Killed one of my target bucks tonight! Cool hunt.
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Killed one of my target bucks tonight! Cool hunt.
All thinking, planning and prep work...all the preseason scouting...it all comes down to that one moment. My goal here in Maine is a good 3.5yr old buck. I have apples all over this area. BUT there are only certain places these bucks show during daylight. Basically, off season in 2015 and 2016 I scouted this 100 acre alder thicket pretty close. I narrowed it down that the beds were all around this old apple orchard back in the timber. Its just tricky with the wind. Decided to not even chance it with a North wind. As I wrote in the live hunt thread. I had high hopes for this spot tonight. In fact, I got in and all setup today by 2ish. Wind was blowing hard...figured it was a great time to hang my set. Once I got it hung...realized I was 2 high. Had to lower the stand so I could get better shooting. Then dropped a tree peg on the ground.
Most of my bed hunting is based up destination spots. I hunt them much like an oak island. Just apples instead of oaks.
I actually is kind of sad that I am done hunting this place for the season. I was just getting started. I have put some much scouting time on this farm over the last few years, had a few spots picked out that I really wanted to hunt. I call it a "farm" because it has a couple of fields on it. There were 3 other bucks, 2 of them I have a lot of history with, that I would love to shoot. BUT I also have an urban buck that is 5-6 yr old that is starting to show more and more. I will be on him again tomorrow night. With only 2 tags and multiple bucks to chase, I kind of decide before hand what I am going to do.
This buck I have gotten pics of him around this bedding area. I have him pics of him bedded 200yds from where I shot him, I have daylight pics of him on the scrape where I shot him. I have been waiting to hunt this bedding area when we got a SSW. I was hoping to catch a buck coming out of the south bedding area and come to the primary scrape. EVERY good buck in the area has been to this scrape in the last 10 to 14 days. Just depends which buck is bedded there on this day. I was really hoping the 25" wide 150 was bedded there tonight. He was in the area at 5:30 this morning. He was a no show.
Must have been around 6pm I saw movement above me in the apples. This place is a jungle. Visibility is not good. One of the keys to this hunt was my binoculars. Last year, not having them, cost me a chance at a good buck. I was able to hang off the side of my stand and glass him 50yds away then put my binos away and get ready for the shot. Pulled out my grunt tube. Gave a couple of grunts. The 3rd one he snapped his head around and looked in my direction. Gave me the tail flip. He heard me. So put the grunt call away and waited.
It to him nearly 20-30 minutes to start in my direction. Eventually, ever so slowly he started working my way. He is within 20yds I still cannot see him. He needs to break to the ground scrape or break to his left where I have a 25-30yd lane. He steps through my first lane...headed for the bigger one. "MEEEH" I stop him. Its getting pretty dark. I put my pin on him....
...lets back up a little bit. I am COLD. Mix that with some adrenaline, I am now shivering and my teeth are chattering. 53 degrees then with the wind blowing, I could not stop.
So I put my pin on him...it was floating BAD all over the place. I flinched as I said to myself "getrude easy on the trigger...no yanking and cranking. Slow it up there bud" I just let the pin float until it settled in. Executed my shot. Deer takes off like a shot. I hear him crash...well we all hear them crash
I got out of the tree...high as a kite. Missed my bottom peg...left me hanging for dear life. Man I am a mess after I shoot a buck. Got down. Looked for arrow. Could not find. Never bothered to take up the blood trail. Called my buddy Dallas to come and blood trail for me. I was pretty sure the hit was solid. Immediately he started picking up blood ...and more blood...and blood on trees. The closer we got to the crash, the more blood. Deer ended up going 100 yds or so. Arrow was tucked right into the pocket. Ended up heart shooting him.
As we were standing there, opened up my phone to google maps, "hey dallas look at all the beds I have marked" Sure enough the buck died right in them. I am guessing that is the bedding area he was in tonight. We celebrated on Sunday with his beauty and we celebrated again tonight. Both tagged out in statewide in less than a week.
With the moon and good buck movement in urban...I cannot wait for tomorrow night. I am chasing a buck that I have put TONS and TONS of hours on. You just don't see many like him in Maine. Crossing my fingers.
I just love this time of year. I am so very blessed just to be healthy enough and strong enough to be able to do this. The Lord has truly blessed me more than I deserve.
Most of my bed hunting is based up destination spots. I hunt them much like an oak island. Just apples instead of oaks.
I actually is kind of sad that I am done hunting this place for the season. I was just getting started. I have put some much scouting time on this farm over the last few years, had a few spots picked out that I really wanted to hunt. I call it a "farm" because it has a couple of fields on it. There were 3 other bucks, 2 of them I have a lot of history with, that I would love to shoot. BUT I also have an urban buck that is 5-6 yr old that is starting to show more and more. I will be on him again tomorrow night. With only 2 tags and multiple bucks to chase, I kind of decide before hand what I am going to do.
This buck I have gotten pics of him around this bedding area. I have him pics of him bedded 200yds from where I shot him, I have daylight pics of him on the scrape where I shot him. I have been waiting to hunt this bedding area when we got a SSW. I was hoping to catch a buck coming out of the south bedding area and come to the primary scrape. EVERY good buck in the area has been to this scrape in the last 10 to 14 days. Just depends which buck is bedded there on this day. I was really hoping the 25" wide 150 was bedded there tonight. He was in the area at 5:30 this morning. He was a no show.
Must have been around 6pm I saw movement above me in the apples. This place is a jungle. Visibility is not good. One of the keys to this hunt was my binoculars. Last year, not having them, cost me a chance at a good buck. I was able to hang off the side of my stand and glass him 50yds away then put my binos away and get ready for the shot. Pulled out my grunt tube. Gave a couple of grunts. The 3rd one he snapped his head around and looked in my direction. Gave me the tail flip. He heard me. So put the grunt call away and waited.
It to him nearly 20-30 minutes to start in my direction. Eventually, ever so slowly he started working my way. He is within 20yds I still cannot see him. He needs to break to the ground scrape or break to his left where I have a 25-30yd lane. He steps through my first lane...headed for the bigger one. "MEEEH" I stop him. Its getting pretty dark. I put my pin on him....
...lets back up a little bit. I am COLD. Mix that with some adrenaline, I am now shivering and my teeth are chattering. 53 degrees then with the wind blowing, I could not stop.
So I put my pin on him...it was floating BAD all over the place. I flinched as I said to myself "getrude easy on the trigger...no yanking and cranking. Slow it up there bud" I just let the pin float until it settled in. Executed my shot. Deer takes off like a shot. I hear him crash...well we all hear them crash
I got out of the tree...high as a kite. Missed my bottom peg...left me hanging for dear life. Man I am a mess after I shoot a buck. Got down. Looked for arrow. Could not find. Never bothered to take up the blood trail. Called my buddy Dallas to come and blood trail for me. I was pretty sure the hit was solid. Immediately he started picking up blood ...and more blood...and blood on trees. The closer we got to the crash, the more blood. Deer ended up going 100 yds or so. Arrow was tucked right into the pocket. Ended up heart shooting him.
As we were standing there, opened up my phone to google maps, "hey dallas look at all the beds I have marked" Sure enough the buck died right in them. I am guessing that is the bedding area he was in tonight. We celebrated on Sunday with his beauty and we celebrated again tonight. Both tagged out in statewide in less than a week.
With the moon and good buck movement in urban...I cannot wait for tomorrow night. I am chasing a buck that I have put TONS and TONS of hours on. You just don't see many like him in Maine. Crossing my fingers.
I just love this time of year. I am so very blessed just to be healthy enough and strong enough to be able to do this. The Lord has truly blessed me more than I deserve.
- Tufrthnails
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Re: Killed one of my target bucks tonight! Cool hunt.
Congrats Maine. Dandy of a buck and great write up on the story.
Tuf- The below average hunting beast
- Rutnstrut
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Re: Killed one of my target bucks tonight! Cool hunt.
Great job and story. Very nice buck.
- wolfie729
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Re: Killed one of my target bucks tonight! Cool hunt.
Thats awesome congrats!!
Earn what’s never given.
- Jackson Marsh
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Re: Killed one of my target bucks tonight! Cool hunt.
Outstanding buck and story Maine! It's satisfying when all your hard work pays off. Well done.
- Dewey
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Re: Killed one of my target bucks tonight! Cool hunt.
Great buck. Congrats on a job well done.
- isitseasonyet?
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Re: Killed one of my target bucks tonight! Cool hunt.
Congrats buddy!
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- Boogieman1
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Re: Killed one of my target bucks tonight! Cool hunt.
Life is hard; It’s even harder if you are stupid.
-John Wayne-
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Re: Killed one of my target bucks tonight! Cool hunt.
Congrats and thanks for sharing the story. Nice buck!
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Re: Killed one of my target bucks tonight! Cool hunt.
Congratulations!
- Lockdown
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Re: Killed one of my target bucks tonight! Cool hunt.
Loved the story Maine! “Missed the tree peg, was hanging for dear life” hard not to get a chuckle out of that.
That’s a stud buck. Glad all your hard work paid off. Thing is, I know you’re not done yet...
Congrats and good luck the rest of the fall!
That’s a stud buck. Glad all your hard work paid off. Thing is, I know you’re not done yet...
Congrats and good luck the rest of the fall!
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Re: Killed one of my target bucks tonight! Cool hunt.
Awesome story and that's a dandy man. Congrats to you! Will be looking for you again in the kill zone this season!
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Re: Killed one of my target bucks tonight! Cool hunt.
Lockdown wrote:Loved the story Maine! “Missed the tree peg, was hanging for dear life” hard not to get a chuckle out of that.
That’s a stud buck. Glad all your hard work paid off. Thing is, I know you’re not done yet...
Congrats and good luck the rest of the fall!
Thanks!
Lol your right. It's always about the next one. I will be back in a tree again tonight after a giant. I have 1 tag left in my pocket for maine. Special zone only.
Here is the difference in areas. In 5 days of hunting outside urban, I could have killed 6 deer. Urban in 12 hunts I saw 1 small buck. But urban has turned on like donkey kong.
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Re: Killed one of my target bucks tonight! Cool hunt.
Another interesting point in regards to cameras. I had this buck on camera a bunch in different areas. But I had no daylight of him here recently. And that deer was in that area for 30 minutes and never got a pic of him.
I just really try to hunt based on history as much as possible not on trail cam pulls. All I need to know is that a buck uses an area. And I hunt him.
I just really try to hunt based on history as much as possible not on trail cam pulls. All I need to know is that a buck uses an area. And I hunt him.
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