In almost 15 years of bow hunting I have missed some dandy bucks, hit one in "no mans land", put down countless does and now finally can say I have harvested my first whitetail buck with a bow!
I picked up a new piece of property this year about 30 minutes from my house. Sept 23rd I walked it with the owner and set up a cam on a hot scrape line hoping to get a quick inventory for the property. I stayed off the land for three weeks before getting back in there to check the cam. I was happy to see multiple shooters using that 200 acre plot.
Last week I set up an observation stand on a standing bean field in hopes to see if/how deer were using it. I had a lot of action on the far west corner coming out of the bottom. From earlier topo/aerial scouting I knew this bottom was a place I wanted to be once things started heating up. It has two inside corners, two creeks merging, a few points from the top oak flats dropping in and a CRP field all in about a 5 acre plot. I had a good entry through the bean from the east, but on my last observation sit I realized does were using the heavy cover around the beans to bed. I opted to use a logging trail from the North as my access and drop down a point to where I had planned to put a stand. I was nervous about hunting this spot this early, but something was just in the air yesterday that told me it was the right night.
I left work half hour early to get home, grab my gear and get to the property. I arrived around 4:00pm and spent the next hour and a half sneaking down the 400 yards of lane to the bottom and setting up my stand. Within 5 minutes of getting situated I caught movement in the CRP. Two does worked their way up the point and across my tracks. They ended up in the bottom for a drink then fed North in the bottom along the field. Squirrels ran around like ants, further bringing the woods alive. At one point I looked to my right to see a doe 5 yards from my tree, but never heard her approach. I also never seen her leave.
Around 7:00 I heard the tale tale sign of deer running through beans. A quick look over my shoulder revealed 2 does being pushed by a nice racked young 8 point. They ran right into the corner and crossed the creek under my stand, he stopped directly downwind for about five minutes. Eventually he turned and hit the woods back where I'm guessing he came from.
For the next ten minutes I felt as though I was in the center of a busy cross street, except the vehicles were replaced by does. From every direction they appeared, crossing under my stand and disappearing as if they had somewhere specific to be. The sounds of the squirrels magnified, further disguising the slight sounds of deer passing by.
As looked over my left shoulder and tried to locate where the last two does had wondered off to, I noticed movement in the swampy thicket. I soon realized it was two deer, but instead of moving away as I suspected the does to be doing, they were moving closer. It didn't take long to notice the size difference in the two, and shortly after that to notice the one in back had bone gleaming up above. A quick look with the binoculars revealed parts of a right main beam that looked to make him a ten pointer. I realized he was moving towards the only lane I would have a shot, so I dropped the binoculars, turned in my stand and came to full draw. The buck stopped just short of the lane only revealing the front tip of his left beam, and when I seen the crab claw I knew he was a buck I had on camera and I was letting one fly with a few more steps. Three years later he walks right into my lane and pauses for a drink. I had just ranged this spot at 33 yards, and he was quartering away just right.
I squeeze the trigger and watch him run off, tail tucked, about 40 yards before he stops. He fell like a giant oak tree falls after decades of standing strong. I can't believe it, as hard as I've worked and the time I've put in stands. This year I put one down after 2 sits on this property. My plan came together and I have FINALLY put a buck on the ground with bow in hand. I am now complete.
He is not my largest buck, but I think he is the one I am most proud of thus far.
Here he is on trail cam:
BTW - I want to thank everyone on this site. I have always hunted hard, and have put down some good deer, but this is the first year I actually felt like I was hunting and not just sitting and waiting. I hunted smarter not just harder. I have learned a ton from this site alone in just the last few months of being a member. I am extremely thankful for the opportunity to harvest this animal, and I'm already itching for late season to start putting in the work for next year. Thanks for reading and best of luck to all of you the rest of the season!
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