Filled my SD tag

[OTCHunter]

After punching my MN tag on November the 2nd I decided to head back to SD and use my weeks worth of vacation I had planned for gun season and try fill my tag out there. Got to my buddy’s I was staying with for the week late Saturday and we glassed a couple spots and checked out what crops had been harvested near some of his spots.

Sunday morning we hunted a new piece of public he had previously scouted that wasn’t seeing much pressure with the exception of some pheasant hunters. Buddy ended up shooting a nice 3 year old 8 to fill one of his resident tags. That evening I hunted a small 40 acre piece he had permission on that I had encounters with 2 shooters during my previous trip back in September. However the neighbor had moved his cattle in on the surrounding property and the place had seemed to gone cold.

That night a front bringing a rain snow mix and 40 degree temp drop came through and coated everything in ice. We decided my best play was to glass a property from the vehicle down by the river in the morning and get some fresh intel on a couple good ones we knew were in there. I ended up seeing one shooter and a bunch of does out in the cut cornfield. The Buck and most of the does were using this one particular area of the field that had zero trees and one small patch of brush that was at the tip of a draw leading up and in to the field. I let the deer filter out and go back to bed in the river bottom, I grabbed one of the makeshift ground blinds we had made on my previous trip using chicken wire and paracord and headed in to set up.

I found they were using the brush at the tip of the draw as the entry point into the field, and a scrape the buck had worked that morning. I ended up having to set the blind up tucked against a row of bails about 45 yards away with the expected NW wind that night.

E8AB7904-8D0F-43AA-99AC-0B6FBCFC1369.jpeg

422B572E-EE42-466B-A14F-2E6BF36691F0.jpeg

That night a nice wide 8 came up out of the draw but on the opposite side of the brush patch and headed for some does out of sight.

Hit the public piece again in the morning and saw a very big 10 but 200 yards out on the bordering private. The evening called for a SW wind so I knew this was my chance to get aggressive and move in farther at the river property. I moved the blind into the west side of the brush patch and settled in. I figured all to action was gonna be up close just didn’t realize how close.

First deer of the evening was a little 6 I could have reached out and touched, more deer filtered out of the draw but not one of the ones I was after. Then a little after 5 I here walking and look north and he’s coming in to the scape already at 40 yards. As he’s thrashing brush I give him a deep grunt and he thrashes harder. Finishes working the scape then comes to investigate around the brush, I draw as I have the last piece of brush between us. As he clears I stop him at 10 yards and release, he runs 20 yards west then 20 yards East stops 30 yards in front of me and tips over. As I’m sitting down texting my buddy the good news, a 140-150 inch 10 works out of the draw to my west and comes in to 35 yards investigating all the commotion. By far my most exciting hunt yet.

F66A86B8-170E-40CF-BB1B-313006E8B2D0.jpeg

I initially though it was the 8 from the night before but ended up being a different 9 point.
Thanks to all Beasts, now time to scout for next season.

[KRoss480]

Way to get it done, I enjoyed the read. Congrats!

[stash59]

[Jackson Marsh]

Great job on a great looking buck!

[seazofcheeze]

Great story and I really like the mobile ground blind made out of the chicken wire. Slick!

[Motivated]

Sounds like a great hunt! Congratulations!

[Edcyclopedia]

SPECTACULAR!

[john1984]

Dandy buck

[muddy]

Congrats!

[UntouchableNess]

Congrats! "Bird in the hand" comes to mind on the 10 pt showing up to check out the commotion.