I'm not much of a story teller, but here it goes. I have to give my wife all the credit for posting the pictures because if it wasn't for her only my best friend and hunting partner Pat would ever see the deer.
It started about 2 weeks ago, I was out scouting and just looking around about an hour's walk from the truck and ran across an old logging road at the top of the ridge. Thinking to myself, this looks like an ideal travel route. Kept walking down the old road I came across 4 large scrapes about 30 yards apart. From the size of his track it looked to be a big flat footed buck using this ridge, the scrapes were covered up with leaves so I knew he hadn't been around for a few days. I pulled out my bottle of home brew and added just a little to each scrape.
Two days later I came back to the same spot and everything looked the same. I thought to myself, this deer has either been killed or he's with a doe.
Two more days pass and it was Friday evening when I went back to check the scrapes, they were opened back up so I added a little bit more scent to each scrape to see if this would get him started. It was about 9:00 when I got home and I was feeling bad and getting sick. In the house Saturday and Sunday with the flu.
Monday at noon still feeling like crap I knew I had to go back and check the scrapes. He's back and starting to tear the woods up abusing small saplings. Added a lot more scent and pulled out.
Tuesday after work I checked on it again and he had the scrapes absolutely tore up, had them dug out the size of an old washtub. I've got him upset now, it's time to look for a place to set up and kill him. It's too open, I need to get this deer to a more ambushable spot.Went looking for the perfect spot to set up and found what looked to me to be the right area some 200 yards away just off a nice deer trail. Called my wife asked her to check the weather channel for wind direction on Wednesday morning, she soon called back and said it looks like a storm front is moving in with an east wind. I thought to myself, if this is going to happen it's going to happen tomorrow because the deer will be on their feet, if he doesn't have a doe by then.
Wednesday morning, sprayed my boots down real good with coon urine, walked back to the last scrape and started my drag. Up through all the scrapes and across the ridge, through some underbrush and stickers to the spot I had selected where the woods opened up again. Just at light the squirrels stated barking down in the woods. I look over my shoulder and here comes some deer. A small buck right up the trail with his nose to the ground makes his way past my tree to the scent rag, stopped and gave it a little sniff, he turned his head and looked back down the trail, another deer coming. It's a buck, so I slowly picked up my bow and waited to see him a little bit better. Nice 8 pointer, getting my feet in position for the shot, by this time it had gotten brighter but still overcast with clouds. I hear another deer coming and looked down in the woods, "What the hell is this coming, all I can see is horns". By this time the other 2 deer have passed me and in the open woods looking back. Here he comes through the stickers and saplings, but he stops 30 yards away. Was thinking to myself, "Is this going to happen or is this a big buck's sixth sense to stop". He walked off the trail to a small sapling and proceeded to beat the crap out of this thing for 2 minutes. By this time I'm a total wreck. He gets done and starts back up the trail. Thinking to myself "Here he comes, don't do anything stupid". Feet in position, bows up, 3 fingers under the arrow, I'm ready for him. 18 yards away, he stops and sniffs the rag with his front leg half a step forward, I pick my spot just under his chest by his leg, slowly draw and get a good tight anchor. WHACK, he does the high rear leg kick and takes off up the trail some 45 or 50 yards, stops, looks back and falls over. Watched him for 5 minutes, it's over, I get down and walk over to him. Thank the man I needed to thank, took some pictures, and at 51 that's about all the deer this boy wanted to drag back to the truck. Arrow passed through his heart and stuck in his opposite leg bone, he broke the arrow off, I'm assuming, from his other leg or hit a small sapling. GRIZ.
Topic: nice buck (Read 2087 times)
