Exciting night last night!( no animals were harmed in the making of this production)

[swampdrummer]

Decided to do a short sit last night and glad I did!
Climbed up in a stand right at 5:30 and I had no sooner got hooked up, pulled my bow up and nocked an arrow when I looked up and there were 3 does standing 30 yards out. Since our bow season is over and we are into muzzleloader it is bucks only now so I didn't get too excited but thought it was nice that I had deer around at any rate. I sat back and just enjoyed the deer and the day. No more than 2 or 3 minutes pass and out of nowhere a BIG 8 point comes flying in! Hot on the trail of the does! The buck chases the does around for probably 10 minutes within sight of my stand. Comes back within 30 yards and commences to paw out a scrape! At one point the buck was within 5 yards but I never had a shot.
After 15 minutes or so all the deer wandered out of my view and it was pretty quite the rest of the evening.
Couple of notes.
I'm at the point these days that I've got major buck fever pretty much under control. I can usually keep it together enough to make the shot and the shakes and racing heart don't start until after the shot is made. Last night when that buck came flying in I lost it. I felt sure I was shaking enough that the branches above me had to be shaking as well and I knew that buck had to hear my heart pounding! LOL Good stuff!
Second point,
Our rut is SUPPOSED to be over with! The reason Florida's South zone moved the archery season was to be more in line with the rut down here. I was seeing scrapes back in mid August and just a little bit of chasing but what I saw last night has given me something to think about......

Anyways, Thought folks out there would enjoy the story. I know I sure enjoyed experiencing it!

[ron w]

Sounds like a good time.....nice to even see that much activity.

[alligatordond]

Was near Venusthis weekend(Lykes). Saw several solitary does, none being harrassed by bucks. I think onefella did see a doe being chased