Took the ranger for a cruise to set up a camera on the field edge where I've been seeing deer feeding and found this fresh one just inside the woods.
BigSlams 2015 season
- Thread starter Bigslam51
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Took the ranger for a cruise to set up a camera on the field edge where I've been seeing deer feeding and found this fresh one just inside the woods.
I think I've finally narrowed down my opening day spot. I'm going to have to bust out the climber though, picked out a tree today. I'll only be able to get about 13 feet off the ground but there's a ton of cover around me.
Awesome stuff Chad!!!! Hope you kill a thumper this season! You're as ready as anyone can be! Good luck!
Joel
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Lumber head 75
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Set up in a oak tree in the corner of an alfalfa field. Been getting pictures of a real nice one coming out just before last light.
I gotta feeling he'll do it again Chad! Keep your eyes peeled and pick a spot and drill him!!!
WELL BY GOLLY.....YA DID!!!!! Lol
Congrats on a great season buddy!!! It's two days in and your headed to the taxi already! AWESOME!
Just got back from the taxi. Going with a new guy this year that takes on less work than my previous taxi, so he can give it more attention. It's my cousins husbands dad Lol so he gave me a good deal also. I'll post the story this evening, I still have to go out to the landowners and show him.
I just ordered a real smoker. I put together everything from your experience and decided it was time. Rick and I talked about it when he came over and my way of doing has worked so far, but it was time to step up to the real thing. Thanks for sharing and taking us along for the ride.
Time for the story!
I've been getting pictures of this buck since the last week of August on my camera I have set up over a trophy rock and the occasional bag of apples in the woods I killed my buck out of last year. He was mostly showing up after 10pm and I got a few pics of him in early September at 6:30am, so I figured he was bedding close. When I got the early morning pictures of him I set a camera 90 yards away in the corner of an alfalfa field where I've glassed alot of deer feeding in the evenings and that's where big willy would come out last summer. I drove the ranger out, hung the camera and dumped a bag of apples on September 21st. Checked the camera on the 25th and he had been in there the whole week at the same time anywhere from 15-30 minutes before legal shooting time ended. I knew then that I had to make a move. I drove along the treeline scouting for the perfect tree for an east wind and found an oak surrounded by some apple trees that don't produce anymore, perfect for my climber since I didn't have a stand hung there. I never once stepped foot on that field except yesterday, did everything from the seat or the bed of the ranger. Since I figured they were accustomed to hearing the ranger and other farm machinery I asked my sister in law to drive me to my stand location and sit there with the ranger running until I got up in the tree. We got out there and I was settled in by 4:30, only 10 feet off the ground but surrounded by perfect cover and the wind cooperating, I knew this was a killer tree. When I sat down I was completely hidden and when I stood up only my upper half was exposed but I had dense cover behind me. I screwed my bow hanger in the tree and started ranging spots. At 6:45 I had a fawn and two young bucks come out and feed at 70 yards in the alfalfa. They fed for 20 minutes and then left headed back into the woods. At 7:15 I had a doe come out behind me, directly down wind. After a few minutes of her feeding she started acting nervous, she then snorted and took off running. I thought it was over. Looking back, I blame that snort on not smoking my climber up good enough after the seat got wet from rain and probably smelled unnatural. I started texting my sister in law to come pick me up but I stopped and figure I should just wait it out. At 7:35 I'm still standing up in my climber and I look over to my right and see a dandy come strolling into the field. I knew it was him and he came in from the opposite way he was coming in on the pics I got. Without any time to get the shakes I grabbed my bow, let him walk a little farther to clear the limbs. He stopped quartered too just a hair at 40 yards and I let the Mathews fling an Easton fmj right at him. The rage tore through him and I heard what sounded like all the air in his chest cavity just blew out of the holes. He made a death grunt, did a mule kick, took off running and almost face plowed the field. I knew he was hit good. I immediately called Jesse and told him I just shot him, that's when it all hit me and I started shaking really bad and told him I thought I was going to puke. Talked with him for a few minutes then I called my buddy josh and my wife. I gave him 30 minutes before I got down and looked at the location he was when I shot him. My arrow and the surrounding area told me he wasn't going far, so I waited for josh and my brother and law to come help track. They pull up in the ranger 20 minutes later and josh and I start tracking, blood everywhere. He ran down a steep hill spraying blood out of both sides, went through a 50 yard wide alfalfa field and made it 20 yards inside the woods where we found him laying. What I saw first was what I thought was a log sticking up but it was actually his 25" left main beam. This year has literally been one for the books, and I might not ever have a year like 2015. I'm just glad you guys could be a part of it and I'm glad I'm a part of this great brotherhood. Thanks again everyone, I appreciate all the stuff I learn on TOO!
I've been getting pictures of this buck since the last week of August on my camera I have set up over a trophy rock and the occasional bag of apples in the woods I killed my buck out of last year. He was mostly showing up after 10pm and I got a few pics of him in early September at 6:30am, so I figured he was bedding close. When I got the early morning pictures of him I set a camera 90 yards away in the corner of an alfalfa field where I've glassed alot of deer feeding in the evenings and that's where big willy would come out last summer. I drove the ranger out, hung the camera and dumped a bag of apples on September 21st. Checked the camera on the 25th and he had been in there the whole week at the same time anywhere from 15-30 minutes before legal shooting time ended. I knew then that I had to make a move. I drove along the treeline scouting for the perfect tree for an east wind and found an oak surrounded by some apple trees that don't produce anymore, perfect for my climber since I didn't have a stand hung there. I never once stepped foot on that field except yesterday, did everything from the seat or the bed of the ranger. Since I figured they were accustomed to hearing the ranger and other farm machinery I asked my sister in law to drive me to my stand location and sit there with the ranger running until I got up in the tree. We got out there and I was settled in by 4:30, only 10 feet off the ground but surrounded by perfect cover and the wind cooperating, I knew this was a killer tree. When I sat down I was completely hidden and when I stood up only my upper half was exposed but I had dense cover behind me. I screwed my bow hanger in the tree and started ranging spots. At 6:45 I had a fawn and two young bucks come out and feed at 70 yards in the alfalfa. They fed for 20 minutes and then left headed back into the woods. At 7:15 I had a doe come out behind me, directly down wind. After a few minutes of her feeding she started acting nervous, she then snorted and took off running. I thought it was over. Looking back, I blame that snort on not smoking my climber up good enough after the seat got wet from rain and probably smelled unnatural. I started texting my sister in law to come pick me up but I stopped and figure I should just wait it out. At 7:35 I'm still standing up in my climber and I look over to my right and see a dandy come strolling into the field. I knew it was him and he came in from the opposite way he was coming in on the pics I got. Without any time to get the shakes I grabbed my bow, let him walk a little farther to clear the limbs. He stopped quartered too just a hair at 40 yards and I let the Mathews fling an Easton fmj right at him. The rage tore through him and I heard what sounded like all the air in his chest cavity just blew out of the holes. He made a death grunt, did a mule kick, took off running and almost face plowed the field. I knew he was hit good. I immediately called Jesse and told him I just shot him, that's when it all hit me and I started shaking really bad and told him I thought I was going to puke. Talked with him for a few minutes then I called my buddy josh and my wife. I gave him 30 minutes before I got down and looked at the location he was when I shot him. My arrow and the surrounding area told me he wasn't going far, so I waited for josh and my brother and law to come help track. They pull up in the ranger 20 minutes later and josh and I start tracking, blood everywhere. He ran down a steep hill spraying blood out of both sides, went through a 50 yard wide alfalfa field and made it 20 yards inside the woods where we found him laying. What I saw first was what I thought was a log sticking up but it was actually his 25" left main beam. This year has literally been one for the books, and I might not ever have a year like 2015. I'm just glad you guys could be a part of it and I'm glad I'm a part of this great brotherhood. Thanks again everyone, I appreciate all the stuff I learn on TOO!