Morning hunt- got crazy. 4-6 does. Then I saw a small buck harassing them. They were back and forth multiple times getting bumped. Then I noticed one more small bucks. Next there was a bonafide shooter that came in. No shot while on the property I have permission. I wasn't going to shoot across the line.
10 deer? Hard telling. They kept moving everywhere. Call it 7 does and 3 bucks I guess. 4hrs
Evening hunt: slow, slow, and slow. Then in the last hour things got exciting. Saw a group of 3 followed by a small buck. Then had a little bigger buck show up and eventually wander off. Then I see deer in the field several hundred yards away at the other end of the woods. Couple property owners down. As I'm glassing them I hear a shot from that end of the woods. The deer just stand there. 4 total. Eventually they start heading my direction. Then I see a guy in orange come out and they trot a hundred yards or so and stop. I believe there were two does and two bucks. Both bucks appeared to be mature. No way this happens before dark. They are heading to the thicket. I turn over the can call a couple times. The front doe looks my way. Then I offered a couple grunts. Oddly, she starts my direction. Didn't think the grunts would work. I'm glassing. They are slowly meandering my way. I'm only 20yds off the property line so I need them to get in front of me or at least across the line. My scope is still on 5x. She enters 5-10yds on the wrong side of the property line but makes an angle straight to my tree. I consider a frontal shot in the buck. It was too close. I try to lower the scope power and she gets skittish and jumps a couple bounds. Buck stands there. Then starts moving. Now I need to reach around the tree while fighting my harness. I get the gun to the other side of the tree and take a mostly broadside shit super close. He mule kicks. Goes 50ish yards. Stops. I lose him in some thick vegetation. I don't know which way he exited. Was hoping he tipped over there. Went out with flash lights and did a quick scan. No blood. 20g Remington Accutip. I don't often get exits but generally get good carnage. I don't always get great blood either but generally see them drop. I'm baffled. Will resume the search in the morning. As close as he was in the scope, it was tougher than if he was 40-50yds out. Should not have missed though. Could have spit on him. I'm left scratching my head. Hard to imagine a miss so close with a mule kick. We shall see. 8 deer. 4 and 4. 3hrs.
Hunts: 24
All day: 1
Afternoon: 1
Evening: 14
Morning: 9
Hours: 7
Deer seen: 18
Does: 11
Bucks:7
In bow range: 4
Season totals:
Deer seen: 124
Bucks: 45
Does: 80
In bow range: 41
Season hours: 80