This has, without a doubt, been one of my most trying seasons to date. Since I returned home from our 10 day extravaganza on November 10th I have seen exactly 12 deer from stand while hunting in just under a month. Of those deer, only one of them was in shooting range and that was a super spike that walked right under our stands a few weeks ago while Mike and I were hunting/filming. With the cold weather and snow on the ground I pretty much abandoned morning hunts and decided to focus on evenings near some good late season food sources. Saturday found temps in the teens with double digit North winds dropping the wind chill to the single digits, so I decided to stay home. Sunday evening brought better conditions - temps in the teens with a minimal South wind at around 4 mph. Perfect for a stand I just hung two weekends ago between a bedding area and about 300-400 yards from a hay field where the deer are feeding pretty regularly. I used to hunt closer to the field itself, but never saw anything other than does and figured the bucks would stage further up in the woods until dark before making their way into the open. So I climbed into my stand, got settled in, and waited. At around 3:45 a 1 1/2 year old buck walked by at 25 yards right through my shooting lanes, hopped the fence right where I expected, and made his way toward the open field. Shortly after that three does appeared directly North of me, headed from the field towards my stand. Where they were going, I have no idea. But they could smell me and although they didn't spook they wouldn't come any closer than 40 yards. They eventually stayed in this area until dark. As I'm watching the three does in front of me, 2 more appear to the right of my stand. Coming from behind me, up the path I had walked, headed towards me. I turned all the way around so I was facing the tree and got ready for a shot. All of a sudden the two does perk their ears up and snap their heads back the way they had come - and I see two more does coming. They eventually meet up about 15 yards from my stand, although they are behind my tree so that I can't get a shot at them. All they need to do is come about 5 yards closer and I'd have a perfect shot. Shooting light is running out, so I'm concentrating all of my energy on preparing for a shot on one of them when all of a sudden I hear something behind me. I figure the three does I had seen had finally moved behind me, so I turn my head almost all the way around like an owl to see what's there, and all I see is rack. The big 10 pointer I've been after all season had snuck up to within 8 yards of my stand and was standing in the wide open, broadside, feeding on some bushes. So now I have dilemma - I have to rotate pretty much 270* around my tree to get a shot at him, and shooting light is fading quick. I already have my bow in my hand and my release clipped on, so I start the rotation without worrying about the does. I get about halfway around, just about to the point where I can draw my bow and for some unknown reason (I think I'm cursed) I bumped into one of the cables on my stand and put some pressure on it. As soon as I moved my leg again and released the pressure the slightest audible "twang" sent this night to a screeching halt. The wind was still and you could hear a pin drop as the big buck looked directly up at me, now about 5 yards away from my stand. One bob of the head was all he neeeded to figure out something wasn't right before he tucked tail and ran back the way he came, bringing another small buck with him. And with that, my night was over. I saw a total of somewhere between 13-15 deer, 11 of which were within 40 yards of my stand and the only one I could get a shot at was the 1 1/2 year old buck with 2 inch spikes. Sometimes I really hate hunting. :mad1: Here's the buck in question, that should be on his way to my taxidermist right now:
i hear ya on the rough season! keep at it though cause come the off-season all we'll be thinking about is how we wished we hunted a little bit more, a little harder, stayed a little longer etc.
That's rough man. I would move that stand though, it alway's seems if you get busted the deer will look up in that tree when they come by. Good luck the rest of your season.
I agree - the stand will definitely be moved now. In fact, I'm not in the tree I wanted to be in originally but rather one that I could get in easily and quietly since I hung it and hunted the same night. I really wanted to be facing the opposite direction in a shag bark hickory about 10 yards away but couldn't get in quietly enough without breaking off a lot of bark so I hung in this tree instead. Next year, I will be set up in a different tree for sure. I only have three weekends left to hunt, and I'll be spending two of those at our lease in Brown County which leaves me only one more weekend to hunt this spot. With this stand pretty much blown for this season, unless I want to shoot a doe, I'm not quite sure what my stategy is going to be. Guess I'll have to just play it by ear and see what happens. I'm still can't belive that happened. All night I kept turning around to make sure nothing was sneaking up behind me in the snow, and I just lost track of time while I was focusing on those does and forgot to look. I can see a good 100 yards into the woods in the direction he came, so he was probably back there for 10-15 minutes without me having the slightest clue. All I had to do was turn around a few minutes earlier and things probably would've ended a lot differently. Live and learn I guess!
Man thats a tough break.......... Has anyone been to the lease lately? Any good ones you know of out there still? Good to hear you have some time yet to get out there!
Nobody has been to the lease since we left on 11/9 so we really have no idea what to expect. Both slug seasons are over here in IL, which makes bowhunting that much tougher. Although with nobody hunting the lease (that we know of anyways) we're hoping a few bucks might be holed up in there. Its one giant bedding area, so we could be in for something good. Won't know until we get down there this weekend though.
It never ceases to amaze me that we can be out in the woods for the sole purpose of looking for deer and yet they manage to sneak up on us. I guess it's a good thing we aren't the ones being hunted or we would all be on a deer's wall somewhere by now Good luck with what's left..........my season (and many others from the sound of it) was trying to say the least. Had I taken a shot to the jewels like you just did toward the end of a long rough season my Patriot would be wrapped around that tree as an eternal reminder.
Cold weather hunting can be a b..tch. Sound is amplified, fingers numb, countless hours waiting for a chance and when you finally get it...... Hang in there, you'll get another chance. You have to, you earned it!
Im with you Justin. I shot my first buck in 2006 (1.5 year old 6 point), and then decided to hold out for more mature and bigger deer. Since the day i shot that buck in 2006, i have seen a mature buck only 3 times if my memory serves me correct. Only one was in range and you all know that story. Last year i passed around 15 bucks and this year the number is 13, with the biggest being a 2.5 year old 5 point that my brother shot for his first buck.
Nobody that you know about. I feel for you bud. I'm pretty sure your luck will change if you send me my harness thingy and camera.
This has been a tuff year. Between it getting dark with a 160" buck out in front of me to having one walk right thru my shooting lane to the rut that never really happened. I'm hoping for a little late season magic too. Altho I do have 1 buck down, its not one of those I really wanted this year.
I'll think about it. :D We'll be driving back from Brown Co on Sunday late morning/early afternoon. Perhaps we can meet at Bob Evans for some biscuits, gravy, and talk of killing animals? Then we can make "the exchange". Oh, and full story with some photos thrown in for spice is here - http://www.bowhunting.com/blog/post/2008/12/08/Close-Call-With-an-Illinois-Whitetail.aspx My favorite is the view from my stand where I can seemingly see 2 miles into the woods where the buck came from, yet he got to within feet of me before I knew he was there. Go me!
Damn man, think it had something to do with that whole getting married thing? Maybe the deer gods aren't pleased with your abandonment at the beginning of October You'll get it done buddy, it'll happen!
Bob Evans would work for me(as long as I'm not out huntin'). Give me a call when you're headed in this direction. Hopefully, you'll be showing me your big buck. Shall I buy you a Deerview mirror for Christmas?
Like we always say Justin all those days of bad luck will be forgotten when that 15 seconds of glory happens, hang there buddy it just a matter of time.. Walt
