Some have asked for the story, so here it is. On Tuesday, November 10, I took my daughter to school and drove to a farm to set up duck decoys and blinds, as I had promised my son and his friend that I would take them duck hunting on Verteran's Day. I finished my errands and headed for the woods.
I had taken 10 days vacation to hunt the rut, but had not had success to this point.
I got to the farm at about 12:30 P.M., grabbed my gear and headed to my stand. The stand I was planning to hunt was higher than I like to hunt ( about 22 feet ), but was in a good location, a funnel between a bedding area and the timber's edge. I had set the stand up in early October, but had never hunted it until this day. I hoped that I could get to my stand without spooking deer because the deer were out of their normal routine and in full rut.
I eased my way to my stand and climbed in for what I thought would be a long day's hunt. At about 1:20 P.M., I heard foot falls in the leaves to my right. I turned to see a doe making her was to my stand. I stood up and readied myself for a shot. As she passed my stand, at 8 yards, I grunted and stopped her. There was a small sapling, about 2 inches wide, right behind her shoulder. With a lot of room behind the sapling of exposed chest cavity and quartering away, I draw my bow, anchored, concentrated on a spot and released. The arrow " centered " the sapling. As the doe ran off, a huge 10 point, Pope & Young, buck emerged on the same trail, chasing the doe. I could only watch as he passed my stand and 8 yards, while I tried unsuccessfully to retrieve a second arrow from my Cat quiver. I finally retrieved a second arrow from the quiver and watched the 10 pointer chase the doe around the woods, south of my stand. As I stood there, I had to laugh at myself for shooting as a doe during rut and the fact that I had nailed the sapling. I couldn't have hit that sapling if I had intended to, I told myself.
My mind snapped back to the business at hand. I picked up my grunt call and began calling. For a moment, the big 10 pointer, which was standing about 50 yards south of my stand, stopped and looked back in my direction, then continued chasing the doe.
As I turned around and looked north of my stand, about 100 yards, I noticed a large buck. He was standing motionless, looking in my direction. After a few moments, he dropped his head and began walking toward my stand. At about 60-70 yards the buck began to angle east, toward the timber's edge. I lost sight of him and wondered if on the way to my stand, he might have found a doe to chase instead. Tense moments passed with no sight of the buck. I cupped my hand over my grunt call and blew a few soft grunts. After a few minutes, I heard foot steps in the leaves to my right.
I looked to my right and noticed the 12 point buck had come back into the woods from the field's edge. He was on the same trail that the doe and 10 pointer had ran down moments earlier.
I turned and prepared for a shot. The buck walked into my shooting lane and I grunted, stopping him only 8 steps from my stand. I drew, achored, concentrated on a spot and released.
The arrow struck him perfectly, burying almost to the fletchings on his right side and the broadhead exiting his left chest. The buck kicked both rear legs and began running toward the timber's edge, east and south of my stand. As the buck turned, I could clearly see the exit wound and knew the arrow had struck him perfectly.
I waited a few minutes, then quitely called a friend to share the news. I then called the farmer of the property east of the timber to secure permission to recover the deer in the cornfield, if he made it that far. Permission was granted and congratulations were offered by the farmer. After a grueling wait, I descended the tree.
The tracking of my buck was easy and short, as he piled up 50 yards east of my stand in a grassy cover strip, adjacent to the cornfield.
I tagged the buck and stood there admiring this beautiful animal. I guess missing the doe payed off this time. Beginner's luck to be sure!
Topic: First trad buck (Read 2322 times)
