A 5 Pines Farm Giant

[doubleo]

Congrats on the beautiful doe and Happy Birthday!

[Jerry Jeffer]

Congrats on the doe. Waiting to see that buck on the ground. Always enjoy your story.

[Hopewell Tom]

Nice one, Jim.
Happy Birthday.

[Possum Head]

Nice work brutha👍

[RAU]

That is def a bucket list buck!! I hope you get him!!

[GCook]

Excellent!

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[LITTLEBIGMAN]

it's been a week of wild wild weather. First three days straight of wind and rain. Then just wild wind out of the NW.  Followed by our first freeze. Some friends have been here hunting ( or trying anyway) and I have been busy trying to put them in front of deer.

Tonight I was on my own and chose to hunt one of my favorite spots on the farm. This was one of the first food plots I created here on 5 pines.

hunt 101318 by jgilmer2010, on Flickr


the wind was still blowing hard today out of the southwest. So at 3 pm , I took the long way in sp as to not spook anything that might be bedded below this food plot.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

This is the view from on stand .

DSCN0885 by jgilmer2010, on Flickr

As I snuck into the food plot from above, I spotted a fawn on the lower edge of the food plot. I was able to make it in and up the ladder with out it seeing me .

For the last week my friends and I have not seen an antlered buck . The buck sign is also none existent and none of us can figure out where the boys are hanging out. I am also not get any pictures of them at night on my trail cameras! But we have been seeing lots and lots of females!

At 5 pm, I noticed the fawn was in the food plot, slowly feeding it's way up to me  Eventually it exited the plot at my corner and was directly under my ladder stand. A buck fawn! First buck I have seen in about 10 days.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

30 minutes later another very dark colored deer was feeding just below where I first spotted the fawn. A big bellied 9 point buck! Chocolate colored antlers. I guessed him to be a three year old from his blocky body. He turned and faced down the hill and then walked out of sight.

A few minutes later , he came back into view . Slowly walking up the food plot with the wind at his back. He Stopped at the opposite corner and made a scrape. But then I noticed this was a 10 point , with a sleeker and younger looking body. He looked back over his should and there was the buck I saw earlier, following up to the corner.

The first buck was now leaving on the trail I entered on and stopped giving me a 16 yard shot. I passed. Buck number two, followed the first bucks path. Stopping at the scrape to work the over head branch, then made a few half hearted paws at the scrape. He exited , stopping at the same spot offering me another 16 yard shot, which I passed.

A 3rd buck was now walking in the same exact steps as the other two and repeated their performances at the branch and scrape. Another shot was offered and passed upon.

I went from seeing only females this past week, to seeing only bucks tonight . Never having put tension on the string but having the time of my life.

I can't wait for tomorrow.

DSCN0886 by jgilmer2010, on Flickr

[Clj]

Good luck! I keep checking this thread hoping you get him or at least get more pics of him!

[Friend]

The beast of dreams may not show up however, I would suspect that another worthy biggin will show.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

thought you would all like the following photo.

I placed a camera on one of my guests does remains after butchering it. Hoping to catch an eagle or other scavenger. Instead got these 2 guys paying their respects. Yes we had snow over the weekend!

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Good stuff Jim. Keep at it, I love the updates

[Homey88]

Great stuff!!

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

Please refer to the map of my 10/13 hunt.

Once again I duplicated my previous path in to this stand. The wind was from the north and tonight there was no wind wrap from the bluff. So my scent was drifting down hill into the food plot.

But my plan was to kill any doe (or Angus), traveling down hill from the neighbor's pasture. The fence crossing is just 50 yards up hill and if the story played well, any deer coming down this trail would have my arrow in it before it crossed my scent drift.

At 5pm a fawn and a small buck were down wind of me in the food plot. The little 6 point was feeding his way up to my corner and I was wondering how close he would get before winding me. Apparrently my scent drift was well above his head as he made it right to the corner and start of the exit trail before he beganing "nosing" the wind. I had several shots at him before he finally whirled and trotted back down hill.

I gave a series of soft grunts to camoflage his quick departure.

At 6 pm I caught movement up at the fence. Gripping my longbow I prepared for a quick shot. The doe was coming right down the trail at a slow walk. She was almost in my shooting lane when her galloping fawn runs up and bumps the doe forward.

Now she is moving too fast and I hope she stops before entering the field. She finally stops at last opening to survey the field.


I drew and at anchor she looked up and made me. upon release she ducked and the arrow struck high and hard. She spun and dashed of with the lighted nock visible for about 50 yards. Down the gulley, up the other side, crossed the logging road and started up the bluff. With my bino's I watched her stop and stand. tail flicking violently. Then arrow had fallen out or broken off.

Then she started to move up the steep bluff, but changed her mind and turned back around several times.

Then I could no longer see her tail flicking or any part of her standing.

I quietly exited the stand and made my way home. I am hoping she is laying  up on that hill side. Allthough I have my doubts. A couple of extra eyes are on their way and we will head back in an hour or two to search.


more to follow..................

[Kopper1013]

Best of luck!

[GCook]

Good tracking.  Hoping you find her quick.

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[LITTLEBIGMAN]

Might as well get it over with, there was no recovery of the doe.

Three hours after the hit we returned to the logging road just below where I last saw her standing. It took only a few minutes for younger eyes to find blood on the logging  road she ran across. But then going up the steep bluff, we found just a few drops more. Not finding good sign, I elected to call off the night search and renew it this am.

Before heading back home we back tracked the blood trail to the arrow. Every indicator was this was just a muscle hit. Bright red blood but a little watery . The blood sign going backwards that was easy to follow. Another indicator that I had a muscle hit. While not superficial it was not lethal either. As I feared I did not enter the chest cavity with the broad head. Most likely I hit just above the scapula and did not sever any major vein or nerves.

This am I performed a grid search of the bluff side but found nothing more.

Last night should have been a slam dunk. Another lesson learned and a reminder that an alert deer can and will duck the arrow.

Feeling awful bad for the deer and the pain I inflicted I vow once again that will be my last lost game animal.

[ron w]

Jim she is most likely fine, it can happen to anyone. Been there done that, keep after'em.