After six hunts of seeing nothing but squirrels and coyotes, I was certainly itching to fill a tag. I had pretty much decided anything without spikes or spots was enough. Finally about 15 minutes before sunset yesterday I had a deer step out. And of course it has to be a spike.

Shortly after the spike stepped out, I saw movement behind him and this small buck steps out. As they neared my position, the spike took interest in a coyote that I had taken about a half hour early. Frankly, I don't know how he saw it. Perhaps he caught the scent. He proceeded to circle downwind of the coyote which happened to put him downwind of me as well. Fortunately being 17' up paid off as he either didn't smell me or was too interested in other smells. After a minute or two staring at the downed coyote, he relaxed and the 4 point started up the trail to me.
I spent a couple minutes following them with my cell phone camera with them right next to me. I even caught a small sparing match. Only later when I got home did I realize I never pushed record.

As they were literally feet away from me, it dawned on me that he would fill a tag nicely considering how few deer I've been seeing. As he stepped up the trail I decided on a quartering away shot at about 10 yards. The lumenok disappeared and he mule kicked. He ran across in front of me leaking badly carrying the far front shoulder and stopped 30 yards away. Within seconds he was down.
I retrieved my arrow from the coyote but didn't find the one from the buck. My initial guess proved true. It was inside the buck. If you look close, you can see the tip of the point just peeking through on the leg.

It only took a quick slice to free the Slick Trick and pull it the rest of the way though. All in all it proved to be a good hunt. I'm as happy to get a yote down as I am with the buck.
DuckHut