First thing this morning, I saw a small buck at about 100 yards away walking along a fence line. I grunted a few times before he disappeared into the timber. About 3 minutes later, the little 6 point is 15 yards away and looking around. Amazing how they can pinpoint where the sound came from so far away!
I decided he's too small for me right now. I only have one buck tag and two Doe tags left, so I'm being a little stingy with the Buck tag.
He walks off down an old road along a pasture. A few minutes later I look through the trees into the pasture and he's chasing a Doe. Apparently He's ready and She's not (isn't that always the case?
) They end up going back the way they came and all settled down until about 9 a.m.I had been Doe bleeting and watching the way the two deer had gone an hour and half ago. Something caused me to look over my left shoulder and when I did, there was a Doe standing 30 yards away! Darnit, how'd she get that close without me seeing her?
I ease around in the stand and put the 30 yard chevron on her. Just as I shoot, she took a step and I hit a little back. I watch her run into the timber a few yards away. "Crap".
I decide to give her an hour before getting down and looking for my arrow. Meanwhile, I decide with all the commotion going on, I need to try and reload. Finally get that worked out and decided to give some buck grunts.
I had no sooner got done when I see a deer running toward me. I know it's a buck instantly. Don't ask me how I know, I guess after all these years I know their body language. I get the Axiom up and ready and I see it's a big 4 point. He runs across the Doe's trail and starts bird dogging her. He goes about 50 yards and I see him just standing there. All of a sudden, he ducks his head and charges back into the timber. I've seen this body language before and I know he's charging a Doe somewhere. So I put up my 6X Leupold Rangefiner and I see a butt of a deer laying on the ground. I watch for a few seconds and she moves and I instantly see that it's the doe I had just shot!
The 4 pointer keeps walking away and then charging back to the Doe. The Doe is 70 yards away and I can just make her out through the limbs and timber. I think about trying to get down quietly and slipping over there to put another arrow in her, but I know it won't happen because the steps to the tripod stand I'm in rattle with the slightest movement. I fear if the Doe hears me, she will jump up and run.
I decide to stick to my original plan and give her an hour. It's not pretty watching her die but I did. Took her about 20 minutes. Looks like I took out part of one lung and the liver.
Meanwhile, the Buck is still agitating her. Finally, after about 45 minutes, he leaves.
I'm still inside my hour timeline, so I decide to give some more Doe bleats. 5 minutes later, I see more Does coming from the direction that my Doe is located. They come within 5 yards of her and just look at her. I watch them angle toward me. "Great, I can tag out on my Does today" I thought. But I was also watching their back trail because I know what can happen.
Sure enough, just as the big Doe steps out on an old road, I see another deer bringing up the rear. It's a huge 8 point!!
I let the Does walk all the while he's checking out the now dead Doe. But does he follow them, Heck no!! He goes wide right just beyond my range!!! You can tell he knows something is up, but he won't leave the Does! They sense something is up too and high tail it out of there, leaving me with a memorable hunt!I'm headed back this afternoon after that big boy after I drop this Doe off at the processor (I normally do it myself, but have a lot of things to do the next few days..plus..it's the peak of the rut you know!), I think I know which thicket they went to!
Here she is, all nice and cozy in the Meat Wagon...
Much appreciated.
