Scott F
Well-Known Member
On 17 Nov I had the opportunity to hunt an area on MCB Quantico VA that I had been scouting fairly heavily from a distance, it contained pockets of doe. I figured that is where the bucks would be in mid-November. I was in my saddle, ready to hunt, a little more than an hour before sunrise. All was well, except for the gale-force winds and by 0930, having sat long enough to lose the feeling in my toes, I figured it was time to do something - anything - rather than sit and freeze to death in a tree surrounded by nothing but dadgum squirrels. I decided to get down and find another area to set up in to hunt later that evening.
I found a great looking oak flat located on a bench in some very hilly terrain. I was essentially in a bowel surrounded on 3 sides by high ground. It was void of any rubs or scrapes but just felt like the place that a lone buck would cruise, looking for some midday love'n. My only goal was to set up my sticks and platform, and return in a couple hours with some serious clothing reinforcements for the afternoon. While I moved from point A to point B I warmed up enough to decide that I may as well sit for as long as I could manage it. To my surprise the wind was all but non-existent on this bench and visibility was perfect. I could see any approaching deer because I set up in a big red oak tree adjacent to an elm that was holding it's leaves to provide some good cover to break up my outline. After the climb I was plenty warm enough sit for a couple hours so as soon as I tethered in and hauled my bow and pack up into the tree I pulled out a can call and flipped it over a couple times. Less than 5 total minutes from hanging in the tree I hear crunching about 25 yards to my right. Thinking squirrel again, I looked and saw a nice buck, nose to the ground, walking away from me. How the heck you can hear a deer 200 meters away one day, then miss one almost under your stand the next day is something that I may never come to understand. I go back and forth from being a 'leaner' to being a 'sitter', but one thing that I don't change is the diameter of the tree that I normally hunt out of. This tree was much bigger than I normally use, but I set up in my normal routine -- which didn't allow me enough slack to rotate to shoot the dreaded saddle hunter's right-front approach of a deer (I am right handed). $h!t. I already had my bow in hand as I tried to fumble with my Ropeman to give me some slack to spin and shoot; he is now about 45 yards away and moving out! In an act of desperation I tugged on my Ropeman to drop about 8", literally swapped feet on my Stepps, and reached for the can call as I positioned for a shot. One flip of that dadgum can and he spun in his tracks and was headed back directly toward me. I slept peacefully that night knowing that the last thing on his mind was, well, good thoughts; it is very likely that he was smiling as he walked toward me. The shot was around 20 yards, he went about 50 more.
I may have been able to pull off the point A to point B move with a conventional stand, but I doubt I could have done it as quietly as I could with a saddle. That deer was obviously close when I walked to this location and set up, any metal clanking would have certainly pushed him away.
I found a great looking oak flat located on a bench in some very hilly terrain. I was essentially in a bowel surrounded on 3 sides by high ground. It was void of any rubs or scrapes but just felt like the place that a lone buck would cruise, looking for some midday love'n. My only goal was to set up my sticks and platform, and return in a couple hours with some serious clothing reinforcements for the afternoon. While I moved from point A to point B I warmed up enough to decide that I may as well sit for as long as I could manage it. To my surprise the wind was all but non-existent on this bench and visibility was perfect. I could see any approaching deer because I set up in a big red oak tree adjacent to an elm that was holding it's leaves to provide some good cover to break up my outline. After the climb I was plenty warm enough sit for a couple hours so as soon as I tethered in and hauled my bow and pack up into the tree I pulled out a can call and flipped it over a couple times. Less than 5 total minutes from hanging in the tree I hear crunching about 25 yards to my right. Thinking squirrel again, I looked and saw a nice buck, nose to the ground, walking away from me. How the heck you can hear a deer 200 meters away one day, then miss one almost under your stand the next day is something that I may never come to understand. I go back and forth from being a 'leaner' to being a 'sitter', but one thing that I don't change is the diameter of the tree that I normally hunt out of. This tree was much bigger than I normally use, but I set up in my normal routine -- which didn't allow me enough slack to rotate to shoot the dreaded saddle hunter's right-front approach of a deer (I am right handed). $h!t. I already had my bow in hand as I tried to fumble with my Ropeman to give me some slack to spin and shoot; he is now about 45 yards away and moving out! In an act of desperation I tugged on my Ropeman to drop about 8", literally swapped feet on my Stepps, and reached for the can call as I positioned for a shot. One flip of that dadgum can and he spun in his tracks and was headed back directly toward me. I slept peacefully that night knowing that the last thing on his mind was, well, good thoughts; it is very likely that he was smiling as he walked toward me. The shot was around 20 yards, he went about 50 more.
I may have been able to pull off the point A to point B move with a conventional stand, but I doubt I could have done it as quietly as I could with a saddle. That deer was obviously close when I walked to this location and set up, any metal clanking would have certainly pushed him away.
