Need a good laugh?

[mauser06]

Walking into a spot this afternoon. Like 1-115.

Breezy...I'm not far from the truck and coming across fresh sign up on the flat of the ridge. Smoking hot. A scrape with zero leaves in it...

I'm going slow knowing it's thick enough and breezy enough that I could walk into a buck.

Sure enough, I spot the rear end of a deer maybe 20yds in front of me. I freeze. I get a glimpse of antlers. I didn't think he was a shooter...but seeing the size of his rear end, I knew he should be.

He moves left ...which is likely going to bring him right by into a wide open spot.

I considered taking my stand off my back but didn't think I had the time and didn't think I could do it quiet enough.


I then considered taking my GPS off. I hang it from the left side of my chest strap.

"Ehhh it doesn't seem like it'll interfere.

There is a small cluster of young hemlocks between me and him. I decide to draw "just incase".

I hit full draw. He steps out. "Whoa! Not a monster but I can't let him walk". Right side was goofy and dwarfed but the left side was real nice. Probably a 3.5yo.

Hit my anchors. He stops naturally... Float the pin at the top of his heart...send it.


I watch in utter disbelief. My arrow flys SEVERAL feet in front of him!!!

He looks as the arrow blasted through the earth and takes a couple hops..looks back and fades into the brush.



Yep.....string caught the GPS.



Hate to say it....but I deserved to miss that one lol.


Laugh at it....and LEARN from it like I did lol.



That wasn't the worst part of the hunt....as I get to the spot I was going to, another fresh scrape right there....drop the stand. As I'm getting sticks off the stand, I hear something. I look up just in time to see a biggun 25-30yds away take off down the mountain....

That....ya...not so funny lol.

Sooner or later I'm gunna kill a buck in this area! (Same area I had # different biggun duck an arrow last week...). Vacation starts after my shift on Wednesday.

[stash59]

At least you've been getting in to them!!!!

[mauser06]

Absolutely!

All on ground I've never actually stand hunted...or actually scouted for that matter. Been through a lot of it in search of a bear over the years and we do some little pushes in our late season there...so I've basically been going in blind based on Cyber scouting and marks I've made in the GPS when I passed through in previous years.


I've learned a ton. I've gained a lot of confidence. I've gotten into several great public land bucks. This season can be over and I'd call it a success. 8 more days to archery hunt...



It would have been awesome to kill one from the ground a couple hundred yards from the truck at 1pm....another lesson learned the hard way. Will definitely make a couple adjustments to how I situate my gear as I walk in now!

[backstraps]

AW MAN!! That kinda of luck stinks, and sounds like the stuff that happens to me (except the bucks I find are doinkers

I learned a lesson similar to yours with a pair of binos once. I rushed my shot so fast to get an arrow away before the deer split....string caught my binos that were attached with shoulder harness, and nearly tore them off my body!

At least you are getting into the bucks and only a matter of time before the deer arent so lucky!

Good Luck mauser06

[mauser06]

Thanx again backstrap!

I did have a smaller buck pass through that spot an hour or so before dark. He too came from the north....went up through the saddle or upto the top to feed.

The bigger one that busted me seemed like he was definitely cruising that elevation line from North to south.

That top where I whiffed is torn to shreds. Never seen so many rubs. Lots of acorns on the top so I will keep that in mind for earlier season hunts. I could be wrong but I'd assume the older bucks will cruise the thermal tunnel scent checking all that as they go through.



Once they start getting a bit more fired up, I may through a sit in the saddle. Maybe save that for an East or west wind running down the ridge. It's tighter and more defined than it looked on topos. Might be too thick though. From where I was it looked to be choked full of little hemlocks.


Going to be a long 4 days working......

[backstraps]

Lol
Darn work seems to always get in the way!!

I have came to the conclusion, if I didn’t HAVE to work, I probably wouldn’t

Beat of luck man, hope you get back on them soon

[Huntress13]

I started taking practice shots with all my gear on just like I walk out. Backpack, binos on strap, etc.

Discovered Saturday that with my thick fleece neck gator, my shot goes left 4". In search of new thinner gator.

I know they say always practice before season in all your weather gear but no I didn't. Glad I didn't learn it on a deer.

[Horizontal Hunter]

It happens. I’m sure most of us have done that or something very similar.

It’s probably a good idea to move your GPS to your waist belt with a short tether. That’s what I do. It is less convenient but it won’t be in the way next time.

Bob

[mauser06]

Huntress, good move shooting as you hunt. I have too....minus the GPS of course lol. I should have went with my gut and removed the dang thing!

HH, you bet I'm moving the danged thing! It's real continent where it I had it ...I should be able to move into my waist belt or something though.


I think had the stand not been on my back, the GPS would likely been missed by the string...the stand on my back caused me to modify my draw and stance to hit my anchors.


Hard lesson learned! But, he's one of the smaller bucks I've seen in that area(due to the goofy rack)...so hopefully missing him won't sting so bad soon enough! Or maybe he'll give me another shot....I'd like that goofy rack on my wall.


We'll see what happens!

[PaPublicLandHunter]

Dang that stinks man. Keep after ‘em! Good luck!

[Hawthorne]

You just have to laugh that stuff off then learn from it. There will be other bucks.

[Horizontal Hunter]

You just have to laugh that stuff off then learn from it. There will be other bucks.

And other surprises to laugh off.

Bob

[cspot]

LOL. The funny thing is if you tried to move it and he busted you then you would have said that you should have left it alone. Like you said you just have to laugh it off because if you didn't you would drive yourself crazy.

[mauser06]

That's hunting!


My dad was in a bit of a "rut" today and I could tell he was getting frustrated and discouraged. He hasn't seen much this season and seems like every day he gets out, the weather isnt cooperative.

I replied "if it was easy, it wouldn't be worth it".


I really think I encouraged him to stick it out. He was in a tree since daylight and that was around 2pm.

A little after 4 I got a text saying "I just hit a bear". It's after midnight and I just got home.....he didn't kill a bear. He killed a slob. 431.5 pounds dressed. Estimated live at 508.


Another saying that a buddy had....."it only takes a second to change your entire season".

[PaPublicLandHunter]

That’s awesome!

Post some pictures when you get a chance