Ok, details on my buck. But first, a big congrats to Chuck on getting his buck. I have been hunting in South Port, a little town outside Elmira. The Does around my house were I usually hunt have been down in numbers for a few years now.Therefore, for the early part of the season I have been hunting elsewhere in hopes of arrowing a nice fat Doe. My plan was to hunt Doe the first of the season and then hunt the bucks once they started seeking Does during the day. So anyway, Wednesday morning I see two bucks 1/4 mile down the road from my house. This pattern usually occurs every year, and tells me it's time to start hunting bucks. One buck was a four point and the other I couldn't count the horns on, but his rack was in the ball park of 16 to 18 in. in spread. Now when I see a buck like that around I get excited. Every year I have plans and visions of tagging a nice buck, but in reality they are few and far in between- at least in my neck of the woods. Most years I have enough time to scout and locate a decent buck to hunt, but not this year. With a new job, and no vacation time, I'm restricted to evenings and weekends minus foul weather. After seeing those bucks Wednesday it was time to start hunting my land. After work Wed. I rushed home, took my shower and prepared my hunting clothes and gear and headed up the hill. A 100 yrd wide growth of hemlocks growing on a more gentle slop between open hardwoods on both sides, makes a great recipe for buck travel. It's here, I have a permanent tree stand. I;m not sure how many deer Iv' shot from this stand, but it's a few, plus a few misses. Up I went in hopes of seeing a buck.
Ten minutes after I settled in the stand, I spot a deer coming down the hill in brisk steps with nose to the ground. I know it's a buck, but he's 70 yrds. away and he's heading down the hill staying 70 yrds from the stand. I grunted a few soft grunts with my voice and figured he just keep going down the hill. Suddenly behind the stand I heard footsteps, but couldn't be sure if it was the buck or the squirrel I just saw head that way, but I waited in anticipation. I heard nothing else for another five or ten minutes. Again I heard something behind the stand, but figured it was the squirrel again and kept my eyes looking up the hill for more arrivals. Once more I heard something behind and down wind of my location.I went to turn around to take a peak, when off to my right stood a spike horn just looking around. He was only about twelve yrds away as he turned and looked in the pine trees with his face turned a 180 degrees from my position. I seized the moment, and stood with My Cheetah ready.