This late season hunting is fun. But not very fun when your cold. That was a lesson I learned fast when I was younger. The rut had slipped through my fingers and I had messed up my one chance at a good buck for this season. It sucked at the time but things happen. One little limb between you and the vitals can change everything in a blink of an eye. I had that buck. I had a Spot picked and my arrow was for sure on its way to burry into the ribs. But it just didn't work. The little limb sent my arrow off course. There I was frustrated in a tree again, just wondering if I would get another chance this season, or if I even deserved one at the time.
Fast forward to after gun season. I was hanging cameras in spots and trying to get a picture of a decent buck to go after. Turned out this was the easy part. After hanging cams on the corn field plot and dads cam on his corn pile I had several great bucks to chase. It was just a matter of waiting on one to mess up. I spent a lot of time scouting and trying to figure them out than I did actually hunting. I found 2 particular bucks at my house that I really hoped to have a chance at. They just seemed to refuse to show any daylight movement. Then I realized where they were bedding and saw why they couldn't make it to me in daylight. On my way to work which is normally around 5:45 I saw both of them 4 different mornings in the neighbors field crossing the road into a small but thick ravine against the road with honey suckle and oaks. Perfect safe spot for them to bed but not so perfect for me to hunt them. This basically proved to me what they were doing, and that my chances with them were kind of screwed unless they changed things up.
Then the bucks started moving into dads corn. Not just one or two. In the beginning there were 4 or 5 shooters for me coming to it. Including poindexter and the big brow nine. The big nine was messing up frequently but he would mess up and come in at 9:30 am once a week. It was strange. Then basically every cold front a nice buck would mess up and be there just before dark. I believe it was 3 weeks ago the big nine had came in two nights in a row. I slipped back there and hunted him only to get rained on and watch 2 does skirt by me. I believe it was the next week a few bucks were messing up and following does in showing me signs of a second rut. I went back on a calm night and waited. I had a buck chase does all around me but he was only 100"'s. I knew in the back of my mind that all I needed was some snow and some brutal cold weather and my chances would increase dramatically.
Monday morning I woke up to 3" of snow. The boss still wanted try to make the 2 hour drive to work so off we went. We came home to nearly 5" of snow at home and his wife's car sideways and stuck in his driveway lol. Tuesday we went to work and it was cold but not brutal. I was really hoping we would be home in time to hunt but it just didn't work out as we were working 3 hours from home and making the drive there and back. Checking the forecast we knew it was going to be brutal on Wednesday but we only had 3 or 4 things left to do on this job and we were all eager to get it finished. We headed out at 5am and it was cold as could be I remember just knowing that we weren't going to work and I'd be able to hunt on one of the best nights we have had since gun season. We made it an hour and a half down the road and the inspector called and told us it was too cold to do tie ins. So we had to head home. I went straight to dads and dumped more corn and switched cards in the camera. Sure enough Monday night there was a shooter in daylight
and Tuesday night poindexter right at the edge of daylight for the first time in 2 years.
I knew I had to be there tonight but it was going to be cold. The boss and a guy I work with asked what I was going to do the rest of the day. I told them tonight was the night and I would be hunting. They both looked at me like I was retarded. I just grinned. Thankfully mom had given dad a heater body suit for Christmas. And after years of "borrowing his hunting stuff" I didn't even ask really. Just told him I would be using it that night lol. I always tell him "whatever is yours is mine." Which is pretty true lol.
There was just one issue. We never hung a stand at the corn and I had used my climber every time I had hunted it. It was going to be a bitch to get my climber my bow my hunting pack my harness and the suit up the tree and on. I got to the base of my tree at 3:00. And wasn't settled in until 3:30. It normally takes me 5 minutes to get up and be set. The cold was taking a toll until I slipped the suit on. Holy crap that thing really is awesome. I could slip my head down in it and be completely out of the elements. It felt like I was sitting in the living room and it was 70 degrees!
Every 5 minutes of so I would pop my head out and check around for deer. At 4:15 I caught 3 does in the ravine south east and below me and downwind working there way in. I watched them for a second and ducked my head back into the suit. A few minutes later I poked my head out and they were right under me. 30 seconds later here comes 3 more from the opposite direction. And then 2 more from the south. So now I have 8 deer within 25 yards
and a lot of eyes staring me down. I stayed sitting with the suit on. Next thing I know I see movement in the brush 100 yards south. I can see 3 different body's coming at me. I had a good feeling it was the three young bucks that come in. I never even got up just knowing that none of them were shooters. As soon as the got through the brush a fourth deer got out of its bed. He had to of watched me set up an hour before. I don't know how he didn't see me. This one I could tell was nice but couldn't tell how nice. I knew I needed to get up but how do you get up and grab your bow when there are 11 sets of eyes staring you down at 20 yards. The big buck was coming and coming fast and I didn't know what to do. I had to stay put. Thankfully he was the boss out of all the others that were at the corn and he scattered them off as soon as he got close. As soon as they scattered I quickly got up and unzipped the suit. I pushed my hand out in front of me to grab my bow and he whipped his head around and stared right through me. I knew it was over. My heart sank. But just as soon as I knew he was going to back out a small 8 came to the corn to challenge him. This gave me that 3 seconds I needed to grab my bow and get ready. The buck pushed the little 8 off and came right back never giving me a shot. There is a lot of brush in between the corn and me. And just a few holes to shoot through. The buck commenced to eating but after every mouth full he would stare me in the eyes and chew it. The adrenaline was taking over in me and I didn't feel the least bit cold. But I went to put tension on the string only to realize I had no feeling in my ungloved fingers. I looked down to see I only had one finger on the string. He was quartered too hard. After a few more bites he got spooky and jumped sideways. Here was my chance. I drew back and hit my anchor. Burying my arrow in my mind into a piece of hair just behind his shoulder. The arrow went and made it through the brush. I heard a smack but couldn't tell where impact was. He trotted 30 yards and looked back at me. I picked up my binocs just knowing the shot was no good. I could see a lot of arrow sticking out. My heart sank again but just as it did he took two fast steps to the right that I could tell he did not mean to take. He tried to correct himself and step left which ended up in him slamming a tree which poured snow all over him. Then he went right again and slammed another. Falling on his side afterwards. What a relief. I sat in my stand in disbelief.
Fast forward to after gun season. I was hanging cameras in spots and trying to get a picture of a decent buck to go after. Turned out this was the easy part. After hanging cams on the corn field plot and dads cam on his corn pile I had several great bucks to chase. It was just a matter of waiting on one to mess up. I spent a lot of time scouting and trying to figure them out than I did actually hunting. I found 2 particular bucks at my house that I really hoped to have a chance at. They just seemed to refuse to show any daylight movement. Then I realized where they were bedding and saw why they couldn't make it to me in daylight. On my way to work which is normally around 5:45 I saw both of them 4 different mornings in the neighbors field crossing the road into a small but thick ravine against the road with honey suckle and oaks. Perfect safe spot for them to bed but not so perfect for me to hunt them. This basically proved to me what they were doing, and that my chances with them were kind of screwed unless they changed things up.
Then the bucks started moving into dads corn. Not just one or two. In the beginning there were 4 or 5 shooters for me coming to it. Including poindexter and the big brow nine. The big nine was messing up frequently but he would mess up and come in at 9:30 am once a week. It was strange. Then basically every cold front a nice buck would mess up and be there just before dark. I believe it was 3 weeks ago the big nine had came in two nights in a row. I slipped back there and hunted him only to get rained on and watch 2 does skirt by me. I believe it was the next week a few bucks were messing up and following does in showing me signs of a second rut. I went back on a calm night and waited. I had a buck chase does all around me but he was only 100"'s. I knew in the back of my mind that all I needed was some snow and some brutal cold weather and my chances would increase dramatically.
Monday morning I woke up to 3" of snow. The boss still wanted try to make the 2 hour drive to work so off we went. We came home to nearly 5" of snow at home and his wife's car sideways and stuck in his driveway lol. Tuesday we went to work and it was cold but not brutal. I was really hoping we would be home in time to hunt but it just didn't work out as we were working 3 hours from home and making the drive there and back. Checking the forecast we knew it was going to be brutal on Wednesday but we only had 3 or 4 things left to do on this job and we were all eager to get it finished. We headed out at 5am and it was cold as could be I remember just knowing that we weren't going to work and I'd be able to hunt on one of the best nights we have had since gun season. We made it an hour and a half down the road and the inspector called and told us it was too cold to do tie ins. So we had to head home. I went straight to dads and dumped more corn and switched cards in the camera. Sure enough Monday night there was a shooter in daylight
and Tuesday night poindexter right at the edge of daylight for the first time in 2 years. I knew I had to be there tonight but it was going to be cold. The boss and a guy I work with asked what I was going to do the rest of the day. I told them tonight was the night and I would be hunting. They both looked at me like I was retarded. I just grinned. Thankfully mom had given dad a heater body suit for Christmas. And after years of "borrowing his hunting stuff" I didn't even ask really. Just told him I would be using it that night lol. I always tell him "whatever is yours is mine." Which is pretty true lol.
There was just one issue. We never hung a stand at the corn and I had used my climber every time I had hunted it. It was going to be a bitch to get my climber my bow my hunting pack my harness and the suit up the tree and on. I got to the base of my tree at 3:00. And wasn't settled in until 3:30. It normally takes me 5 minutes to get up and be set. The cold was taking a toll until I slipped the suit on. Holy crap that thing really is awesome. I could slip my head down in it and be completely out of the elements. It felt like I was sitting in the living room and it was 70 degrees!
Every 5 minutes of so I would pop my head out and check around for deer. At 4:15 I caught 3 does in the ravine south east and below me and downwind working there way in. I watched them for a second and ducked my head back into the suit. A few minutes later I poked my head out and they were right under me. 30 seconds later here comes 3 more from the opposite direction. And then 2 more from the south. So now I have 8 deer within 25 yards
and a lot of eyes staring me down. I stayed sitting with the suit on. Next thing I know I see movement in the brush 100 yards south. I can see 3 different body's coming at me. I had a good feeling it was the three young bucks that come in. I never even got up just knowing that none of them were shooters. As soon as the got through the brush a fourth deer got out of its bed. He had to of watched me set up an hour before. I don't know how he didn't see me. This one I could tell was nice but couldn't tell how nice. I knew I needed to get up but how do you get up and grab your bow when there are 11 sets of eyes staring you down at 20 yards. The big buck was coming and coming fast and I didn't know what to do. I had to stay put. Thankfully he was the boss out of all the others that were at the corn and he scattered them off as soon as he got close. As soon as they scattered I quickly got up and unzipped the suit. I pushed my hand out in front of me to grab my bow and he whipped his head around and stared right through me. I knew it was over. My heart sank. But just as soon as I knew he was going to back out a small 8 came to the corn to challenge him. This gave me that 3 seconds I needed to grab my bow and get ready. The buck pushed the little 8 off and came right back never giving me a shot. There is a lot of brush in between the corn and me. And just a few holes to shoot through. The buck commenced to eating but after every mouth full he would stare me in the eyes and chew it. The adrenaline was taking over in me and I didn't feel the least bit cold. But I went to put tension on the string only to realize I had no feeling in my ungloved fingers. I looked down to see I only had one finger on the string. He was quartered too hard. After a few more bites he got spooky and jumped sideways. Here was my chance. I drew back and hit my anchor. Burying my arrow in my mind into a piece of hair just behind his shoulder. The arrow went and made it through the brush. I heard a smack but couldn't tell where impact was. He trotted 30 yards and looked back at me. I picked up my binocs just knowing the shot was no good. I could see a lot of arrow sticking out. My heart sank again but just as it did he took two fast steps to the right that I could tell he did not mean to take. He tried to correct himself and step left which ended up in him slamming a tree which poured snow all over him. Then he went right again and slammed another. Falling on his side afterwards. What a relief. I sat in my stand in disbelief.
