So Close

[cwoods]

Man I have been so close this week to sticking a mature buck! Thursday night I hunted my #1 buck bed. I played the wind too much in my set up and got winded at about 60yds! I heard him get up from his bed and work his way toward me then he cut into my scent cone and blew. The gig was up.

The tonight I beast styled it to another promising bed and area that has held some nice bucks in the past. On the way in I found a fresh scrape line so I decided to hunt down wind of it, while still taking into account the buck bed. It worked flawlesy as what I believe to be the two top bucks on the property worked their way in. However I about 10 yds to far and 5 minutes too late w/ the light. 10 yards closer I could have had a 15yd shot and enough light to make it ethical and legal. I pulled back twice but couldnt bring myself to take a shoot I was unsure of. Both bucks were within 10 yards, just couldnt see the pins, even w/ my Montana Black Gold sights. The hung out under and around the stand for about an hour. Both worked the scrap, then one made a rub, and then banged horns lightly for a few minutes and crunched on some acorns.

Bowhunting is so fragile! So much has to go right and so little can go wrong. The good news is the set up worked and I got out clean (to my knowledge and also seen a 110-120's buck 55yds away as well w/ plenty of light.

So what to do next? Hunt the same stand in A.M.? If it dont work move my stand closer to the bed middle of the day for the P.M. sit? Please give me your 2cents! The wind conditions in the am will be the same as tonights. However the evening wind will shift from a NE to E. That will be the difference.

[BigHunt]

good luck dude

[Zap]

Keep at it, cool story.

[dan]

In the AM I would try to be right over the bed if possible... If not, try tomorrow evening moving closer...

[cwoods]

In the AM I would try to be right over the bed if possible... If not, try tomorrow evening moving closer...

Dan I left the LW and sticks in the tree. I didnt wont to make any noise on the way out. I could move the stand in the A.M. Get in there even earlier. Would you risk the taking down and relocating in the am? Im about 90yds from the bed.

Thanks for the other replies. Im hard at it!

[dan]

I guess it depends on the situation... If the stand is already there maybe you should sit there, and see what happens.

[Stanley]

In the AM I would try to be right over the bed if possible... If not, try tomorrow evening moving closer...

Dan I left the LW and sticks in the tree. I didnt wont to make any noise on the way out. I could move the stand in the A.M. Get in there even earlier. Would you risk the taking down and relocating in the am? Im about 90yds from the bed.

Thanks for the other replies. Im hard at it!

What if the wind switches?

[Troutking]

Hope you get one of them cwoods, cool hunt!

[cwoods]

In the AM I would try to be right over the bed if possible... If not, try tomorrow evening moving closer...

Dan I left the LW and sticks in the tree. I didnt wont to make any noise on the way out. I could move the stand in the A.M. Get in there even earlier. Would you risk the taking down and relocating in the am? Im about 90yds from the bed.

Thanks for the other replies. Im hard at it!

What if the wind switches?

Stanley I knew the wind would be the same through out the weekend but GREAT advice and concern. Granted sometimes the forcast are lacking here. However I didnt hunt this am b/c the more I thought about how he would access his bed I think he would have busted me. The best thing to have done was to slip out w/ the stand last night and hunt over the bed like Dan mentioned. Lesson learned. I will slip mid-day and move closer to the bedding by im thinking 20-30yds and Lord willing get another crack at one of them.

Thanks for all the replies and info. Stanley and Dan- its great that I can tap into the minds of serial killers like yall! Thanks for being open books.

[Stanley]

[/quote]
Stanley I knew the wind would be the same through out the weekend but GREAT advice and concern. Granted sometimes the forcast are lacking here. However I didnt hunt this am b/c the more I thought about how he would access his bed I think he would have busted me. The best thing to have done was to slip out w/ the stand last night and hunt over the bed like Dan mentioned. Lesson learned. I will slip mid-day and move closer to the bedding by im thinking 20-30yds and Lord willing get another crack at one of them.

Thanks for all the replies and info. Stanley and Dan- its great that I can tap into the minds of serial killers like yall! Thanks for being open books.[/quote]

I like your stealth idea of leaving the stand for a subsequent hunt. My thoughts were if you wanted to hunt the same stand in the morning you'd be ready to go. But if you wanted to hunt the buck and move closer in the afternoon, then you'd have to take the stand down and put it back up with
the buck in it's bed. The key is having the least amount of exposure possible. If the stand was exactly where you wanted it then leaving and hunting it again was the way to go (wind direction cooperating). If moving it was your plan then taking it down when the buck was not in the bed would be the choice. Sounds like you are after them hard. Good luck.

[Arrowbender]

When the wind is the same again I would hunt the stand again if you don't think it was comprimised. I would then call them in about an hour before closing time. When you're that close, calling is almost a guarantee. No need to be agressive, Just a little contact grunting.

[cwoods]

Thanks for the tip. I have never had any luck calling. Im not sure why, just never have.

I went in about 1:30 and slid the stand about 20yds closer to bedding. To make a long story short neither buck showed up w/ the same wind. Two smaller bucks spared out in the bean feild about 100yds away and then the pushed 4 does close to my stand. Then they pushed them towards the buck bed. Not sure if thats why they didnt show or what. Hopefully I can get another crack at them soon.

[Schultzy]

Wow, talk about having things almost work out. Great advise all! Good luck cwoods!! I've been In your position before. It can turn Into a chess match.

[cwoods]

Wow, talk about having things almost work out. Great advise all! Good luck cwoods!! I've been In your position before. It can turn Into a chess match.

Thanks Schultzy. It has most def turned into a chess match. I hope to give it one more crack before the rut kicks in. However North Carolina's doe to buck ratio is wack so Im hoping that some what works in my favor keeping him on the property. Who knows?! But man Im so addicted. I know its just deer at the end of the day but I wrestle w/ it at night tossing and turning dreaming about the moment he offers a shot and cant focus at work. My mind keeps asking "how do I kill one of these bucks?" Do they make a pill for this disorder? I suppose even if they did I would refuse to take it.