No pics here....not even a kill, but a cool story - at least I think so!
I had been hunting a particular tree stand here in Mass since the beginning of the season and have seen quite a few deer, up until a couple of days ago. Coming out of the stand Friday afternoon, having seen nothing for a few days in a row now, I met up with the property owner who is always waiting when I get out of the woods. I explained to him that it had been a few days now without seeing deer and that I was going to change the game plan and hunt on a different portion of the land....from the ground....and see what happens.
So, it being more of an afternoon spot, I showed up to the old farm / junk-yard on the early side and located what is usually a hot run to the apple trees in the back corner of the overgrown field. With the wind in my face, I quickly selected a spot for a no frills make shift ground blind that I could whip up inside of 10 minutes with sticks and local debris.
I finished the blind in a timely manner....just enough to break up my outline....and took a seat on a little pack stool I keep handy. I'm about 17 yards of the run.
After a couple hours, cold is starting to set in.....but its 4:45 and approaching "that time". At around 4:50, like it couldn't get any more perfect, I hear a crack from a twig breaking under substantial weight....no tree rat! I look slightly over my right shoulder and see the approaching buck. No monster, but a younger 6 point with a less than average rack. If it all worked out though, I was taking him home! He's coming down this run as if on a string. Just as he gets to where he is going to come into my shooting spot, he turns slightly and is now heading directly toward the blind! (Remember, just a chaos of sticks with tons of holes!) He walks closer and closer and by the time he stopped, he was in the blind with me! From where I stood, arrow on the string, 160 grn LandShark almost vibrating off the end of the arrow, he was about 3 feet away. Didn't have a clue I was there. Being that I seemed invisible to this young buck, I thought for a few seconds and figured I would see what I could get away with.....and thinking it may be my only opportunity.....so I begin to SLOWLY draw. But no way! He heard the GT carbon sliding over the velcro rest and picked his head up...and proceeded to look through me for what was an eternity! A buck, 3 feet away. Not smelling me. Not seeing me. I felt great.
When I made him aware that I was there by trying to draw, he shifted his body reward just enough to have an 8inch oak tree blocking the vitals....no shot! I held the 52# ACS at half draw for at least 20 seconds before he started to step back and got his head behind a tree for a split second, letting me come to rest. This deer circled around my blind 2 more times....he wanted to come through so bad! But he knew there was something there and wouldn't take the chance. He didn't really spook or show any signs of real distress, as deer do when they want to tell every other living thing in the woods that there is an intruder. He ended up slowly walking and browsing his way back toward where he came from, and so concluded my best night hunting ever...despite no venison. The wind was perfect. My cammo must have been spot on. I was nice and clean. I was in the right spot at the right time and it all came together for me. Hunting from the ground is something I seldom do seriously.....but Im going to be doing a whole lot more of it after yesterday afternoon! And seriously! Even if my kills are less often, having the chance to have a repeat of last night is not something Im gonna pass up anytime soon!
P.S. This was a ScentLok FREE hunting experience by the way!
Topic: Up close and personal.....a memorable afternoon. (Read 270 times)
