Seems odd that yesterday when I got up at 5:30 and come out of the shower my wife wakes and says, "Tomorrow's the day". I said, huh, what do you mean? She says, "Halloween", "You always say how good Halloween is for bowhunters". I guess I should just have gone back to bed. Yesterday morning I did get to see the spike as well as almost getting shots on a hunting party of coyotes that stepped out of the corn. I doe bleated and called them into an almost shot. I was pumped but it was too dark to video. Speaking of video, I get a sack punch because I was too nervous to turn it on, even though I looked at it repeatedly and had I turned it on, the buck would have walked into the picture on his own. So this morning, Halloween when I got up and ready my wife says, today is the day. I had a doe run into my set up around 7:30 and thought, here we go. Studying her back trail, nothing came so I turned on the camera and filmed her down the hill from me until she ran out of sight. So there I stood, anxious and waiting, waiting and looking around. This is a very open oak hillside and I can see well over 100 yards plus up and down the hills. The tree I chose sits between two valleys/drainage's that I refer to as the "Hollow". This Hollow has always been good to me and I never hunt it until Halloween on. No one else is allowed in there and although I politely told a few people to leave over the years I honestly don't know if it's hunted when I'm not there. Anyway, it's Halloween and I knew I was going to hunt it. This was a triple tree I climbed up in with my Ol'man. The trunk on the left. What a perfect tree. The buck came up the hill behind the tree. So from that doe sighting, nothing. 9:00 came and went and I looked at my cell time at 9:48 and I have to say I was a little dejected BUT, I also knew I had to stick it out because these deer come from a long way as there are food plots at the top of the mountain. There are times I don't see deer until 10:00 but it's hard to hang in there sometimes. Around 10:00 I thought about getting down but forced myself to stay. I heard a noise behind me in the picture and I turned to see a squirrel. Okay, I dismissed it and I continued to scan. Suddenly I saw movement, Oh a deer and whoa, it's a good buck. I looked at the video camera which was already pointed that way. No I thought, get his attention first and then turn on the camera. I grabbed my River Valley Deer Flute and grunted at him. He was about 75 yards out but didn't stop, he turned downhill and would angle away from me into the bedding area. I grunted again, he stopped cold but I couldn't see his head. I turned away from him and grunted a third time and he scampered down the hill my direction. I looked at the camera again and then back at the buck. He hit the trail I walked in on and sniffed around. I said a silent prayer that my scent ritual works. He started stiff legging it right at me and I quickly grabbed my bow. He was walking a line directly at me, facing me the whole time and I knew I wasn't going to have a shot until he either turned down hill or turned up hill and I prayed he would turn down hill. At about 15 yards he was still facing me looking for the other deer that grunted. I thought just keep coming and I again looked at the camera but thought the hell with that! Against my wishes of course he turned uphill. I knew I should have moved my camera out of the way as now he stood 10 yards at the most staring up at my camera. I thought for sure he was going to blow because mature bucks don't need a second signal to go. I actually was closing my left eye and hiding behind the trunk of the tree hoping to appear invisible. He took a couple steps and now is 8 yards away and 15' feet down even though I was just over 25' in the tree. He was on the uphill side and I put tension on the string as I positioned my feet and drew. I came to full draw and either he heard me or not but he stopped hard quarter away. I bent
Very nice buck Rob!!He looks pretty big in the picture.Your bucks are the best,they have lots of personality.
Nice job Mr. Poorman! Way to score on another unique buck and put some points on the board for our team. You are the man!
That is AWESOME Rob! Congrats Bud! Awesome story and rack too! I was excited while reading the story just waiting to see the tips of the antlers as I scrolled down the page.
Great buck Rob. If we end up down at camp this upcoming week, I'll get in touch so that we can meet up!
Thanks guys and gal, I really appreciate it. My taxi said he was definitely 3.5 years old. I have no idea about his weight, but I'd imagine over 200, under 225. I will have a scale next season as I seem to shoot big deer and get asked that yearly. Christine, I do have a knack of shooting unique deer don't I? They seem to find me. I knew when he responded to my River Valley Deer Flute and came in on a string I was going to take him if offered. Give a yell Matt. I'm not sure what I'm up to all week. I did this last year too, shot my buck on the 29th of Oct with two weeks off yet. At least this year I have my IL trip next Saturday. This week I'll hunt turkeys and film for Ben and whomever else I get out with. I can now ease into IL. I found out we get an extra day to hunt to so we'll leave early Saturday and get to hunt Sunday even though we are scheduled Mon-Sat. I'm looking forward to it and meeting anyone I can along the way.
