The place is littered with active scrapes and significant rubs. One scrape in particular is located on a trail leading from a thicket out to a small field and is probably 4-ft in diameter. We put a camera up on it and found out that is was a very active community scrape with 3 different large bucks checking it at least once a day. One particular old 10 pointer that we had named Big Balz had actually checked it at least 3 times within the past week around 5:00 in the evening.
So Saturday afternoon I ducked out of the house around 2 and was at the property, in my make shift ground blind and my Ghillie suit by 3:00. The wind was supposed to be in my face but was in fact swirling blowing from all directions it seemed. A couple of does had come by feeding but nothing else. I texted my buddy and told him it may be a futile effort because of the wind and he texted me back “Stand fast, sit tight, Big Balz is gonna check that scrape tonight” I laughed it off and carried on with my sit.
Then at 5:32 I look up from texting another friend and see this massive deer walking out of the thicket in front of me just to my left. Its Big Balz and he is coming to check his scrape, right on time! I had only one shooting lane cleared since this was an impromptu sit and he was closing in fast. I picked up my Excalibur and put the scope on the clearing 21 yards away.
^^^Two feet before shooting lane!^^^
As soon as he reached it I let out a “MEEP”. He stopped, looked at me and I aimed and fired. I then watched the Lumenock lit Firebolt arrow disappear 3 inches above his shoulder, perfect! I knew the hit was good and that he was done. I couldn’t believe it and was jumping around in my Ghillie suit like a mad man. I immediately called my friend Chuck and told him what had just happened. I can’t even remember what I said but I remember him telling me to go find his azz.
So I went to the spot and there was immediate blood and lots of it, the Grim Reaper Broadhead had done its part. I waited a few minutes, then followed the blood some more and figured with this amount of blood he was done and down. The trail led me about 60 yards away across a small field and into a creek bottom where I found him piled up. I couldn’t believe it. He was a big old mature deer. We are figuring him at 5 years old and around 200lbs.
