. I decided to pump up right there and sit till dark. I had six smaller bucks come out from a different area and walk right by my at last light.The buck was beded right on the edge of a small patch of swamp and hardwoods, right on the transition.
Fast forward to this season. I decide to slip in to the same spot quietly and get close to that bedding area, I found fresh rubs and scrape on the walk in, so I immidiately think that I should set up right there and not go any further. No climable trees.
so I start slipping in a little closer looking for a tree and boom, up jumps a good buck and he takes of running using the same escape route, but I believe it was not the same buck as last year, this buck had a much lighter rack and wasnt as big.So I have one bed, two different bucks, on two different winds, (wind not in his favor the second time), using the same bed a year a part. Now we know that history repeats itself with good bedding.
Fast forward to today. I slip in the wood. LW and sticks on back, I knew exactly how far I should go as to not push the envelope. Fresh sign that wasnt there last week. I got as close as i felt comfortable, still hunting the whole way in, going real slow and watching for tails the whole time. I put on the first stick, then the second, when I got up to that height I felt any higher and I would be exposing myself to the base of the draw where the bed was. I was only 9 or 10 feet up but it would do.
At about 4:10 I watched a buck stand up out of the bed 110 yards away. He was making his way towards me so I brought up the binoc's and glassed him. Not a huge buck, but a nice 2.5 year old 16" wide six pointer with brows.This is a buck I would normaly pass, but after how this year has been going,i f he got within bow range he was a dead man.
He came by just out of bow range and I didnt have a shot.
This was my first true beast style hunt, where I set up on known bedding. I had never actually seen the bed itself, but I knew its aproximate location based on the two previous bucks I saw, I found the fresh hot sign, put it all together, and it worked. I think I got more satisfaction out of putting myself in front of that buck, than I would have if I actually killed him just sitting in the woods hoping a deer would come by.
I cant wait to get out there this post season and find as much bedding as possible. Tonite was an eye opener for me. Obviosusly the tactics work.....just look at Dans wall. But now I know I can take these tactics and apply them to my hunting, and do it with coinfidence.
Thanks to all for everything you guys have tought me. It all came together tonite....even though I didnt kill anything.
