It’s gotta be the hat...

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Lockdown
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It’s gotta be the hat...

Unread postby Lockdown » Mon Nov 27, 2017 5:26 pm

With limited time this year, yet more shooters located than ever, I was feeling VERY optimistic heading into the archery season.

I started the year going buckless my first 6 or 7 hunts, but did take a nice doe on public in September. I wore waders more than not this year and did my share of cussing while accessing :lol: I worked hard and went the extra mile to ensure clean access. Early Oct thru rut I had some good hunts and passed some bucks and does, but no shooters were seen.

In years past I have always been tagged out before gun season, but I had to pick up the shotgun again for the 2nd year in a row. I grabbed my lucky hat, but putting it on didn’t feel right for whatever reason. I didn’t want to wear it every gun hunt. Just a superstitious thing I guess.

(For those new to the forum I put it on for the first time in many years last year and killed my #1 target buck that very night)

The shotgun hunts were more of the same. Seeing deer and getting some shot opportunities, but anything over two years old was MIA. Several of my target bucks hit the dirt too.

Then things at home started getting sketchy ;) time afield was in great jeopardy as the wife was officially over it. I squeezed in a bow hunt just after shotgun season and finally saw a shooter on my first private land hunt of the year. Weird how that works :D

After passing several does on a 2nd bowhunt in Oscar’s rut grove, muzzy season was upon me. The wife, however was not on board with more hunting and even informed me she did not even want to HEAR about hunting anymore :? All this while heading afield fewer times than I ever had up to this point in a season. AHHHH... MARRIED LIFE

Like JM said in my journal tag soup is one thing but not having the chance is bothersome. That’s what had me frustrated.

Over Thanksgiving break I busted my but around the house and never said a word about hunting. Wife came down with pneumonia, daughter was sick, and it was hectic. I did dishes, laundry, cleaned, took the kiddos to the park, and felt I was a strong candidate for husband/father of the year :lol:

Saturday morning the wife MIRACULOUSLY said “do you want to go hunting tonight?” What a stupid question. That’s like asking a fat kid if he wants cake. However I didn’t know what the future held for my hunts, so standards were dropped considerably.

I decided to go after a 160-170” buck I call Wilson. I have 3 years of history with him but he’s low odds as we don’t have his preferred bedding. He basically lives on the neighbors property most of the year. TIME TO PUT ON THE LUCKY HAT! It felt right.
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To get there I have to drive by Oscar’s. I thought I could see a deer out in the middle of the plowing. Sure enough. Yearling buck. I wasn’t running ahead of schedule but it was awful early for them to be moving.

“I wonder if there’s anything tucked around the west side.”. I almost said screw it, but U-turned and went around the corner to check. Couldn’t believe it when there were two more bucks along the edge!! One looked 16” wide with decent tines. “Big enough!”. He disappeared into a small island they sometimes bed in. The two smallest bucks stared into the grove a while. My first thought was something big had a hot doe in there. Scratch Wilson. I’m going for the high odds situation.

There’s an old barn on the west side that I’d hunted out of before. I can cover the ENTIRE west side from it, but there was a great risk of bumping the little bucks, and the 16”er if he bedded on the downwind side of the island. I know exactly where those NW wind beds are and bumped a spike from one a couple weeks prior while checking my bedding cam. I had to cross 30 yards of wide open plowing to get to the barn. Not only that but I’d be winding over half of the grove where the suspected hot doe and big one were. I called Tyler and told him what was up. I mentioned it wasn’t impossible that they got bumped off the public (two vehicles there), but the fact that they were staring into the grove made me think hot doe. He agreed. We both kind of figured that was most likely the case and that heading to the barn was flirting with disaster.

I decided to sneak along the North edge. I have a wooded fence line for cover until I hit the grove. Wind wouldn’t be perfect once I was set up, but if that buck left the island there would be a 90% chance he dies. I just need to make it to the NW corner undetected. While gearing up a fawn fed into the corn stubble on the north side so I had to wait for it to go back in.

I snuck along tight to the trees for cover. Id glass through the trees to make sure nothing stepped out on the East side. I kept repeating the best sentence I ever read in a magazine. “Why am I in such a hurry to screw this up?” I took my time. It’s instinct to feel like you need to hurry or make something happen in a situation like this. Fight that urge. Be patient and think EVERYTHING through.

Half way there, a fawn comes screaming around the tree line right at me. It stops 40 yards away, staring and stomping. After a minute it takes off for the grove, and blows twice in the dead center of it. With all the activity I really didn’t feel it would blow my hunt. Obviously I wasn’t excited about it, but I kept thinking positive and stayed the course.

Near the grove I run out of fence line cover and the grove opens up some. I’m at a high risk of being busted, and anything between the island and grove would potentially see me although it is still pretty thick.

I really didn’t want to belly crawl but I knew it was the right move. I picked my way along the edge knowing a deer could take a trail within easy bow range at any second. That or surprise me on the field edge. I focused on that edge the entire time as I could see for hundreds of yards. On the edge of the grove there was a limb that fell into the field that the combine had to go around. That would help if something stepped out.

Every 20 yards or so I would cautiously rise and bino the grove first... then island area. Finally I catch a slight movement through the thick. There was a fork buck standing between the grove and island. It was good to know he was there but it didn’t effect my plan much. He couldnt see me if I stayed low. I crept on.

20 minutes later I catch movement and another (or possibly the same) fawn steps out a couple hundred yards down the fence line. Im stuck so I snap a couple pics. The corn cover helped a lot and I did inch closer when it’s view of me was obstructed. The deer is circled.
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I thought about sneaking through the grove to stay out of its sight. I decided against it. It’s basically dead quiet so I didn’t want to try and crawl through dead grass, sticks and leaves. “Why am I in such a hurry to screw this up.”

15 minutes later it heads South again. Sweet! I keep inching along. I wanted nothing more than to be able to see that island area.

After 80 yards of crawling I see movement on the fence line again so I freeze. Bigger deer this time but I was thinking doe. It got behind the corn patch and I thought “I better sit up and get on my sticks just in case.”

I prop the gun up, grab my range finder then binoculars and catch some good looking horn. He clears the corn patch and locks on to me immediately! No! I can see he’s outside his ears I’m DEFINITELY dropping the hammer. Didn’t get a good look but I was thinking borderline wall hanger!

He was a bit of a poke and I couldn’t get him ranged! I soaked my rangefinder and borrowed Gabe’s $80 Simmons he bought for his wife. Due to the crappy rangefinder along with natural shake (and a little buck fever jiggle thrown in), I couldn’t get a reading. I was going to have to guess.

I was thinking a short 200. I knew my knee was concealing most of my movement so I slid the rangefinder in my coat pocket. He was quartering to me pretty hard, still focused on me. I put the bottom of the circle on the ultimate slam reticle (on for 150 yds) on high shoulder blade/base of neck and had the 200 yard dot fairly low on his chest.

I held a long deep breath and settled my crosshairs. BOOM! The smoke rolls and he drops in his tracks!! I hit a little higher than expected and a little right. He had a huge pool of blood that came out of his mouth and was likely almost done, but I don’t want them to suffer so I did finish him off.

There was some ground shrinkage with this buck, but I’m still very happy. I scored him at 132” even. 17.5” inside. The shot was about 180 yards. I’ve got more details i’ll Share in my next journal post. I did get to see who was holed up with a doe on the South end. 8-)
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^^^^^ red arrow is where I was


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IT’S GOTTA BE THE HAT!! :lol:
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Ack
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Re: It’s gotta be the hat...

Unread postby Ack » Mon Nov 27, 2017 6:44 pm

Great story, and congrats on the buck! :clap:
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Re: It’s gotta be the hat...

Unread postby Motivated » Mon Nov 27, 2017 10:43 pm

Congratulations! Well done in the field and at home!

Great detailed write up too! I really like how you include your decisions and the factors to considered when making your choices.

Time to find me a lucky hat...
Work hard, stay humble, be kind.
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Re: It’s gotta be the hat...

Unread postby john1984 » Mon Nov 27, 2017 11:25 pm

Great buck man. Congrats :clap:
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Re: It’s gotta be the hat...

Unread postby Edcyclopedia » Mon Nov 27, 2017 11:28 pm

Spectacular! :clap:
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Re: It’s gotta be the hat...

Unread postby Haus86 » Mon Nov 27, 2017 11:42 pm

Nice! Congrats!
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Re: It’s gotta be the hat...

Unread postby oldrank » Tue Nov 28, 2017 12:06 am

Nice buck, great job!!!
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Re: It’s gotta be the hat...

Unread postby mheichelbech » Tue Nov 28, 2017 12:10 am

Good work and great buck!
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Re: It’s gotta be the hat...

Unread postby Bowhunter4life » Tue Nov 28, 2017 12:17 am

Awesome buck lockdown!! Congrats to you buddy.
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Re: It’s gotta be the hat...

Unread postby muddy » Tue Nov 28, 2017 12:35 am

Great story
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Re: It’s gotta be the hat...

Unread postby jmaas07 » Tue Nov 28, 2017 12:46 am

Great buck, congrats man! You still going to SD?
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Re: It’s gotta be the hat...

Unread postby James » Tue Nov 28, 2017 1:05 am

Congrats, great story and buck
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Re: It’s gotta be the hat...

Unread postby MOBIGBUCKS » Tue Nov 28, 2017 1:17 am

Heck of a farmland buck Lockdown!! Congratulations man!
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Re: It’s gotta be the hat...

Unread postby <DK> » Tue Nov 28, 2017 1:35 am

Excellent write up dude! Hes a great buck! Congratulations LD :clap: :clap: :clap:
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Re: It’s gotta be the hat...

Unread postby thwack16 » Tue Nov 28, 2017 1:54 am

Awesome buck man! Congrats!


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