I took off Halloween and my birthday of last week, Monday and Tuesday. Monday I had called in two smaller bucks in the am. I went out to bring my wife some lunch at her work as she was on her own to get all of the tribe ready before work. She ended up late, and I figured it was the least I could do. I just left my climber on the tree. On the way back in I figured that I should go a little deeper into the timber, and set up on some better terrain features to impact the deers movements. I had wanted to set up on a nice ravine, but there was just no cover. I found a beautiful spot on an old tram road with a scrape on it. It was 22 yards to the scrape. There was a ravine behind me. Pines to my rear left, a thicket to my left, a nice oak flat with acorns in front and pines to my right. I had good cover and felt good.
At last light all heck broke loose. Must have been 3-5 bucks chasing a doe. No dice though.
On my birthday I decided to stay home with the kids. The wind wasn't right for that spot I found turkey hunting So I figured some family time isn't a bad thing.
So that leads me to Thurday evening. I decided to take all 3 kids spotting with me, and give Momma a break. We saw a decent amount of bucks and many were cruising or chasing. Really got me excited for the weekend. I know this sounds goofy, but I saw a shooting star, laughed and wished I would shoot a buck this weekend. When I got home from that, I told my wife I wanted to go check my trail cam and see if I had anything, and move it to another spot. When you have 3 kids under 4, you take whatever free time you can get.
I had just a small buck and a doe on cam, so decided I would put it on my skinny pinch stand I had some decent ammout of deer going through. I pulled in under the windmill, got out and turned the flashlight on my phone on, and started to walk in. about 2 feet in I see a big old oak tree laying down with leaves still on it. What the heck, it hasn't been that windy, I went to go around it and just dropped my jaw. They logged everything there. LOL Second time in 2 years that has happened to me but hey its public land, and I don't own it. Just stinks as I was really contemplating hunting that spot for Saturday. Oh well, all things happen for a reason I guess.
So Friday night I get the kids all in bed, and look at the wind for Saturday. PERFECT!!! The wind would be blowing from the thicket to the hillside. Everything I wanted. I was anticipating bucks cruising the down wind side of the thicket, or being able to call deer from the thicket. I went to sheetz to pick up an ice tea, and other supplies for a long hunt, and while walking in I saw a penny.
Should I pick it up? What if it is on tails. If I don't pick it up I at least wont have bad luck..... Ah forget it. HEADS! I laughed and thought man a shooting star, and now a penny on heads. Im getting a buck for sure, joking with myself I had to shake my head. I got home, and had all intensions of washing all of my clothes and such, but decided I know Ill have the wind, I am not going to do it. Lets see if I can break these chains.
I woke up early, got out of the house quick, and was on my way. I have a bit of a cold and such, but nothing to major. Im driving and started coughing when all of a sudden, my body just starts dry heaving. I went to make my turn to go into the woods access, and had to do so with my head out of the door. BLAH! What the heck was that about!!
So I get to my parking area, get my gear out, pick up the dead down wind, and decide you know what, lets really break the chains. I wore all of my clothes in the jeep, everything, and decided that once and for all I am done with that anxiety. Hunt the wind, and hunt smart.
So I slip into my area, nice and quiet, there is a trail that I can walk, as is with most of my spots in the old lumber areas of Cambria County, so access was nice and quiet. I dunno maybe 3/4 of a mile- 1 mile from the jeep. I get to the tram I wanted to hunt, and knew of a scrape right there and remember an oak tree with a hemlock around it I wanted to hunt from. I just glance at it while turkey hunting. I got to it, and the thing grew like the letter S and was leaning back towards the hemlock. The hemlock branches were actually touching the tree so it would have made a miserable climb. I knew this was the spot I wanted. I glanced around and found a small cherry tree with a beech behind it I could get around 18' up and have back cover. I decided that would be that, and started to climb. There were 2 small beech trees in front of it so I would have to climb it one way, then do the old shimmy around the tree once I cleared them. I got climbed up got the bow up and was putting my warm clothes over my harness when I just hear bucks chasing downs around the point from me. Was still too dark to shoot but it put some haste in my set up time. When I grabbed my bow and sat down it was just light enough to see.
Around 8:00 or so a mom and 2 little guys came in from the thicket, to the trail and browsed on acorns under the oak tree. I think momma smelled where I walked in a bit and was a little on edge, but never spooked. I snagged a quick video of them.
https://youtu.be/EaLXbvpk590
NICE!! BAIT/ DECOY was set!!
I sat down and just enjoyed seeing the does, that close, and having them not bust. Made me think about the wind, and such, and scent eliminators and that.
Well about 15 minutes later, I took my phone off of airplane to send a buddy of mine the vide of the does. Just then my phone got a picture message. It was from him, thanking me on the calling tips I gave him, he said he called in two really nice bucks. He blew it on the first one, and got the 2nd. was a 16.5" wide 9 point.
I thought well heck I might as well call. And lackadaisically started to blind grunt.
" CHH CHHH CHHH" I hear something 10 yards behind me start to trot off. I jump up and see a 130" 8 point cruising away from me.
AAAAARRRGH!
Worst part was that when I gave my buddy the tips I told him in all caps "ALWAYS LOOK AROUND BEFORE YOU START CALLING!"
What an Idiot I was! So I did about the only thing I good and try to stop that buck " BBBRRRRRPPP, BRRRRUPPPP, TSSS TSS TSSS"
I am grunting and snort weezing to beat the band. But the gig was up with that big one.
MAN!!
I grabbed my phone to text my buddy what happened and got to this "Hey man, just got your message, congrats on the buck, I just had a monster.."
BRRRPPPP Bruuuppppp, all heck breaks loose in the thicket flying in right at me. I can hear this buck on a mission to kick some but.
I throw the phone in my pocket and get ready. I see the deer coming at about 20 yards just hauling the mail. He slows down when he gets out of the thicket still grunting his head off. I see a decent tall rack, and see 3 on his left side for sure. I draw, he gets into my opening at 4 yards I see his chest and shoot.
I hear a whack and think I nail him. He jumps and trots. "FREAKING RIGHT!" I EXCLAIM OUT LOUD.
The buck locks up at 15 yards. I am looking at his chest for blood and such, nothing, nothing at all.
I flipping missed!!!
I turn around and grabbed my last arrow. Only had brought 2 that day. The buck hit the spot where that big momma doe was and started sniffing and grunting. He was working towards a thicket so I grabbed my grunt call and held it back behind me. I gave him a couple grunts, and a snort weeze. His hair stands up, ears go back and he stiff legged walks to try and circle my location. I pick an opening that he will go through. I am watching him, and he stops right in it.
I am at full draw, pin just behind his shoulder and "THWACK!" I see the deer jump, but it looked like it was dragging its front leg.
"What the heck I hit this thing in the leg now?????????????"
I am just watching the buck, he went 15 yards and just stood there. He wagged his tail once and just started walking off grunting.
"DID I MISS AGAIN....I KNOW I HIT THAT DEER...HOW DID I HIT IT IN THE LEG..HE LOOKED FINE...I DON'T EVEN HAVE AN ARROW TO SHOOT HIM WITH..THIS IS GOING TO BE A LONG DAY...REALLY??....I KNOW I HIT THAT DEER GOOD...MAN I WACKED HIS LEG"
All these thoughts are racing in my mind. I couldn't take it, I didn't see the deer crash, didn't hear him crash, and my wife was leaving for the evening, and I had the kids. I figured I better climb down now, grab the missed arrow, and go see what the impact sight looked like.
I start to climb down, and forget that I had to shimmy around the tree. That little tree Gets Stuck in my climber. I had to fight it to get it un done, climb back up an little and shimmy around the tree.
I go to my first arrow. Clean miss. I put it in my bow anyway incase the buck is bedded right by the impact sight. I slowly sneak to the impact sight for a look. 2 tiny drops of blood and that is it.
"MAN, HOW DID I HIT THIS THING IN HIS FRONT LEG??"
Well lets take 10 more steps just to be sure.
I looked up and could see a little better blood. Then all of a sudden it was like a 2 foot wide blood trail. So my heart started to lift! HOLY COW, this deer isn't going far.
I took a video of the the trail after I found him.
https://youtu.be/Jb4UmoYYFYo
You can hear what I am about to type in the video, but know that that buck was slowy walking away I knew he was done for. I walked up to see my best buck ever. I haven't shot a buck in 4 years, as I have been fortunate enough to take a doe early, so I decided to pass smaller bucks. I had some good chances on deer a heck of a lot bigger than this guy in those 4 years, but never could make it happen.
I am just in awe that that buck walked off grunting and such, while losing that much blood, and the fact I never heard his crash is mind blowing.
Here are some pics.
That was as he fell.
I had to take a picture of the release I bought as I lost mine week 2. I went to find a replacement, and wanted one without the bar. I decided on this one. Heck if its pink it saved me $40.00. LOL
One great thing about having a $5,000.00 2004 jeep liberty is that you can access a lot of these logging trails. Here is a picture of where the deer fell and how close I was able to get with my jeep.
remember that hole is the exit hole.
There he is on the rack. You can see his is tagged. Somewhere while exiting the woods, and getting home it came off. I had to go buy a replacement license, and re fill out his tag. Figures. LOL
The next picture is my favorite aspect of hunting anymore. Taking my game home to show the kids. Corbin flew out of the door with now shoes or coat on when I first pulled in. The first words out of his mouth when he came running up were "CAN WE EAT THAT DEER MEAT TOMOROW FOR BREAKFAST DAD??"
I had to laugh, but the kid just loves the out doors.
I went in and grabbed one of the girls up, and held the others hand. We got outside and the one says:
"Buck"
Then they both start saying "bep, brrp, bepp" LOL we watch hunting together and they picked up on the noise the guys make to stop them.
I decided I would do my own euro mount on him.
I then dragged him into the garage and Corbin helped me lift him up, all by himself.
I texted a buddy to see if he wanted some deer meat and we worked out a deal that if he helped me cut it up, id hook him up. With the doe in the freezer already I wouldn't need a lot of meat. We cut up the deer and such but left the grinding and slicing for Sunday. I asked Corbin on Sunday if he wanted to help me grind the burger, which he was excited for.
Here he is helping me clean the meat before grinding.
I had an amazing archery season this year. I hunted smart, hunted the wind, and every hunt but one I was on multiple deer. All the while, I had never let my family hanging. I would hunt until 10, or so, then go back out around 3. I managed to tag out all with archery equipment, which is a first for me. The only real bad thing is I have a brand new 7mm-08 I bought 2 years ago, and never got to shoot at a deer. I wont complain too much though. LOL
God has blessed me with many things in life. I am a humble person and of course I would have loved to shoot that 130" 8 point, but where I live and the public ground I hunt that 7 is a pretty decent buck. There is a weird gene up there where they lack brow tines, or only have a bump. I was shocked when I got up to him and saw the 4 up on the main beam. I thought I had a 9 point. Oh well. I never was a "trophy" hunter but this deer is a 100% trophy to me. I stuck to my plans, hunted smart, and everything worked out "for the most part" as planned. Now it is time to hunt turkey, and grouse, and hopefully get Corbin out for squirrels.
Being a dad of young kids you have to make sacrifices. I have no regrets about ever leaving early this year.
Now just remember to pick up that penny, and make that wish on a shooting star, some times it works out. For the record I saved that penny, and it will be permantly fixed in my hunting stuff.
