I posted on the other thread but had a few more pics to add and tell the story a little more. Leading up to gun season I had already had one of the best deer seasons to date eventhough I hadn't taken a deer yet. November for me was on fire as far as rut activity and seeing multiple big deer, almost getting a shot at my #2 deer and a heartbreaking close encounter with my #1 buck on 11/18.
I hunted hard on my long break week from work but had to work 6 in a row and hadn't been back in the stand since 11/19. Monday of course was miserable rain all day but still saw deer. Tue was miserable snow cover but still saw several deer but no bucks. Wednesday morning brought better activity and a couple small bucks. On Wed afternoon i had an unknown shooter on his feet at 3:20. He finally presented a shot that from his reaction i thought was a dead deer. Long story short i was unable to locate him and truly believe i will see him alive next fall. Thursday morning I was covered up with deer all day but no shooters. Friday morning rolled around and after 2hrs i finally thought well this is it my luck finally ran out and i hust had a feeling i was gonna get skunked.
At 8:15 it was like a switch just flipped. I had a deer come down the hill behind me and walking right to me. As it closed the didtance i glanced back to the hill side i had been set to watch and saw 2 does on the annual highway and paralleling the hill heading back to the bedding area. I caught movement up the hill where they came from and saw a bigger body that i assumed was a buck. I sat down in my climber to prepare for a shot where i could get a good rest on the rail. I kept watching and eventually the buck made gis way nose to the ground after the two does. He got to an opening at i guessed 80 to 90 yds and i bleated and stopped him. I glanced at his rack and quickly decided he was big enough. I squeezed the trigger and he jumped and lurched forward at the shot. I lost him in the moment of trying to chamber another round in the 450 but thought he crashed within 20yds of the shot. I couldn't tell if my mind was playing tricks or not but i tried to find him in the scope again and scanned ahead on the trail not seeing him anywhere i brought the scope back closer to the shot and believed i caught a glimpse of antlers as he was piling up. I waited an hour before climbing down and going to get my father in law who I'd been with all week. I typically reserve my honey hole for myself but got permission this year for him as he only hunts this week having moved 4 hrs away. I think this brought a blessing for me as we had an unbelievable week, more on that later.
We made our way back tiward where i thought i had a downed deer but after Wednesday's fiasco wasn't overconfident. I put my FIL on the low side if the hill and i went up around to work my way back yo him incase the buck jumped up. I slowly made my way up towars the area and as I approached there he was piled up, he didn't make it more than 10 to 15yds from the shot. I had hit him low and forward but managed to put it thru the heart it was a weird entrance and exit but apparently effective lol. I immediately recognized the deer as one I'd seen chasing two does while driving the gravel road to my spot. I had also recently got trail cam pics on a scrape going to my stand and on another scrape in the area. He was very wore down from the rut, broke a brow off, and had some awkward injury to his manhood causing it to be ripped out of his skin i can only assume would prove to be fatal. His nuts were swollen and infected but fortunately the meat was fine. This wasn't the deer I was after but a bonus buck that just felt like i was led to harvest. The best part is on Saturday we went back and after hunting while standing at the truck we saw two shooters calmly walking an open field of the neighboring property that I cant hunt. One of them was my big shooter 9pt from 11/18. I pray he can hideout through the remainder of the season and i get another chance next fall. I have been very blessed with sole access to this small 20 acre piece and hope it lasts for years to come. I have been very fortunate to harvest 4 bucks from the 6 years I have hunted it, chasing a shooter each year. Good luck to everyone the rest of the season and thanks for reading this if you do.
I hunted hard on my long break week from work but had to work 6 in a row and hadn't been back in the stand since 11/19. Monday of course was miserable rain all day but still saw deer. Tue was miserable snow cover but still saw several deer but no bucks. Wednesday morning brought better activity and a couple small bucks. On Wed afternoon i had an unknown shooter on his feet at 3:20. He finally presented a shot that from his reaction i thought was a dead deer. Long story short i was unable to locate him and truly believe i will see him alive next fall. Thursday morning I was covered up with deer all day but no shooters. Friday morning rolled around and after 2hrs i finally thought well this is it my luck finally ran out and i hust had a feeling i was gonna get skunked.
At 8:15 it was like a switch just flipped. I had a deer come down the hill behind me and walking right to me. As it closed the didtance i glanced back to the hill side i had been set to watch and saw 2 does on the annual highway and paralleling the hill heading back to the bedding area. I caught movement up the hill where they came from and saw a bigger body that i assumed was a buck. I sat down in my climber to prepare for a shot where i could get a good rest on the rail. I kept watching and eventually the buck made gis way nose to the ground after the two does. He got to an opening at i guessed 80 to 90 yds and i bleated and stopped him. I glanced at his rack and quickly decided he was big enough. I squeezed the trigger and he jumped and lurched forward at the shot. I lost him in the moment of trying to chamber another round in the 450 but thought he crashed within 20yds of the shot. I couldn't tell if my mind was playing tricks or not but i tried to find him in the scope again and scanned ahead on the trail not seeing him anywhere i brought the scope back closer to the shot and believed i caught a glimpse of antlers as he was piling up. I waited an hour before climbing down and going to get my father in law who I'd been with all week. I typically reserve my honey hole for myself but got permission this year for him as he only hunts this week having moved 4 hrs away. I think this brought a blessing for me as we had an unbelievable week, more on that later.
We made our way back tiward where i thought i had a downed deer but after Wednesday's fiasco wasn't overconfident. I put my FIL on the low side if the hill and i went up around to work my way back yo him incase the buck jumped up. I slowly made my way up towars the area and as I approached there he was piled up, he didn't make it more than 10 to 15yds from the shot. I had hit him low and forward but managed to put it thru the heart it was a weird entrance and exit but apparently effective lol. I immediately recognized the deer as one I'd seen chasing two does while driving the gravel road to my spot. I had also recently got trail cam pics on a scrape going to my stand and on another scrape in the area. He was very wore down from the rut, broke a brow off, and had some awkward injury to his manhood causing it to be ripped out of his skin i can only assume would prove to be fatal. His nuts were swollen and infected but fortunately the meat was fine. This wasn't the deer I was after but a bonus buck that just felt like i was led to harvest. The best part is on Saturday we went back and after hunting while standing at the truck we saw two shooters calmly walking an open field of the neighboring property that I cant hunt. One of them was my big shooter 9pt from 11/18. I pray he can hideout through the remainder of the season and i get another chance next fall. I have been very blessed with sole access to this small 20 acre piece and hope it lasts for years to come. I have been very fortunate to harvest 4 bucks from the 6 years I have hunted it, chasing a shooter each year. Good luck to everyone the rest of the season and thanks for reading this if you do.
