I've had some weird encounters in my woods behind my house in the suburbs, but this one was creepy. Lots of activity all day, and as darkness descends, the ghosts came out! I hunt a permanent stand over a clearing/cross roads in some thick woods, plus a shooting lane in the trail I walk in on. While still shooting light, I hear a deer in some thick stuff at 20 yds, but too dark and thick to see it in the binoculars. It's about to enter the shooting lane, and I should've drawn in case it was a buck, but I didn't. Well it was a shooter, best I've seen in person in 2 years, just saw tines and I think nice 8 point. Crosses the trail into the thick brush again. I grunt to try to get him in the clearing to my west between me and my house, which is unlikely but my only chance. He keeps on course then circling around me southwest to south to SE. I switch to my big buck grunt, which hangs him up. By this time it's too dark to shoot legally. Then I hear another deer, sounds big, following along the same course as the buck. Again I can't see it in the thick stuff cause it's dark. As I hear it cross the shooting lane, I think for sure I'll get a look, but its dark & all I see is the leaves on the ground. A ghost! I have to get back to help put kids to bed, so I wait 10 min and pack up quietly, hoping they leave so I don't spook them getting down, since I planned to hunt the next day too. On my way down I hear the second one, the ghost, who was right where I last heard him. I bumped the ladder with something loud and It took off 15 yds away and stopped. I figure that one will leave and never come back. Maybe the 8 pt snuck away. I get to the ground and crunch in the leaves, and they descend on me. The 8-pt comes to within 10 yds to my east! The ghost runs back toward me to about 10-15 yds to my west, on the path back to the house! I usually walk in the dark, so my light is in my pocket. They sound so close that I could take a couple steps and pet one. Still I can't see them, like they're invisible. Again, I don't want them to know I'm human so that they'll stick around. At this point it's a standoff. They're stomping around trying to get a better look at me. This goes on for what seemed like 5 minutes. I'm becoming unnerved, (if you've been close to a big deer in the dark, you know what I mean). I debate climbing the ladder and waiting (at least I won't get my @ss kicked by a charging buck). They obviously don't know I'm human, or else they don't care. I've heard of bucks acting very strange when with an estrous doe, but I'm not sure what's going on here. So I'm still trying to figure out: since the second one followed the first one in...Would a mature 8-pt tolerate another buck? Was I between 2 rivals? Between a buck and his doe?? It was insane!! So long story short, I decide to use the light to get a look at the ghost, so I could at least know what I'm dealing with. I take 4 steps toward it and put the light up and....I see nothing but I hear hoof steps bounding away, followed by a blow. A ghost!
Lol, there be monsters in the edge of that there darkness. I left a dryer fan blowing at the grainery down the road at the ranch HQ this evening and forgot about it, beans were a bit high in moisture and I intended to take advantage of 45% humidity today and forgot about it until about 9pm. Figuring I'd best go shut it off before humidity rises tonight I hop in the truck and buzz out up the driveway.... Now here's where I guess I should insert a little back story... The other day on the way to the field I noticed one of the light poles alongside the driveway looked odd. I stopped, backed up, got out and looked at it. I'm not kidding, buck rub...on a freaking light pole...scrape right in front of it too. No idea what this buck is, certainly have not gotten any bucks like that on cams here at home...shrugged and went on to work. Okay so back to tonight....I turn down the driveway and blazing eyes rise into my field of vision, then I realize they're at that light pole. Then I see more eyes, four, five, six sets. I slow down and idle roll closer, the one at the light pole, clear now is a beast...best buck I've seen since the OMG buck a couple years back. He crossed the driveway in front of me, nonchalant like...walks into the cut cornfield on the other side of the road and stops broadside as if to say...yeah b*tch enjoy this cause you're never seeing my nocturnal *ss again. Then he walked on down the fence row and out of sight. My sis and brother in law gave me a cree flashlight yesterday I had in the truck with me. Using that light I had quite a show there for a bit. The other deer were all bucks as well, smallest one looked low 120's. I don't know what big boy will score but he's breath taking, super wide and tall tines, looked like a clean ten. You just never know what is walking around out there in the dark boys. Don't make a crap difference how many cams you run either.
Neat story. I'm sure someone around your area has got pictures of that bruiser and they're wondering where he ran off to. haha
where I am bucks are still hanging together and does still have fawns with them. There are a few hot does but things are not gangbusters yet. Only young bucks sparring.
Are you in PA? What I've seen the last few days leads me to agree with you...I saw two young bucks chasing the same doe (lined up like a parade), and a doe running under me, followed by a grunting spike, followed by a fawn! My woods are gangbusters...non-stop movement 6:30-9 AM and 4:30-7PM. If the bucks are still tolerating each other a little, than I should ease up on my rattling.
I'm in MD, I expect next weekend will be a lot more action. It will be down in the mid 30s. I've only had a few daytime shooters on camera.
