Rewind back to opening day, October 1st, I scouted this piece of public last February and kicked 5 does of their bedding area. So after making a short video of what I needed to do in the hunting season, I backed out and didn't return to that area until the morning of October 1st. I setup on this bedding area with my Lone Wolf Assault and not even 20 minutes after sunrise this doe gave me 15 yard broadside shot. With little to no leaves on the ground yet, I couldn't even hear her coming and didn't have time to even touch the camera. It was nice to be back in the tree again and I would have still been happy even if I didn't shoot anything.
[glow=red](PUBLIC LAND DOE)[/glow]
For the next two days I kept hunting a few of my other pieces of public land that were good for South winds. With the confidence of my last hunt I still had my buck tag in my pocket and still tones of season left. I didn't see a deer for 2 days but I didn't let it get to me because there were some other hunters on that public as well.
Yesterday after school I got home, grabbed a snack and got my milkweed pods out to check the wind. South wind again, CRAP, I thought
. I had a different piece of land in mind with a North wind but I decided to hit one of my only private lands which was owned by my best friends dad. I had hunted this land last year but didn't get permission in time to scout. Over the winter mounts I walked the land to understand it better. I set up yesterday about 250 yards into the woods and had a rough idea of where a buck might be bedded. I set my 4 sticks and Assault up quietly settled in.Almost 2 hours went by... I looked at my phone and saw the time was 6:40pm and said to myself "if your going to shoot a deer it going to be soon." I put my phone away, looked to my right and instantly knew that this is that buck I wanted
. He came in a little different than I wanted and didn't see or hear him till he was 20 yards away almost past my stand. I drew my bow as fast as I could and shot!!!Everything happened so fast after that and just heard a couple crashed in the distance. I backed out and got my neighbor Chris who is properly crazier about deer than I am
I couldn't have got it out without him. We were up till 1am dragging this deer out after we found it 120 yards from the stand.I think many people on the BEAST have had that moment when they start to realize that their tactics and hard work are finally paying off. I find now that I am getting better at looking at a property and narrowing it down to pick the right tree. I don't own my own hunting land and am only 18 years old. I now realize you don't need a lot of fancy things and money to shoot deer, you just need to put the time in the woods.
