Been a slow season so far. Hunted 26 of the 30 days of September(elk and bear) without putting tension on the string.Great month but a dry spell longer than I can ever remember.
Last week with deer season approaching I checked with the landowners of the properties I hunt to be sure everthing is a go. One landowner was complaining about a 6 pt eating everthing in sight and seeing how I hadn't taken a deer off his property for the last few years would I kindly take care of the problem for him. He knows I don't usually shoot small bucks but in the interest of good landowner relations I promised to see what I could do.
A quick scout showed some impressive rubs that would indicate a larger buck than the 6 pt.
First afternoon on stand the 6 pt showed early but out of range. The next morning he entered the thicket in the same place he came out the afternoon before. That afternoon I brought a climber and got in early. Sat till dark without seeing a deer. Packing the stand I made a few clacking noises sliding the two pieces together. With a major highway within 200 yards full of rush hour traffic I wasn't too concerned. Shouldering the stand I notice a deer standing about 25 feet away. It was the 6 pt trying to figure out what was going on.Perhaps the noise from the stand sounded like horns? My dry spell continues...
I don't usually change my gear during the season but I've been carting this little bow
I designed a couple of years ago as a back up on traveling hunts and never hunted with it. While I was changing stuff I figured why not try a different hat/facemask combo as well. And the final change was a rattling bag that I picked up about 25 years ago that I have never called anything in with. Plenty with horns but never with the bag.
Yesterday afternoon the wind was right so I headed in early once again. Jumped a doe not to far from where I was going to set up so I circled downwind to come in from another angle. I pushed the doe again and she headed into the thicket that the deer bed in. I set up right there rather than my original destination.There were several runs within range of the tree I selected.
Thought the afternoon may be done but I was there and might as well hunt.Settling in I found that my new facemask that worked so well in the yard fogged my glasses when I breathed through my nose.Did I mention I don't change set ups during the season?
About an hour later a doe appeared at the edge of the thicket and browsed on by out of range. A few minutes later a larger bodied deer was working it's way out of the thicket. On it's present course it would follow a run that passed by me at 15 yards broadside and to my right. As a lefty this is THE side.As the deer exited the thicket he changed course and crossed in front of me out about 60 yards. He was considerably bigger than the 6pt.Around a 100yds away he stopped and rubbed the heck out a tree.So I picked up the rattling bag and gave it a few light shakes....
Topic: Sometimes change'll do ya good (long) (Read 472 times)
