I have now been deer hunting for 5 years. No one in my family really hunted much growing up, I think I took a BB gun with dad once on a squirrel hunt once, that was about extent of my hunting knowledge. In my 5 years I have shot and killed two doe (only shots I have taken, as I feel it is my responsibility as a hunter to take ethical shots to try to kill the animal as quickly as possible. If I am not comfortable with the shot, I am happy to just watch nature play out) and still after my first buck. You only get this once in a lifetime and I have been very picky. Had some encounters with mature bucks but never had a shot opportunity I was comfortable with. Fast forward to Sunday morning in se ohio. First off let me say what a fun and memorable hunt. I saw things I have only read about and to be honest, I learned a tough lesson as well. I got all settled in about 6:00 am in my stand. We just placed this stand on Wednesday so it would be the first time me or my buddy I hunt with sit here. It's in a little finger of woods between 4 fields, three being cut soy bean( cut this week) and the forth is still standing corn. Even as I was getting settled the woods were on fire. Heard deer walking around, a few grunts and what I can only describe as a buck just crushing a tree. What a way to start my hunt! About an hour passes and it's getting lighter and lighter, I look to my right and see two yearlings doing what me and my little brother used to do, run around acting like the world was our playground. They were just running around like kids should. I can remember thinking, wow being a kid and acting like a kid isn't just something a human does, it's everywhere. I had never seen anything like this so I was just soaking it all in with a smile. Those two were having so much fun! They played in the cut soy beat field for about 30 mins then I heard my first doe bleati had ever heard in the woods, the fawns looked up and went right to her. It made me laugh, wishing my son would listen that well when we call for him. Well the trio start walking down the fence line right under my stand when momma looks back at the wood line and squats and pees in he field. When that happened you would have thought that she was the last girl on earth!!! All of a sudden I hear this buck start RUNNING and grunting, headed my way. I look to my right and there he was, a short but stalky buck with his nose in the ground, grunting like no tomorrow on a beeline to that doe. I look at his rack and it was still between his ears and I saw he was a 6 pointer so I thought to myself, nah I'll let him walk. As he passes me by, I see he is a much bigger six than I thought and there is a third antler coming out which I can only describe as a unicorn horn. There was bark hanging from them, it looked soooo cool. So I try to grab my bow, and by that time he passed my shooting lane. I try to get his attention by grunting, wheezing, he wanted no part of it. He stopped and looked back, but that was about it. She started walking away then trotting. He chased her for 500-600 yards across another field dogging her and her two yearlings. Saw four more bucks and a lot of other does. Nothing close to what the first deer was like. I did draw on two bucks, just to go through the motions and get myself as used to buck fever as I could. Even knowing I wasn't shooting them, man does buck fever just take over. Long story short I know now that during this time of year, to grab my bow when I see any deer as you don't know what is going to happen. I am not mad, or upset more just feeling very very unprepared to be in that moment. I have no regrets as this was the most fun I have ever had in a deer stand but now I will be ready if The Lord allows me to be at the right place at the right time to take my first buck. Thanks guys for letting me tell this story on here and the great information you all provide. I sure hope this time next week I can tell the story of me ending my 5 year quest of shooting one of the most beautiful, elusive challenges I have experienced in my life so far, the quest to harvest a mature, free range, whitetail buck. --Blake Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It was amazing just seeing all of this stuff you hear and read about. It was a lot of fun. Obvious question, but she was basically telling him to come get it wasn't she? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Pat you are 100% correct. Funny thing is, I have been losing confidence wanting to know what I'm doing wrong and this happens lol. That's why they call it hunting, not killing. I know my time will come when The Lord wants it to happen, and my batteries are fully recharged. If only this thing called work would stop getting in the way... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Well if you consider that choking I'd hate to tell you some of things I've done in my life. Great story! There's no better time of the year to hunt than the rut.
He was just a really cool buck. Guess I need to have bow in hand when I try to decide if I'm going to shoot or not lol. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Great read. From the sound of it you still had a really great day and also learned something. Keep at it, it'll happen. Blessings. .........Pastorjim
