Awesome, Troy!! I'll be placing my order for the mock-scrape juice this week with hopes of making one this weekend.
Hey guys... Thanks so much, got a little time here so I will give ya the run down on this deer. This past summer I decided after hunting this one area for abou 8 years it was time to "attempt" to invade these bucks big bedding mountainside. So this summer I picked my spot based on past experiences. I chose a spot that I felt if the thermals and winds were right I would be able to catch some of these bucks moving during the daylight in the early season. Put up a camera and WOW was I surprised as to how many bucks I got on my trail cams in there in July/August. There was only one problem, I needed a North wind and down hill thermal to hunt it. This rarely happened in this spot because the winds are usually out of the West or Southwest out here ... (pacific ocean) So before yesterday I had only been able to hunt this stand 1 time all season. Yesterday I had NO intentions on hunting this stand when I headed out to this area. Then when I got to my first "Wind" check area I realized that Mr. Weather Man was wrong about the supposidly Southwest Wind. I was suprised when I got out to check the wind that I had a definate northern downslope ..evening thermal helped wind. So instead of hiking around the mountain to hunt a northern saddle, I knew I had 2 stands I could choose from, one of which I havent even hunted at all and the other just that one time. So I hiked up and got to my mock scrapes that are placed up the trail about 18 yards ... from my stand. I set downslope over the downhill side from the main trail I got all the cam pix from. I freshend the scrape real hvy ... But due to the hvy rain lately I couldnt see to much sign in the scrape. Forehead gland scent and Urine, my dripper had hopefully been doing its job, it was empty but I didnt fill it I just doused the ground with urine and tore up the dirt with a stick. Slid down into my stand and got set up.. My stand is situated right on the apex in a big corner in the trail that bends and heads straight up a very steep mountain. Its one of those spots that blows my downwind scent out behind me and away from the travel of bucks both coming downslope to the scrape or from down below up to the scrape.. AS long as the follow the heavily worn bedding area trail. This thing looks like a cattle trail, and there are no cattle in there ever! So I chill out for about 45 minutes ...maybe an hour.. its well before dark and out of nowhere I see him coming and hes close.. coming up the mountain at me right on the trail, straight at me. I can see who it is instantly... the buck I call the HVY 4, big bodied short tined buck. I immediately start to draw but dont cause his head is bobby right up the slope looking right through me. This all happened really fast, he was marching up the trail like he wanted to inspect all that scent in that scrape.. I let him walk by me at broadside 6 yards from the base of my tree, as he passed and starts around the curve of the trail up towards my scrape he is still moving at a steady walk, I drew as he was probably 10 yards past me at the most, he didnt miss a step he just kept trudging uphill, I put the 20 pin on him as he was now quartering away towards the scrape.. I put it on him and tripped it, I didnt "baaaa" at him as i felt I was too close he might just jump out of his skin. I watched the arrow drill him back a bit but at that angle it looked great. This wasnt a very far shot, maybe 15 -17 yards once I shot him. He instantly bolted up the trail a bit then turned and dove straight down through some nasty brush downslope arching behind my tree. I listened and heard him running and then stop. Then within I would say maybe 30 seconds I heard flopping and crashing for a bit then quiet, then I hear a few more thrashes then quiet then I finally hear this really LOUD death moan.. It was loud! Then a few more kicks/thrashes down below and then nothing, everything went dead silent.. I texted a few buds trying to help make myself wait as I had a lot of light left. I may have stayed 30 minutes as I felt he was down. I got out of my tree and instantly found my arrow in the brushy hill side right off the trail. It was covered in good blood. I had really good blood about 5 yards up the trail then it bailed off into the brush, with plenty of good light I didnt need a flashlight to follow the trail. It took me maybe 10-15 min max to walk right too him, right were I heard him thrashing around down below. He was about 70 yards from my tree, down in some big timber laying there done. I walked up, made a few more texts, called home and then the work began, I went down got my rig, got my camera took a few pix which sucked in the complete dark! I had to drag him out of there before gutting him; I didnt want to leave those guts in that bedding area. Luckily it was all down the mountain drag, still thick in places though. I had made up my mind with two Idaho tags and an Iowa tag that if a good mature buck gave me a shot, I was gonna drill one. This hvy 4 did! He is a big bodied deer. Over 200lbs. Honestly I think hes a good one to get out of the gene pool when it comes to antlers, hahaha he won't score to high, so Gary you dont need to worry, I pretty much feel i need to get a better one down to stay ahead of U! LOL He will be great eating and boy was he fat when I skinned him last night. Time to fill my next Idaho tag on a bruiser. Hope I can run down either my big NT "hoss" or the stud 4x5 "a Frame" and 4x4 "chocolate buck". Thanks guys!
Boy do I know this sound. The doe I shot Saturday did the same thing, I've only heard it a handful of times but every time it has meant dead deer. Congrats again Troy, tons of respect for getting it done early, and for getting it done in the big woods!! ~Matt
Thanks Troy! Some times it is more exciting to listen to someone else's account of their hunt versus having the experience your self. This is one of those times!
What day/evening did you get him Troy? Awesome job Troy, he's a great buck my friend!!! Congratulation's!!
Thanks again fellas... All I want to do is run a big boy down now! Yesterday evening Steve, After a very hard all night (sat) rain and morning drizzle ... Sunday
Congrats again bro. Looks like you'll be in cruise control to see about using that second buck tag... Let the record show that Germ is losing in the Head-To-Head matchup... And TeamXX isn't doing so bad
