Finally got pics of my 1st. Traditional Buck shot last week. So here goes.......
Last Friday morning I went back out to the private farm where my friend and I camped for 2 weeks..... The night before, a cold front had moved in. But the morning was crisp and starry when we left the tent. Looked like a perfect day for deer hunting, esp. since we had been seeing some serious chasing going on lately......
My treestand was right in the midst of a nice thicket made by fallen trees and over-grown briars and small trees, with a couple heavy trails through the midst.
Right at dawn, I saw a small buck about 50 yds. away, making his route through the woods and out to the empty field .Then for 2 1/2 hours-----NOTHING! Barely even a squirrel moving...quite the let-down to be sure.
I decided I had nothing to loose by using a grunt call blindly (usually only use it with a deer in sight at a distance). I let out 1 long grunt and then a series of paced 8-9 short grunts. Then sat back and waited, but not very optimistacly......That changed quickly when after only about 3-4 minutes, a young, stocky buck came walking in quickly from my right. I was sure I was had, when I moved to lift my bow off my lap with 1 hand, while sliding my baclava mask down, off my face. He stopped and looked up, but with ASAT and Predator camo----he couldn't see anything amiss......On he came, obviously looking for the source of the call...stop & look... stop & look..... Afraid to even try and stand up with him crossing in front at about 10 yds, I had mad up my mind that he came looking for me, I wasn't going to pass thins up, if possible....
Then, every bowhunters dream happened: at aprx. 10 yds, perfectly broadside, the buck stopped with only his head behind a large tree. I leaned forward, drew, and saw my arrow bury up to the fletch in his side! He ran off about 50-60 yds, jumped a deadfall, stopped, and fell!!!
At that point, I about dropped my bow in excitement...A quick "thank-you" to the Lord and impatiently waited 20 min. before walking over to find my 1st. Trad. Buck, and again, another thank-you prayer went up.