Ok, folks, been watching this place for awhile off and on. Its a ways from where I live so I couldn't watch it everyday, but i have been putting mineral salt out with apple juice. There has been herds of deer going to a certain soy bean field and where they bottle neck through some woods I had permission to hunt. Bad part on my end I only had one tree selected to use a tree climber on, also first time to ever hunt out of a climber too. Got out there about 4 hours before sunset. The tree i selected was horrible and i did not want to hunt on the ground cause there had been too many going through and i was worried i would have been too easy to be spotted and smelled. Got up my tree, and waited. Had a few coming back and worth, small bucks and does. Almost every one that got within 13 yards smelled me. They would sit, kept on and on looking then start to walk off then start their blowing at me. To myself i was thinking its over, i stink and i used all the scent soaps, spray, scent block clothes, boots plus leaving in bags until i went out in the wood and the rest of my gear i leave in totes with pine needles. Then here comes about 10-15 deer, does then behind them bucks. They started getting closer, then the does about 15 yards away stopped and started looking everywhere, then started blowing and took off about 20 yards and kept blowing. Then here comes the bucks, stopped at the same place, I picked the biggest "then i started calculating every story everyone has told me, take your time its early in season, if its brown it goes down, wait for a bigger one or maybe not, i thought i really hurt the spot by them smelling me+ my first chance at a good mature buck with my 380= so i took it at about 18 yards right when he went to turn. He jumped after the fact and took off. The whole time i was relaxed, thought things through. However, afterwards it hit me and my heart about came out of my chest. Came down the tree, went to my inlaws to get a bigger light, it was dark by then and we went and got it. He made it maybe 100 yards. Used my 380, Big Jims arrows with slick tricks. He had 8 points and after we dressed him out he weighed 178lbs.
Should i have waited and maybe killed bigger, nah. He is good size and I am thankful that God allowed it. The deer died a very humane way. The dude should of smelled me and took off though. Got some good meat from him and man was it flipping hot. Going to do a European Mount. Waiting for cooler weather for Does and then hunt on federal land to try on a bigger buck later on in season. In the morning going fall turkey hunting.
Thanks for all the great advice. I screwed up though with the wind guys.
"He is not a fool to gives the things he cannot keep, to gain the things which he cannot lose"
