I was sitting a tiny saddle that leads from a big oak flat out onto a doe bedding point. Set up on the leeward side, the steep draw I cussed my way up is directly below me, wind blowing over it. On the other side of the ridge I'm on is another finger ridge that I found a buck bed on in January. I was very disappointed on my walk in to find zero acorns here - I was counting on them to hold the does.
About 8:00 I look up the ridge that leads off the oak flat and down to my saddle and see a deer. It walks down and hits the saddle and drops off the other side, a spike. Another 30 mins goes by and hadn't seen anything else. I was starting to wonder if I should get down and pack up and try to scout out a spot that had some acorns. I decided to eat a protein bar instead, chocolate brownie flavored! I had been floating milkweed all morning, my new obsession, and it was perfect. Wind and thermals pulling it straight over the draw and up into the tree canopy. Just as I'm cramming the last bite of protein bar in my mouth, I look to my right and see a body. It's only 35 yards away and I can't see the head. The sun is starting to hit the ground now and the deer picks its head up, big buck! I stand and grab my bow. He starts walking and I immediately recognize him as a buck I had pictures of in September, one I decided I would shoot. He is 25 yards away now and headed right to me but instead turns and cuts straight up the ridge. It's too thick for a shot. He got up on top of the ridge and I'm starting to panic, if he goes over the ridge he's gone. I drew back. He had to walk through one opening at 40 yards, I bleated to stop him and he stopped, but had taken one step too far. I let down as he was standing on top of the ridge looking for the deer he swears he just heard.
At this point time stood still for me. He was standing on top of a tiny ridge, surrounded by laurel, the sun shining off his rack as he turned his head looking for the bleat he just heard. I thought to myself, THIS IS WHAT I'VE ALWAYS WANTED! These are the experiences that I've always dreamed about, and now they are actually happening to me. All of the work and all of the learning has produced this season of almost unimaginable hunts for me. It was a spiritual moment for me.
Snap back to reality. If this buck gets over the ridge, he's gone. I reach into my pocket slowly and grab my grunt tube. He's close, so I turn my head away and hit one soft grunt. I turn my head back to see him start licking his nose and drop his head and turned his body my way. He scanned the saddle in front of him, but it's thick so he can't see far. He committed. He started walking straight through the tiny saddle. It's only about 8 or 10 yards wide, he has to walk by me now. The wind is rolling from him to me. Holy crap this is going to happen! I drew as he went behind a tree and some laurel. He hit a small opening and I bleated to stop him, he jerked his head up and locked on to me. Now or never, I let it go at 10 yards. Double lungs! I watched him run up the ridge and around to the next ridge where he got out of sight.
After I got the shakes to a manageable level, I climbed down and packed the stand up and started the track. Pretty easy blood trail with the buck going about 125 yards. He almost made it to the bed I found in January.
I believe he was crossing all the ridges that morning checking doe trails leading out onto bedding points. He was one ridge away from laying down for the morning.
Once I found him, I hauled myself and the stand 2 miles back to the truck. The first 1/2 mile is straight up and about 500 feet of gain. It's brutal. And after dropping off the stand and gear, I headed back in for him. It took me the rest of the day, and I can honestly say it was the most physically demanding thing I've ever done in my life. All of me hurts today. But it was all worth it.
