Drenalin 2019 Buck

[Drenalin]

December 7th - Morning Hunt

The week leading up to this hunt, I was not feeling good about my odds. I seemed to have missed the best rut action this year, even though I've been on does for the most part and have been focusing on hunting outside known doe bedding. With it being December, I was scratching my head trying to think of a food source I get on that would give me a decent chance for this hunt. But I don't have destination food sources in the areas I hunt, and keying in browse or left over acorns didn't seem like the best way to spend my time.

In my journal, I noted that on the small private piece I hunt there were does bedding in a thick drainage along the property line. Before seeing evidence of that, all my scouting and observations had led me to believe that bedding was at the other end of the property, and actually just off the property I have access to. So I checked Windfinder for Saturday's forecast and the wind was going to be right for me to access and hunt this "new" bedding area. I've consistently seen does on this property throughout the season and have thought to myself a few times that there are an awful lot of very young does (either that or they were miniatures). I figured one of these young does could come into heat late, or in the second rut, and that if there wasn't a buck harassing them I still had a couple of doe tags I could use on private property.

I got in about an hour before legal shooting light and setup on the ground downwind of the bedding. 15 minutes before light, I had a lone deer come in slowly and mill around within about 20 yards of me. Thankfully, that deer didn't get downwind of me and never let on that it knew I was there. Right at legal light, a small buck (I think he was a forkhorn) ran two does almost right into my lap. I was sitting there with my muzzleloader laying across my knees and those deer ran so close to me I could have slapped em with the gun. One of them pulled up short before running me over (she probably saw my eyes get wide!) and veered off to my left, and then all three stopped with not one of them further from me than 20 feet. Now they know something's up, and I can't move to get the gun shouldered, so I just hold as still as I can and wait for the crisis to pass. After a couple of minutes, one of the does snorted once and they all bolted and looped back into the bedding area.

Now I'm thinking there's no way those deer will be back, and it will be at least a couple hours before I have a chance of seeing another deer. So I poured a cup of coffee and started plotting where I would hunt for the evening. About 10 minutes go by and I hear another awful ruckus in the bedding area. This time, I wrap my arm through the sling and get the muzzleloader shouldered, just in case. Three deer hit the edge of the thick stuff and hang up, and I see antlers on one of them. I'm thinking this is the same two does I've already seen, but that isn't the same buck. This one's still young, but he's a little bigger. He's trotting up to each of them in turn, and the does take turns putting distance between them and him. This doesn't go on long - probably seconds, not minutes - and he turns broadside in a clear lane. I hadn't had a good look at him, but I'm past the point of being picky (that game's for archery season) so I settle in and give him the business. The does bolt and the buck flops, right around 8:30 a.m.

I finished up my cup of coffee and gave the buck about 20 minutes, even though I saw him drop in his tracks at 35 yards and am watching him lay there motionless. I don't need any drama today, and I've got plenty of time. I did reload on the off chance that one of those does came back - I've still got those two doe tags and lots of freezer space. But no one else came through, and I didn't wait long. I got him dressed and back to the truck pretty quickly. The nicest thing about hunting small properties is short drags!

I called a buddy to give him the news and found out that he had shot a buck the day before. He said the buck had just tried to mount a doe when he shot him. This is maybe 5 miles from where I shot mine, as the crow flies. Then when I get the butcher I use, a guy had a buck there whose neck was all swollen up and tarsals as dark as they could be. And this is quite a ways from where I shot my buck. Now I don't believe we're just getting a late rut around here, but this is for sure the first year I can remember where the "second rut" is giving more action than the "normal" rut. Anyway, pic below (hopefully) and thanks for reading. I've still got one buck tag and a couple of doe tags, with a little under a month to go. Good luck to everyone else the rest of the way!

[jcraig0313]

Awesome hunt, congrats on a great buck!

[backstraps]

Good job Drenalin!! Those ground setups can certainly get up close and personal at times. Sounds like you had an awesome morning.
I had a ton of nocturnal rut action on cams in two different counties during our “normal” rut time. For me personally, I have journaled more daylight rut activity last three years in a row during the phase we’re coming into now.

Congratulations on a dandy buck, the super fast track job and finding the new bedding area on your parcel.

Best of luck with the remaining tags...the second half of the week here should be great!!

[Jackson Marsh]

Congrats Drenalin!

It's fun to have them that close on the ground...but it does make it interesting trying to get a shot off

Nice shot and it sure is nice to have a quick drag.

[milkweed-militia]

Man, that is one heck of a hunt Drenalin! Great deer man.

I've done a lot more ground setups this year and I'm becoming a bigger fan of them all the time.

[stash59]

[muddy]

Congrats

[CajunSwampStalker]

Nice buck
I’m slowly honing in on my ground skills. If not this year, I’ll e leaving stand at home all next year

[Matt Gill]

Nice buck, congrats!

[headgear]

Congrats!

[Homey88]

Congrats!

[Edcyclopedia]

Spectacular!

[Boogieman1]

Congrats man That’s cool!

[BJ99Robinson]

Congrats!