Tuesday night was a pretty special evening, prompting Mark and I to name the stand I sitting. Getting to the stand is pretty easy just because the deer usually aren't there yet. It's about 16 feet of the ground but on the right side of me is a bank which is pretty much at eye level. There are a few pine trees at the top of the hill and some high grass making it rather appealing for a nap.
I climbed up my stand as usual and once at the top I hooked on my safety belt, unsnapped my fanny back and for some reason glanced over to my right. Just 8 yards away eye to eye was a button buck! He was laying down watching me. He proceeded to stand up, stretch and walk down the hill to the base of my tree!
As you can imagine I was pretty dumb founded by the whole deal and just kept on with my preparations for the nights sit. The whole time my little buddy stood directly under my stand watching me. I pulled up my bow, hung it on the hook and then put my jacket on! I even pulled out the video camera and ran some film on my new found friend. He fed around me for a good 30 minutes before moving up the hill.
From that moment on the stand earned the name, "The Petting Zoo". Funny how we come with names for places we hunt.
About an hour later I caught movement up on the hill and here comes my little buddy at a pretty good clip with his mom in tow, along with one of his antlered friends grunting the whole way.
I'm not a real good judge of big bucks and I'm just a little too impatient to every become the true trophy hunter I think I am at the beginning of each season. I guess I'm more of an opportunist. I knew the buck was a nice one and remember counting 9 points just before I changed my focus to a spot just behind his shoulder....
I hope you guys are enjoying the story but I've got a PA buck tag in my pocket and right now I'm going hunting! Talk to you in the morning.
Tim