Alright guys and gals, so I have been bogged with work but doing all I can to get in the stand on the weekends. Have been hunting hard as a weekend warrior just with no success. Sunday afternoon I was in the stand around 1:45 so late start as I had some family obligations in the morning. I hunted the lease we have close to home where I don't have many pics of shooter bucks and don't have a solid inventory. As a result I got caught in the moment, self filming, buck coming in snorting (not snort wheeze, not grunt....just short snorts) and the buck read the script. He walked straight at me providing no shot then stopped at 10 yards and kept looking up at me. I was in a lone tree in the middle of a swamp so somewhat stuck out but I didn't move. Where he was standing I couldn't shoot or move and if he continued on his path he would have walked right under me and then away through the one path in the swamp with no shot ever presented. Oddly I thought about this before I got in the tree and saw that main path so I took some tinks hot shot #69 doe-in-rut and sprayed it a few yards from that path. If a buck walked that path coming at me my hope was he would catch that scent, take a hard right and offer a 10 yards broadside shot......and that's exactly what he did! At the property I normally hunt and where I've taken my last two bucks we have a good inventory and take any 3.5 or less off the hit list. With this being at the farm and not knowing the bucks in the area I didn't make the right judgment on age. Despite that, I was so pumped and really happy with the experience and that I pulled it all together. So I've finally contributed! He's a 123" 8 pt. I'll get all the measurements and post the formal score this week but wanted to relay the story and share a pic. I'll be back in the tree this weekend chasing buck #2 but really happy to have one on the ground! Good luck let's keep it up!
Congrats to you both, that's a nice deer! Cool story and that's a nice 8 point! Congratulations and thanks for contributing the points. I'm going out in the morning and try to get it done here. Lows in the 20's in the morning so maybe I'll catch something moving and in range. With all the deer we have and all the pics I've posted, etc...I'll be embarrassed if I don't get a buck this year. Lots of time left yet though.
Congrats Troy! Awesome buck in my book! Had the same thing happen to me this year, but he didn't stop at the mock scrape or mineral lick station. I'm probably done hunting with the bow until December. See if I cant get one in late season. Got beans, alfalfa, and corn so it should be good. Bowhunt or Die!
Congrats Troy! I'm thinking trying to get Friday off. Its really bothering me not getting anything yet again!
Yeah I feel a cold coming on that is going to hit Friday morning about 4am. I need some tree time, it's only Tuesday and even though I had a nice birthday with my wife last night, it has been a bad week at work!
I know what u mean...I'm stuck at work while both my wife and best friend are texting me the play by play from the tree
Looks like you have two trophies there, congrats again! I didn't see anything this morning, wind is blowing pretty hard. I imagine they bedded down last night when this cold front came through. I about froze my knickers off this morning. I was all comfy and warm and then my battery pooped out and my heated suit turned into an expensive wind blocker, lol.
I have the same Under Armour Cold Gear suit as her (well, looks like it)...has she worn it in cold weather? Trying to figure if it's good for our snow storm that's coming. Great buck for her!
Yes she wore it last year.....she still has to layer underneath when it gets really cold, but she likes it.
Has everyone checked to make sure their deer has been counted? I know Troy has yet to post his buck so it wasn't counted in the update. By my calculations, we're still actually in third place if his buck was included in today's update. We're staying within striking distance so far.
I saw the results and had a mini heart attack. LOL. I thought we were closer than that. I'm really trying. I told my husband he really better get me on a deer this weekend. Otherwise I'm going to have to go against my will and do late season (I don't like being in the cold)!
Even a couple of smallish bucks would be enough to put us in the lead after Troy's buck is added in the total. Just one decent one would get us close. We're still a long ways from the end of this contest though. I think the contest is usually won with well over a thousand points so unless this year is just way below average, even the team in first place has a long way to go yet to win.
Yeah, still a little over two months. So we shouldn't have a problem. Just about everyone has contributed, except three of us with not so much luck!
A couple bucks and we are right back in it. My work has been killing my hunting time. I will be out one or two afternoons this week but only about 2 hrs each time. Then all day Saturday. Maybe Sunday in Ohio if I can swing it.
I'll be back out this weekend, unless the baby comes. She is due on the 30th, but my wife just knows she's going to pop early...I'm calling BS.
