up after checking around. The buck slinked back into the woods but must have looped up around him where I couldn’t see. Meanwhile it’s been getting dark fast back in the woods where I’m sitting. We can now hunt until a half hour after sunset but with the clouds and leaves still on the trees it gets too dark at sunset. I’ve been getting down trying not to get caught flat footed. Tonight as I head down I catch sight of a deer at the same spot as the 6pt on my way in. I’m in the open woods but don’t get noticed. There’s still about 15 minutes of legal time so I get a couple big tress between us and pull up the binos again.
My heart sinks when I see the rack. It’s the big 8 the Kid is after, and he’s headed right at me through a small clover plot with an apple tree in the middle about 50 yards away. He starts working the branches over with without much hurry. I’m stuck without much option so I decide to be aggressive and pull out my grunt tube. Like they say in racing, it’s a checkers or wreckers move. I give just one short, soft grunt and his head jerks up so I know he heard me. He stands there for a couple minutes looking my way then just turns and slowly walks off. I couldn’t have hoped for better short of getting a shot. I give it a few more minutes to be sure he’s gone then I cut back and head down to the Y in the road where the Kid and I have been splitting up on the way in and meeting on the way back down. He’s not there and it’s now getting pitch black. No call or text and he’s not back at the house so I know he’s stuck in the tree. I’m moving our car out of the garage to get the SxS out when the text pops up. “Buggy please”.
Turn out he had three bucks in the field around him and he couldn’t get down. The same 6pt was with the other two and they all came in 180* from where the 6 had tucked back into the woods earlier. The Kid’s been stuck four nights now, this time the worst. We’d talked that if it happened that one of us got to the house without hearing from the other to just get the buggy and ride up easy to move the deer off without giving up the stand.
So far we’ve been lucky, I’m sure the deer know we’re around but they’ve acted like they do in the summer when we bump into them. I’ve talked with the Kid, we’re giving the hill a rest until Youth Rifle this weekend to give his sister a chance before we mess things up with too much pressure. I’m
really hoping that 6 stays on pattern for her.
Comment