- Joined
- Apr 1, 2014
- Messages
- 700
Dan Taylor attended one of my workshops last year and he took a great buck lat year and here's the story and pic of the buck he took last Saturday
Hi John,
I have another Michigan success story I wanted to share with you with several factors right out of your playbook that I’ve learned from you over the years from your books, media, and attending your workshop.
Going into the season, I had 2 bucks I was targeting, one on a managed property that my family owns, a 4.5 year old 10 point, that I passed up last year and he made it through the season. I have some velvet pictures of him, but he traditionally isn’t very active on the property until about the second week of Oct. each year. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen him since season started so I have been trying to keep minimal pressure on that piece in hopes that he’ll follow last year’s pattern and eventually begins to spend significant daylight hours there.
The second buck is a non-typical 4.5+ year old on a small property that I have permission on. I don’t believe this buck is bedding on this piece, but he does frequent it. I have a couple rut funnel location trees prepped for all day sits in late Oct / early Nov, but again have wanted to keep the pressure off that piece since I am the only one that bow hunts it.
With wanting to limit the pressure on these 2 locations, I found myself struggling to put together a game plan yesterday for my afternoon hunt. I’ll be honest, I had put a lot of emphasis on the 10 point leading up to season because I was sure I had him figured out and would be able to make a move on him by now. But that plan was panning out.
My neighbor had sent me a trail cam picture from earlier in the week of a really wide buck on Friday. I guess that deer was still on my mind the next day. I have permission on a small wood lot in the same section as the trail cam picture was taken, about 1/2 mile to the north. It’s about 5 acres of timber, nothing special, but quite thick. I have only hunted it one other time in the last four years, but had known good bucks to bed in there in the past.
Two years ago I did some post season scouting and found the SE corner of the woods to have most of the scraping and rub activity. Most notably there was a large lone cedar tree that appeared to have multiple years of rub scars. I took note, but never went back. That location popped into my head as I contemplated where to go for my evening sit yesterday.
I remembered there was standing corn completely surrounding the small woodlot so I decided to go check it out. I grabbed my climbing sticks along with the rest of my gear and headed out. It was quite windy, which I figured would be great cover noise to get into a tree since I didn’t have one prepped. Once parked I changed into my base layers and ScentLok coveralls and slowly walked the 3/8 mile through the standing corn to the corner of the woods. My plan was to quietly slip into that corner and briefly inspect the sign.
I knew there were a couple primary scrapes on the field edge right at the corner from my scouting trip two year earlier but the last 2 seasons the bordering crops had been short soybeans so I never hunted their as it was too exposed. I don’t pay much attention to field edge scrapes unless there is standing corn like you have taught.
As I eased up to the edge I could see several freshly worked scrapes, and better yet the cedar was freshly raked and some decent sized branches had been broken off. The sign looked hot, and with standing corn all around I decided to set up there. I found a nice red oak that appeared to allow shots to a couple of the scrapes as well as the rub line (I noticed a couple more upon further inspection).
I went to work getting up the tree, appreciating the increasing wind noise to cover mine. Once I was settled into my saddle, it began to lightly rain and sleet. I was content in my Rivers West rain suit under my ScentLok coveralls. I noticed the wind was really swirling when it hit the corner of timber, but confident in my scent control program I wasn’t too concerned. I have found as long as I take precautions to keep to proper scent control standards, I am most often rewarded by being able to get away with poor wind direction, just like you have always said.
I had been in the tree less than 30 minutes and had been watching a squirrel, when I heard what I thought was another squirrel directly behind me, although this one was really making some noise. Without thinking, I made a rookie mistake and quickly turned my head to the noise. Not a squirrel! A wide racked buck was making a scrape and working a licking branch about 15 yards behind me. He had slipped in on me unexpectedly, from downwind. I froze as when his head was in the licking branch, he was facing right at me! The usual “how did I let my guard down enough for this to happen” was pounding through my head. He was right where I needed him to be only there was no chance of me grabbing my bow and pulling off the shot with him facing my position. I just had to hold tight and watch.
If he went left I could get a shot off, if he goes right, no shots. As the good ones usually do, he chose to work to his right offering me no chance at a shot. As soon as he turned away I quickly grabbed my bow and swung around the tree just in case there was an opening. A few more steps and I lost sight of him, but I could hear him working another scrape. About 5 more minutes passed with no idea if he was still close, or had wandered off, when a lone doe trotted into the woods about 40 yards down a spun around looking sharply back.
I’ve seen that move before, and though it’s a bit early for rutting activity but my hopes jumped back up for another crack at him. Sure enough, through the brush he was entering the woods. 40 yards is a bit further than I like to shoot, and for a second I debated the odds of him coming closer, but I remembered some advice you gave on a podcast about taking the shot as soon as it presented itself if you think you can make it, even when you assume he’ll come closer.
He was broadside and completely unaware of my presence, and with enough breeze that I didn’t expect him to hear and jump or duck the string, so as he entered the next opening I drew, settled the pin and squeezed. It felt good the whole way through and I watched the arrow disappear into his chest, perfect height and maybe 2 inches back from where I hoped, but I knew even before he mule kicked and tore out of there that he wouldn’t likely go far.
I know I don’t have to explain it to you, but I simply sat and enjoyed reflecting for the next couple moments. I felt a great sense of accomplishment in piecing so many seemingly meaningless details together in order to achieve success. I’ll be honest, I have put a lot of time and effort into habitat improvement on a few family properties over the past few years, and I was beginning to become concerned if that style of hunting would dull my natural hunting skill development and abilities to take mature bucks under more normal circumstances. Now, in a matter of about 2 hours I had gone from contemplating where to go on my evening hunt, to remembering this little woodlot that I haven’t been in for 2 years, to reading and interpreting sign, to pulling of a shot on a great Michigan buck. You could say I was patting myself on the back pretty hard.
With the rain squalls still hitting from time to time and now very strong winds to cover my ground noise I decided to get down much sooner than I normally would and slip up to inspect the shot location and arrow. Lots of good blood right from impact and it looked to be a good blood trail so I backed out.
About 1.5 hours later I returned with my wife, dad, and father in law. It was a short track, he went less than 50 yards from where I shot him and it was just so thick and windy that I couldn’t see or hear him go down from the tree. He’s an 11 pt with just over 21” inside spread. I attribute a lot of this success to several of your strategies... Hunting destination locations / primary scrapes this time of year, observing the sign and only setting up if it looks hot, (I was prepared to keep moving on if that location didn’t show what I was looking for), hunting in the rain / excessive wind, not having to worry about wind direction, hunting from a saddle, etc. It surely was the right combination of everything that afternoon!
Note... I’m really getting particular on my ScentLok garment care, as well as my Rivers West and base layers so that was all removed and stowed immediately when I returned to my pickup. As you know it’s plenty of work to keep up a good scent control regimen, so I no longer wear my garments for any reason outside of the hunt itself. Its street clothes for me on a recovery, I don’t want the mud or blood on any of my hunting apparel anymore, hence the picture in street clothes.
I’m a big fan of the ScentLok Savanna Quickstrike Coveralls. I wear them as my outer layer, along with the Savanna Lightweight face mask and ScentLok gloves. I had speculated on ScentLok for years and finally decided to give it a try after attending your workshop last summer. I’m glad I did, because now I’m more confident to push into areas that most would say doesn’t offer a “safe” wind. My quality of hunts and encounters have dramatically increased by being able to do this as this was my second buck taken that was at some point directly downwind of me. Thank you for the nudge I needed to give the ScentLok system a real try!
Good luck this se
Hi John,
I have another Michigan success story I wanted to share with you with several factors right out of your playbook that I’ve learned from you over the years from your books, media, and attending your workshop.
Going into the season, I had 2 bucks I was targeting, one on a managed property that my family owns, a 4.5 year old 10 point, that I passed up last year and he made it through the season. I have some velvet pictures of him, but he traditionally isn’t very active on the property until about the second week of Oct. each year. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen him since season started so I have been trying to keep minimal pressure on that piece in hopes that he’ll follow last year’s pattern and eventually begins to spend significant daylight hours there.
The second buck is a non-typical 4.5+ year old on a small property that I have permission on. I don’t believe this buck is bedding on this piece, but he does frequent it. I have a couple rut funnel location trees prepped for all day sits in late Oct / early Nov, but again have wanted to keep the pressure off that piece since I am the only one that bow hunts it.
With wanting to limit the pressure on these 2 locations, I found myself struggling to put together a game plan yesterday for my afternoon hunt. I’ll be honest, I had put a lot of emphasis on the 10 point leading up to season because I was sure I had him figured out and would be able to make a move on him by now. But that plan was panning out.
My neighbor had sent me a trail cam picture from earlier in the week of a really wide buck on Friday. I guess that deer was still on my mind the next day. I have permission on a small wood lot in the same section as the trail cam picture was taken, about 1/2 mile to the north. It’s about 5 acres of timber, nothing special, but quite thick. I have only hunted it one other time in the last four years, but had known good bucks to bed in there in the past.
Two years ago I did some post season scouting and found the SE corner of the woods to have most of the scraping and rub activity. Most notably there was a large lone cedar tree that appeared to have multiple years of rub scars. I took note, but never went back. That location popped into my head as I contemplated where to go for my evening sit yesterday.
I remembered there was standing corn completely surrounding the small woodlot so I decided to go check it out. I grabbed my climbing sticks along with the rest of my gear and headed out. It was quite windy, which I figured would be great cover noise to get into a tree since I didn’t have one prepped. Once parked I changed into my base layers and ScentLok coveralls and slowly walked the 3/8 mile through the standing corn to the corner of the woods. My plan was to quietly slip into that corner and briefly inspect the sign.
I knew there were a couple primary scrapes on the field edge right at the corner from my scouting trip two year earlier but the last 2 seasons the bordering crops had been short soybeans so I never hunted their as it was too exposed. I don’t pay much attention to field edge scrapes unless there is standing corn like you have taught.
As I eased up to the edge I could see several freshly worked scrapes, and better yet the cedar was freshly raked and some decent sized branches had been broken off. The sign looked hot, and with standing corn all around I decided to set up there. I found a nice red oak that appeared to allow shots to a couple of the scrapes as well as the rub line (I noticed a couple more upon further inspection).
I went to work getting up the tree, appreciating the increasing wind noise to cover mine. Once I was settled into my saddle, it began to lightly rain and sleet. I was content in my Rivers West rain suit under my ScentLok coveralls. I noticed the wind was really swirling when it hit the corner of timber, but confident in my scent control program I wasn’t too concerned. I have found as long as I take precautions to keep to proper scent control standards, I am most often rewarded by being able to get away with poor wind direction, just like you have always said.
I had been in the tree less than 30 minutes and had been watching a squirrel, when I heard what I thought was another squirrel directly behind me, although this one was really making some noise. Without thinking, I made a rookie mistake and quickly turned my head to the noise. Not a squirrel! A wide racked buck was making a scrape and working a licking branch about 15 yards behind me. He had slipped in on me unexpectedly, from downwind. I froze as when his head was in the licking branch, he was facing right at me! The usual “how did I let my guard down enough for this to happen” was pounding through my head. He was right where I needed him to be only there was no chance of me grabbing my bow and pulling off the shot with him facing my position. I just had to hold tight and watch.
If he went left I could get a shot off, if he goes right, no shots. As the good ones usually do, he chose to work to his right offering me no chance at a shot. As soon as he turned away I quickly grabbed my bow and swung around the tree just in case there was an opening. A few more steps and I lost sight of him, but I could hear him working another scrape. About 5 more minutes passed with no idea if he was still close, or had wandered off, when a lone doe trotted into the woods about 40 yards down a spun around looking sharply back.
I’ve seen that move before, and though it’s a bit early for rutting activity but my hopes jumped back up for another crack at him. Sure enough, through the brush he was entering the woods. 40 yards is a bit further than I like to shoot, and for a second I debated the odds of him coming closer, but I remembered some advice you gave on a podcast about taking the shot as soon as it presented itself if you think you can make it, even when you assume he’ll come closer.
He was broadside and completely unaware of my presence, and with enough breeze that I didn’t expect him to hear and jump or duck the string, so as he entered the next opening I drew, settled the pin and squeezed. It felt good the whole way through and I watched the arrow disappear into his chest, perfect height and maybe 2 inches back from where I hoped, but I knew even before he mule kicked and tore out of there that he wouldn’t likely go far.
I know I don’t have to explain it to you, but I simply sat and enjoyed reflecting for the next couple moments. I felt a great sense of accomplishment in piecing so many seemingly meaningless details together in order to achieve success. I’ll be honest, I have put a lot of time and effort into habitat improvement on a few family properties over the past few years, and I was beginning to become concerned if that style of hunting would dull my natural hunting skill development and abilities to take mature bucks under more normal circumstances. Now, in a matter of about 2 hours I had gone from contemplating where to go on my evening hunt, to remembering this little woodlot that I haven’t been in for 2 years, to reading and interpreting sign, to pulling of a shot on a great Michigan buck. You could say I was patting myself on the back pretty hard.
With the rain squalls still hitting from time to time and now very strong winds to cover my ground noise I decided to get down much sooner than I normally would and slip up to inspect the shot location and arrow. Lots of good blood right from impact and it looked to be a good blood trail so I backed out.
About 1.5 hours later I returned with my wife, dad, and father in law. It was a short track, he went less than 50 yards from where I shot him and it was just so thick and windy that I couldn’t see or hear him go down from the tree. He’s an 11 pt with just over 21” inside spread. I attribute a lot of this success to several of your strategies... Hunting destination locations / primary scrapes this time of year, observing the sign and only setting up if it looks hot, (I was prepared to keep moving on if that location didn’t show what I was looking for), hunting in the rain / excessive wind, not having to worry about wind direction, hunting from a saddle, etc. It surely was the right combination of everything that afternoon!
Note... I’m really getting particular on my ScentLok garment care, as well as my Rivers West and base layers so that was all removed and stowed immediately when I returned to my pickup. As you know it’s plenty of work to keep up a good scent control regimen, so I no longer wear my garments for any reason outside of the hunt itself. Its street clothes for me on a recovery, I don’t want the mud or blood on any of my hunting apparel anymore, hence the picture in street clothes.
I’m a big fan of the ScentLok Savanna Quickstrike Coveralls. I wear them as my outer layer, along with the Savanna Lightweight face mask and ScentLok gloves. I had speculated on ScentLok for years and finally decided to give it a try after attending your workshop last summer. I’m glad I did, because now I’m more confident to push into areas that most would say doesn’t offer a “safe” wind. My quality of hunts and encounters have dramatically increased by being able to do this as this was my second buck taken that was at some point directly downwind of me. Thank you for the nudge I needed to give the ScentLok system a real try!
Good luck this se
