Made my first trip to Alabama this season Jan 2nd.
Here's the results:
Picked a stand location where three mountain water runoffs intersected a creek bottom running along a large field leading to the bottom green fields. Set up about 10 yds back from trails, large oaks on mountain side still dropping acorns. Was appx 15 feet up using a Loc on spirit stand.
Sunday Jan 4th appx 5:35pm, Doe enters creek bottom with intentions of going to bedding area up mountain. My Monarch Imperial (62", 80lbs @ 29") changed her plans,
Broadside shot behind left shoulder appx 12 yards she traveled 15 yards and dropped. 2216xx75 and Bear broadhead. Seems to have had a recent run in with either a barbed wire fence or perhaps coyotes, her neck had some very recent damage, but didn't look like gunshot. But it is smack dab in the middle of Alabamas gun season.
Monday Jan 5th 10:40am, same stand location. After watching the same 10" spike since 6:05am appear and disappear in and out of the field about 7 times all morning I made the decision to leave the stand and drive 32 miles to the closest adult beverage store to harvest a large dark rum. I took three steps down from my stand and suddenly saw some movement coming down the draw from the highest bedding area. Slowly reclaimed my perch. After what seemed like an hour I spotted antlers sneaking through the thicket into the creek bottom. As he walked past me at about 22 yards I was presented a quartering away to the right shot. I picked my spot, drew, and released. He jumped straight up, ran about 30 yards and stopped. Started swaying side to side and them dropped. One attempt to get up and then dead calm.
Here's where I found him.
this is the result after dragging her about 250 yards through the wet brush and mud. she weighed in at 130lbs on the cabelas game scale.
Overall it was a great and interesting trip, can't wait to see what the next trip the last week of January has in store!!!