The Hunting Beast

So I got to the public around 12;30 this afternoon. As I was just about to where I was going to park I look over into the marsh and a big 8 pointer is about 30 yards off the road looking to cross. I slammed on the brakes to watch him and he took off into this strip of wood that parrells the road. So I cruise up the road a few hundred yards and quick grab the bow and run out to try and cut him off. He must of turned back into the marsh cuz I never saw him and when I got back to the truck another truck was doing a quick u turn and stopped right where he was. Oh well, so I head to the Island I am going to hunt all jacked up. When I got to the point that leads out to the island their a stand chained to a tree right on the tip of the point. No big deal seeing I am headed out in the marsh anyhow. As I get on the island I jump a doe right away. I had to walk the west edge the whole way to the other tip of the island just to keep my scent from blowing right into the bedding area. Now when were talking the " just off wind" this was deffinetly it. But I had to push my luck for the last early season bow hunt off the year. I set up about 60 yards from the bedding just off to the side, scent wise. The trail that I would expect the buck to use would work for the wind. At 3;45 I here a few twigs snap in the bedding area and a few seconds later I see horns coming my way, wrong trail though. This guy used the trail directly down wind of me. He got closer and I could see it was a small buck, but he came by at about 20 feet and I was only about 8 feet off the ground. Kind of crazy he never winded me, but did look up at me once. It sure would of been cool if he was bigger, cuz my plan would have work out perfectly. Guess thats what keeps you coming back for more.

Cool story.
Keep at it.....

Sounds like a cool hunt, keep at it, next time might be the big boy your after!

I had weird experiences tonight with deer coming from downwind of me as well tonight. Saw 5 deer and 3 were small bucks and every one came from behind me on the path I walked to my stand. Must have been some funky thermals going on carrying away my scent, either that or it was my Scent Loc clothing.

Zap wrote:8-)

Cool story.
Keep at it.....

x2

Dewey wrote:I had weird experiences tonight with deer coming from downwind of me as well tonight. Saw 5 deer and 3 were small bucks and every one came from behind me on the path I walked to my stand. Must have been some funky thermals going on carrying away my scent, either that or it was my Scent Loc clothing.

Ya know last weekend I saw 8 deer and everyone crossed my scent trail from walking in. None of them caught it. They were all year and a half old deer. I dont like it when it happens and always try to avoid it, but just cuz they cross your path certainly dont mean game over. I do think walking through water and muck does help with that to some degree. Last night there's a chance that my scent was blowing over the top of that buck, but I dought it. I think young deer don't fully understand the danger of human scent yet enough to pay attention to the small amounts.

My buddy was hunting his farm the other day and had several 1 1/2 year old bucks walk thru and cross his scent trail without ever looking at all concerned. Then at about 8am a shooter 3 1/2 y/o came thru and locked up on his scent trail and turned around...
What happened to him is typical of what I have seen. Mature bucks either have learned to associate human scent with danger, or the deer that are smart live longer...
Interesting to note, this happens most of the time around my over hunted public areas, but when I hunt managed propertys like Andraes where stupid deer get to live, and humans are not as much a threat, mature bucks will cross my scent trail more often with less reaction... Don't let that fool you though, they still could react negitivly...
But when hunting the big woods where deer seldom ever cross human scent they seem to react even more strongly than in the heavy hunted public of Southern Wisconsin.

Sounds like your having fun and thats what its all about. Keep after it!!

dan wrote:My buddy was hunting his farm the other day and had several 1 1/2 year old bucks walk thru and cross his scent trail without ever looking at all concerned. Then at about 8am a shooter 3 1/2 y/o came thru and locked up on his scent trail and turned around...
What happened to him is typical of what I have seen. Mature bucks either have learned to associate human scent with danger, or the deer that are smart live longer...
Interesting to note, this happens most of the time around my over hunted public areas, but when I hunt managed propertys like Andraes where stupid deer get to live, and humans are not as much a threat, mature bucks will cross my scent trail more often with less reaction... Don't let that fool you though, they still could react negitivly...
But when hunting the big woods where deer seldom ever cross human scent they seem to react even more strongly than in the heavy hunted public of Southern Wisconsin.

I would agree, and thats how people get the misconception that they are scent free or whatever. But if it don't work all the time it's not goood enough.

But if it don't work all the time it's not goood enough.

That should be the quote of the day!

dan wrote:

But if it don't work all the time it's not goood enough.

That should be the quote of the day!

yup............