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Our buck hunt is over. What a week. Mason and I decided to actually shoot a couple nice ones this year if given the chance. The opportunities presented themselves and it worked out well for us!
It's sort of weird to be done so early. We have both become accustomed to hunting every free minute for four solid months the last several years. We've let some awfully nice deer walk off over that time, but decided we weren't going to do that this season. I had serious doubts that Mason would shoot a "nice" deer, knowing there is a giant in the neighborhood again. I guess he had enough too. I honestly don't know what we will get into over the coming months, but I'm sure our minds will be drifting to the deer woods.
Last night, Mason and I made the drive up to our honey hole. I do not for a minute think people can possibly believe the number of really good bucks we see there these days. I do not even run cameras, seriously, on the farm. I don't need to. I know that unlike most properties, eventually, I will actually see the deer. We do not hunt in the timber, we hunt in open areas along ditches or fencerows that serve as travel routes between blocks of timber. By doing this, the deer do not even know they are being hunted, IMO. I often drive my truck right to the stands to drop Mason off or pick him up. The landowner drives around the property almost daily anyway, farm equipment is in and out too, and the deer seem to pay little attention to a truck. What better way is there to access a location?
Mason has spent the season in a stand I set up several years ago. I knew for years, before having access to that piece of property, that it would be the holy grail of stand locations. I spent 15 years watching deer walk by it from neighboring ground. It was torture.
He has had more shooters in sight in the month of October than most people will see in a year. Heck, there were days he saw more on a single sit than most could expect for an entire season!
Back to the story... I dropped him off at the stand, set up the decoy and went to park the truck. Made my way back to the stand I planned to video from and settled in. It was quiet last night. Mind-numbing stillness. I hate those nights, deer never seem to move on those days. By 6 pm I was running encouraging words through my mind that I planned to share with Mason about days like that. I spent my time thinking about the number of bucks I've killed on days like that, and it's a bunch. It seems like on half a dozen occasions, I've sat in the stand thinking of how I was wasting my time sitting out there with nothing moving, and then one I want stepped out. Often, the only deer I'd seen that day! Boring, excitement-killing stillness.
The landowner has a cornpile about 250 yards north of our setups. I can count on seeing deer visiting the bait. The landowner doesn't even hunt, but loves to get pics of wildlife. It usually provides a little entertainment on even slow days. Nothing. Finally, I saw a spike buck by the cornpile. He just walked by and on into the woodlot. Even he looked bored....ugh.
At long last, I looked beyond Mason and saw a dark form come from one of the sanctuaries. A quick look through the binoculars and I reached for my handycam. I knew that Mason could not see him at that point, and I wasn't certain he'd even shoot. Keep in mind, this kid is picky, or has been in recent years. I thought he might because I assumed he was the 8 point we'd seen on Sunday night that Mason proclaimed, "I might shoot him". lol
The deer laid eyes on the decoy, came on a string. He gave Mason ample time to range him several times. He decided to kill him and started to draw when he was a 50, but the deer continued on. He came to the decoy, but his attention was diverted by three does that came out across the field. He turned to look at them, offering Mason a 27 yard quartering away shot. He recounted drawing, getting his level square, centering the pin housing, and splitting his pins. He said, "Dad, the pins were beautiful on his ribs. I just held them there for a few seconds, and then the nock lit him up". Awesome! I'm so proud of him. It's hard to maintain the discipline to actually aim.... I learned that the hard way and drill it into him every time we part ways while hunting. I have to remind myself too when the time comes to shoot.... AIM, enjoy the aiming.
He let it fly and the buck was dead in seconds. The video demonstrates that. Quick, clean. Proud dad moment for sure!
Here is the video. I hope you can enjoy it even though I'm not a pro. I have a camera arm, just too lazy to carry all that to the tree. Thanks for reading along.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THRr0woRKnQ&feature=youtu.be
It's sort of weird to be done so early. We have both become accustomed to hunting every free minute for four solid months the last several years. We've let some awfully nice deer walk off over that time, but decided we weren't going to do that this season. I had serious doubts that Mason would shoot a "nice" deer, knowing there is a giant in the neighborhood again. I guess he had enough too. I honestly don't know what we will get into over the coming months, but I'm sure our minds will be drifting to the deer woods.
Last night, Mason and I made the drive up to our honey hole. I do not for a minute think people can possibly believe the number of really good bucks we see there these days. I do not even run cameras, seriously, on the farm. I don't need to. I know that unlike most properties, eventually, I will actually see the deer. We do not hunt in the timber, we hunt in open areas along ditches or fencerows that serve as travel routes between blocks of timber. By doing this, the deer do not even know they are being hunted, IMO. I often drive my truck right to the stands to drop Mason off or pick him up. The landowner drives around the property almost daily anyway, farm equipment is in and out too, and the deer seem to pay little attention to a truck. What better way is there to access a location?
Mason has spent the season in a stand I set up several years ago. I knew for years, before having access to that piece of property, that it would be the holy grail of stand locations. I spent 15 years watching deer walk by it from neighboring ground. It was torture.
He has had more shooters in sight in the month of October than most people will see in a year. Heck, there were days he saw more on a single sit than most could expect for an entire season!Back to the story... I dropped him off at the stand, set up the decoy and went to park the truck. Made my way back to the stand I planned to video from and settled in. It was quiet last night. Mind-numbing stillness. I hate those nights, deer never seem to move on those days. By 6 pm I was running encouraging words through my mind that I planned to share with Mason about days like that. I spent my time thinking about the number of bucks I've killed on days like that, and it's a bunch. It seems like on half a dozen occasions, I've sat in the stand thinking of how I was wasting my time sitting out there with nothing moving, and then one I want stepped out. Often, the only deer I'd seen that day! Boring, excitement-killing stillness.
The landowner has a cornpile about 250 yards north of our setups. I can count on seeing deer visiting the bait. The landowner doesn't even hunt, but loves to get pics of wildlife. It usually provides a little entertainment on even slow days. Nothing. Finally, I saw a spike buck by the cornpile. He just walked by and on into the woodlot. Even he looked bored....ugh.
At long last, I looked beyond Mason and saw a dark form come from one of the sanctuaries. A quick look through the binoculars and I reached for my handycam. I knew that Mason could not see him at that point, and I wasn't certain he'd even shoot. Keep in mind, this kid is picky, or has been in recent years. I thought he might because I assumed he was the 8 point we'd seen on Sunday night that Mason proclaimed, "I might shoot him". lol
The deer laid eyes on the decoy, came on a string. He gave Mason ample time to range him several times. He decided to kill him and started to draw when he was a 50, but the deer continued on. He came to the decoy, but his attention was diverted by three does that came out across the field. He turned to look at them, offering Mason a 27 yard quartering away shot. He recounted drawing, getting his level square, centering the pin housing, and splitting his pins. He said, "Dad, the pins were beautiful on his ribs. I just held them there for a few seconds, and then the nock lit him up". Awesome! I'm so proud of him. It's hard to maintain the discipline to actually aim.... I learned that the hard way and drill it into him every time we part ways while hunting. I have to remind myself too when the time comes to shoot.... AIM, enjoy the aiming.
He let it fly and the buck was dead in seconds. The video demonstrates that. Quick, clean. Proud dad moment for sure!
Here is the video. I hope you can enjoy it even though I'm not a pro. I have a camera arm, just too lazy to carry all that to the tree. Thanks for reading along.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THRr0woRKnQ&feature=youtu.be
