1st Encounter With High Top Well it's been a long year and I haven't been able to bow hunt like I normally do. This goes back to last year as I have him on a cheap'o Trail Cam by Wildview. He was 170 I'm guessing then, I only saw him once while bowhunting in the fall till the rut came last year. Then as it goes, he's gonzo,blit, gone,no more to be seen by anyone that I know of. Well earlier in August I got a blurred view of him from behind on my new TC and was guessing it was him . As he's quite high, he makes up for it with mass ,and I mean lots of it. Nov 4th he stood still and posed for 4 shots and seemed unbothered about the TC. Present day, I arrive and get aqauinted to my cold weather gear that I normally have worn quite a bit already. I took 45 minutes to get it all right,then you know what happens??? You guessed it, I gotta take a crap in the worst way.Man trying to get it all off in -28 and snowing in the dark.No I never fell,but came close LMAO. I started my 400 yard treck through snow to the fence line and over. I pull out the old Code Blue In Estrus Gel and start marking as I head another 70 yards to my stand. I noticed 6 fresh scrapes along the fence line so I started to get hopeful. Got on stand and was ready to shoot by 7:15,and as the sun started to make it's apperance above the tree tops.I got out the range finder and marked the distances I needed to know. I was ready, as the wind was from the south west and that's what this stand calls for. I figured this was as good a time as any to do a rattle sequence. It was 8:25 when I put the the antlers down and really didn't know what to expect as all I heard so far was silence and the odd Chick-a-dee. Then it began,the sound of snow crunching under the weight of a good buck. I stood veering into the forest in front of me to get a glimpse of movement. Their he was on top of the doe sanctuary coming across the side of the hill so he could scent them or him before he got there. I pulled out my rangefinder once more as he was still 60 yards off and he did it,stood still broadside looking back up the hill. I drew and put my 40 yard pin on him. Guess what!!!! I forgot the punch line. Three days ago I broke my leveling pin on my Octane NXS sight and and decided it was good enough at 20 yards and was only 2 inches low at 20 yards. Get where I'm going now??? A cardinal sin as a bowhunter,never take anything for granted!!! Little did I know,but I did know!!! I released the arrow on it's way and watched in horror as it hit the ground below the awesome deer I've been targeting for the last 2 years. Hightop did a studder step and walked back up the hill and across through the bush, 70 yards beside me as if nothing had ever happened. I sat down and tried to figure where I went wrong, right away I knew the problem,dang thank God I didn't wound him. Now he'll have his peace till Imyouhuckleberry get's here late Wednesday night. Maybe,just maybe ,he can put a problem solver through his boiler room. Anyway's a week ago Sunday I was out for an evening hunt and it rained for the 6 hour sit with temps hitting a balmy +7,on my way home I knew what I had to do. I put my bow away, I needed to dry it . Da I forgot and it froze up, as I drew, it made a snapping sound as the ice broke on the cam on top of the cables,it also took me 4 draw attempts to take the shot. I pulled out the Rock this afternoon and re-sighted it in,dang how I forgot,what a quiante little bow The Rock is ,maybe both Imyourhuckleberry & I can get it done starting Wednesday. To all of you still hunting,be safe and God Bless Rocky
