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Team 9 Thread

I had a close encounter with the buck I saw last Tuesday. He came into 25 yards after I snort wheezed at him three times. My attempts to grunt at him were ignored. He stopped directly behind a tree, unfortunately. No shot opportunity. He never saw the challenger buck and bound once and walked back into the thicket to defend the yearling doe he was tending. No flagging or blowing. No other deer with him spooked by my aggressive tactic. So I feel confident he wasn’t too boogered up. He had four other small bucks with him, along with three other does. I’m down to single digit days to hunt him, and I think he will be on the similar feed pattern I witnessed the past two sits. Fingers crossed I can stay with him. I’d love to post the short video clip I have of him circling through the thicket right before he turned to walk to my location. But I’ll settle for this subpar screen grab so you can see most of his rack as he clears a treeF088D425-BDAC-475E-8C29-C70A5A2EA36C.jpeg
 
I had a close encounter with the buck I saw last Tuesday. He came into 25 yards after I snort wheezed at him three times. My attempts to grunt at him were ignored. He stopped directly behind a tree, unfortunately. No shot opportunity. He never saw the challenger buck and bound once and walked back into the thicket to defend the yearling doe he was tending. No flagging or blowing. No other deer with him spooked by my aggressive tactic. So I feel confident he wasn’t too boogered up. He had four other small bucks with him, along with three other does. I’m down to single digit days to hunt him, and I think he will be on the similar feed pattern I witnessed the past two sits. Fingers crossed I can stay with him. I’d love to post the short video clip I have of him circling through the thicket right before he turned to walk to my location. But I’ll settle for this subpar screen grab so you can see most of his rack as he clears a treeView attachment 41906
Man thats a great looking buck...hope you put a tag on him soon...here's a pic of our family's Iowa bucks this season20201226_082517.jpg
 
I had a close encounter with the buck I saw last Tuesday. He came into 25 yards after I snort wheezed at him three times. My attempts to grunt at him were ignored. He stopped directly behind a tree, unfortunately. No shot opportunity. He never saw the challenger buck and bound once and walked back into the thicket to defend the yearling doe he was tending. No flagging or blowing. No other deer with him spooked by my aggressive tactic. So I feel confident he wasn’t too boogered up. He had four other small bucks with him, along with three other does. I’m down to single digit days to hunt him, and I think he will be on the similar feed pattern I witnessed the past two sits. Fingers crossed I can stay with him. I’d love to post the short video clip I have of him circling through the thicket right before he turned to walk to my location. But I’ll settle for this subpar screen grab so you can see most of his rack as he clears a tree

Keep after him.....He'll screw up eventually.
 
Still an integral part of all that success. Best of luck bagging your own bruiser!!
Thanks Guff...never filmed so many good bucks in such a short period of time.. Once we get past this weekend I'm heading back out this week...I need a N wind...might go in and pull my SD card after church today..
 
Got blanked again today. Dang this late season is tough. But on a good note my Merlin came in and couldn’t be happier. Super comfortable and quality like no other.
 
Man I like to get your feed back on your merlin

its awesome. I hunted out of a Mantis the last 2 seasons. Tried a phantom out once...even though it was an improvement from the mantis it wasn’t for me. The Merlin kicks it’s tail in every way. I’ve had Zero hip/leg pinch and it does not ride up either. The quality is a lot better too IMO. It’s heavy duty and even though it weighs a little more I can’t tell it when wore it walking in to set up. Also even though I didn’t feel unsafe in my mantis, I just get a safer vibe with this Merlin. Probably because of how heavy duty it is and the fact aero hunter/new tribe has been in the arborist business for quite sometime.
 
its awesome. I hunted out of a Mantis the last 2 seasons. Tried a phantom out once...even though it was an improvement from the mantis it wasn’t for me. The Merlin kicks it’s tail in every way. I’ve had Zero hip/leg pinch and it does not ride up either. The quality is a lot better too IMO. It’s heavy duty and even though it weighs a little more I can’t tell it when wore it walking in to set up. Also even though I didn’t feel unsafe in my mantis, I just get a safer vibe with this Merlin. Probably because of how heavy duty it is and the fact aero hunter/new tribe has been in the arborist business for quite sometime.
Thats sounds awesome...I currently have a Kestrel from Areo hunter and like it but it does ride up on me a little...I almost pulled the trigger on a merlin several weeks ago but decided to wait a while and read the reviews....well thank you brother Happy New Year and good luck
 
its awesome. I hunted out of a Mantis the last 2 seasons. Tried a phantom out once...even though it was an improvement from the mantis it wasn’t for me. The Merlin kicks it’s tail in every way. I’ve had Zero hip/leg pinch and it does not ride up either. The quality is a lot better too IMO. It’s heavy duty and even though it weighs a little more I can’t tell it when wore it walking in to set up. Also even though I didn’t feel unsafe in my mantis, I just get a safer vibe with this Merlin. Probably because of how heavy duty it is and the fact aero hunter/new tribe has been in the arborist business for quite sometime.
I am in a similar boat. Had a season with the Mantis and then a season with the Phantom. Never truly satisfied in the comfort department. Got the Cruzr XC for Christmas which seems similar to the Merlin with a mesh expansion panel. Heard some good reviews on the comfort in the Cruzr compared to the Phantom. Not sure when I’ll get a chance to fully check it out.
 
I come asking forgiveness.

My stubborn ass waited too long to bag a couple of does, and it bit me. The last four sits I had on the season produced nothing but smaller bucks in range of my bow. I got skunked.

I failed. It sucks. I’m sorry.
 
Back at it again. Really I’m just hoping to see a deer this evening. Last 4 sits I’ve gotten skunked.
 

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