Sorry for this being so long, but here goes it!!
I gained permission to hunt on one my customers property right after our bow season opened. This is a farm which rotates corn and beans. BeNs was in the field this year. The farmer also has depredation permits and shoots a ton of doe off his farms including the one he gave me access to. The place isn't very large only about 33 acres with i think 15 or so being the field itself. The property runs north to south with a small ridge that runs the length of the property on the eastern border with a small cutover that joins the southern boundary. I scouted this place just to see what kinda of sign was left from last year and to see if I could get an idea of when the property is being used most. I hung a couple cams just inside the field edge just to see what maybe passing through. Earlier in the year I was having much luck with the cams catching anything so I scouted a little more and noticed a faint trail on the leeward side of the small ridge with some fresh rubs so I relocated a cam and left it alone for a little while and was finally starting to get pics of some decent bucks traveling that ridge back and forth. I made one sit during October and passed on a nice little 9 pointer that offered ample shooting opportunities. Knowing that the rut was just around the corner I stayed out and just left the cams tell me what was going on. Through out October and November both I only had 2 pics of a shooter in daylight. Fast forward to this past week, our rut is winding down now and I wasn't really expecting much but when I checked my cam this past Friday during my lunch hour the cam had exploded with pics in the last week. Doe we're all over the place and serval new bucks have showed up. I was hoping that surrounding pressure would push the deer into this property and it appeared it had. More daylight pics of all deer but on Thursday morning 12-01-16 at 8:30 and 9:15 am
These two showed up as I assumed they were looking for that last doe. I stopped looking at pics and started checking the weather immediately for Saturday morning which would be when I could hunt again, calling for morning temps at 35 degrees with a 6mph NW wind that would be perfect for my setup. After checking the weather I continued to scroll through the pics and was getting anxious when I got to Friday morning hoping those bucks were passing through again, however my excitement totally left when a pic at 8:42 am on 12-02-16 rolled around and I saw this.
After seeing this my heart sank knowing that whomever this was just totally ruined my plans. I called the farmer and made small talk with him about the season so far, and he proceeded to tell me he didn't see much sign over there that morning 12-02-16. So right then I knew that was him on my cam, I didn't tell him about what I had pics of just the morning before he tromped all over the place, as he proceeded to tell me that he's going to put a stand up at the end of that small ridge over looking that cutover next year. So in my mind I heard your not coming back next year. After our conversation I hung up thinking he's not gonna kill anything because he's will be setup totally wrong and will get smelled before he ever makes it to his stand. Anyway setting there being frustrated I told myself you gotta go in the morning and and give it a try. Morning of 12-03-16 3:30 am I get up outta bed and do the morning bathroom routine and jump in the shower. I get my baselayers on and kiss the wife and kids bye grab my gear and head out about 4:20am. I pull into the farm and park, proceed to fishinh getting my outer layers on and harness put my summit on my back ( which will be replaced this week) put my orange toboggan on and grabbed my bow out of the truck. I made the 1/3 mile walk to the tree I had selected and was greeted with 5 sets of wandering eyes down the ridge below me. So now I am thinking that's great it's over before it ever began. I take the stand off my back and attach it to the tree as quietly as I can. 5:50 am I am perched 22ft in the air in a white oak that looks like a telephone pole with a couple trees around me for cover and the wait began. Just after daylight the woods came alive with squirrels and birds doing there morning thing and I just sat back and enjoyed the show. 7:50 am and I looking around watching an mma squirrel brawl and I turn back around facing down the ridge and see a flickering of white. I leaned out and at 30 yards a doe has me pegged she caught me watching the squirrels do battle and we started a standoff. After 4 minutes ofcourse I won cause she gave up and took off down the ridge blowing her head off. I pulled my phone out and texted a buddy of mine what just happened and thought maybe you should grunt a little bit, maybe if there is something around they will not know what she was blowing at for sure. So grab the call off the hook and make a few soft grunts and one long frustrated grunt. Barely got the call back on the hook and hear footsteps heading my way. I see a rack and start reaching for my bow. I seen that he was a decent buck and made the decision to take the shot if one was given. He came in looking for the other buck I guess because he would go one way and throw his head and then back down and throw his head all while trying to wind something. Finally he worked his way back up the ridge and I drew back while he was walking through some brush and when he cleared it there was a Beann ICS hunter tipped with a Grimm Reaper on its way. I knew at the moment of impact he wasn't going very far. It looked like a red spray paint can exploded and he was down in 40 yards. I texted my buddy and told him my best bow buck was down and he said "what, I thought you just got busted." I replied back and said I did but he did too. I packed all my gear up and came down the tree went to the impact sight and took up the trail, which is something I always do. A short 40 yards later I had my best bow buck on the ground and even though it wasn't one of the big ones I have pics of I still had a smile on my face. He ended up being a 2.5 year old 6pt and stated before, I normally pass deer like this. This buck ended 5 years of buck tag soup and my biggest with a bow and I done it during rifle season. So this lesser buck to me fit the bill just fine, and I am happy with the way it all went down. Maybe just maybe the shot was captured on trail cam but I will not know until I go back and check the cam this coming Tuesday.
But now for the moment you all have waited for here he is!!!
This maybe the reason he didn't go very far!!! Kudos to Grimm Reaper broadheads they are the only mechanical I will ever shoot!!
[ Post made via iPhone ]
