Got out this morning. Ended up sitting on the windy side of the ridge near a point, because I was more concerned with just seeing a deer and not getting winded for once, even if it wasn't ideal for a big buck's travels. At 9:00am, I turned around and a button buck was coming in from behind me, about 1/3 down from the ridgetop. I got the camera on him as he passed by at 10 yards. I looked long and hard to see if there was a doe anywhere in sight. After a few minutes of him milling around, it was pretty clear that he was alone. At that moment I decided one button buck taken out wouldn't do any harm to the high deer numbers there, and I really wanted the venison. So when he turned around and started coming broadside in front of me, I put the camera on him and mouth bleated twice. As my brain told my finger to touch off the release, he started walking again, but it was too late to make an adjustment. The arrow hit liver. After 30 minutes, I backed out and came back a few hours later. He was piled up not 40 yards from where he was hit, and I was surprised I didn't see him go down from the stand. Anyways, fresh venison all week for me! Remained out in the woods hunting afterwards. Right at dusk, I lowered my bow and put the camera away. No sooner had I done that three deer started heading my way. My eyes strained through the leaves. One looked bigger bodied, and sort of had the demeanor of a buck walking, but I couldn't be for sure. The closest one eventually hit the spot where I had walked in, stomped and blew a couple times, and took off. The footage from the shot I'm thinking I'll upload with my "season update" video, when I have time to get that finished.
This Friday-Sunday I will be hunting up in northern MN with my buddies. Last year the rut was nonexistent but one of the guys has been seeing deer, they've been getting some bucks on trail cams, and have even found a couple 12" rubs near the cedar swamps.
