OT: Smokepole success
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OT: Smokepole success
My honey hole has been a sour patch this season due to lack of acorns. Prior to this morning I had been out sixteen times and only seen a deer on three hunts. I've only seen eight deer all season and four of those were yesterday around 4pm while on my last archery hunt of the season. Unfortunately they came no closer than 100 yards. I haven't seen a deer in the morning all season and I haven't seen a single deer out of my primary stand. I've only got one 6pt buck picture during daylight hours on Thursday and everything else has been nocturnal still. I found it difficult to crawl out of bed this morning given the hunting conditions I'm dealing with this season.
But, that's why we call it hunting so I was up and at'em early enough to be in my primary stand thirty minutes before shooting hours. I did this despite having not seen a deer in the morning all season and nothing at all from this stand. I've always had good luck during the muzzleloader season, and this morning was going to be our coldest yet. It was 29F degrees when I climbed into my stand and I thought I'd need moonglasses. I was throwing a shadow. Here was the crazy bright moon.
I checked a trail camera on the way in and there were no photos from last night. Couple that with the very bright moon, and my expectations were low.
At 7:30am, still 8 minutes before sunrise, I heard something behind me. I turned around to see that the sound was a sapling shaking back and forth. There was the 6pt buck standing near it, but he wasn't the one shaking the sapling. It didn't take long to realize the shaking was another buck making a rub. I could tell it was a larger buck, but not much else because the saplings were in the way. Eventually he stepped through the saplings and I could see that he was the bigger of the two bucks. I had already turned on my Tactacam as soon I laid eyes on a deer, so all I had to do is pull back the hammer and make the shot. Here is the footage: https://youtu.be/2QBkkuNjlCU
The CVA dropped the buck in his tracks. The 6pt ran down closer to me and hung around until I ran him off more than five minutes later. While the buck was obviously making a rub, seeing bucks traveling together leads me to believe that we're still a bit early for rut action around here. But, the colder weather certainly had the deer up and moving this morning. As I was prepping to drag the buck, another deer blew at me from just out of my view. I also saw a half dozen along the road on the way home.
Here's the buck...
While there may not be any acorns in my woods, this buck was nice and fat. He had plenty of corn in his system.
The drag out was made a little easier by the heavy frost on the grass.
It's been a long slow season so far, but once again everything changes once our muzzleloader season starts. It just happens to coincide with when bucks start getting the itch and change their patterns enough to get seen.
But, that's why we call it hunting so I was up and at'em early enough to be in my primary stand thirty minutes before shooting hours. I did this despite having not seen a deer in the morning all season and nothing at all from this stand. I've always had good luck during the muzzleloader season, and this morning was going to be our coldest yet. It was 29F degrees when I climbed into my stand and I thought I'd need moonglasses. I was throwing a shadow. Here was the crazy bright moon.
I checked a trail camera on the way in and there were no photos from last night. Couple that with the very bright moon, and my expectations were low.
At 7:30am, still 8 minutes before sunrise, I heard something behind me. I turned around to see that the sound was a sapling shaking back and forth. There was the 6pt buck standing near it, but he wasn't the one shaking the sapling. It didn't take long to realize the shaking was another buck making a rub. I could tell it was a larger buck, but not much else because the saplings were in the way. Eventually he stepped through the saplings and I could see that he was the bigger of the two bucks. I had already turned on my Tactacam as soon I laid eyes on a deer, so all I had to do is pull back the hammer and make the shot. Here is the footage: https://youtu.be/2QBkkuNjlCU
The CVA dropped the buck in his tracks. The 6pt ran down closer to me and hung around until I ran him off more than five minutes later. While the buck was obviously making a rub, seeing bucks traveling together leads me to believe that we're still a bit early for rut action around here. But, the colder weather certainly had the deer up and moving this morning. As I was prepping to drag the buck, another deer blew at me from just out of my view. I also saw a half dozen along the road on the way home.
Here's the buck...
While there may not be any acorns in my woods, this buck was nice and fat. He had plenty of corn in his system.
The drag out was made a little easier by the heavy frost on the grass.
It's been a long slow season so far, but once again everything changes once our muzzleloader season starts. It just happens to coincide with when bucks start getting the itch and change their patterns enough to get seen.
Last edited by DuckHunt on Sun Nov 01, 2020 10:21 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: OT: Smokepole success
Congrats. Great looking buck.
Re: OT: Smokepole success
Very nice buck, congrats!
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Re: OT: Smokepole success
Nice buck .glad you had success gun or bow its a nice buck.
I'm seeing a real lack of acorns in South East Pennsylvania
This season also.
I'm seeing a real lack of acorns in South East Pennsylvania
This season also.
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Trigger tecs,leupold crossbones and nikon bolts.
Zombie slayers and mostly swat broadheads.
Trigger tecs,leupold crossbones and nikon bolts.
Zombie slayers and mostly swat broadheads.
Re: OT: Smokepole success
Quite the nice fat buck! Congratulations and thank you for the story!
Some people just like stepping on rakes
Re: OT: Smokepole success
Nice buck and video congrats
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exocet 175 with Aging custom stock #27
Exocet 175
exocet 200
matrix 355
Micro Camo 335
Micro Nightmare 335
380 Lynx
BJ custom arrows
Boo string on vixen
Re: OT: Smokepole success
Very nice Buck... Congrats!!
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Re: OT: Smokepole success
Nice Buck!! Glad to see ya turn things around!!
He is a "chunky" fella!!
Congrats!!
AJ
He is a "chunky" fella!!
Congrats!!
AJ
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Re: OT: Smokepole success
Congrats on your buck I'm glad you decided to get out of bed and not give up we never know what the Lord will send our way.
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Re: OT: Smokepole success
Awesome story, pictures, and buck.
Big Congrats
Big Congrats
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Re: OT: Smokepole success
Nice buck....gotta love that minimal tracking required.