Yesterday I was off and saw a full movement forecast on spartan forge over the next couple days. I didn’t have a pre set tree and wasn’t thrilled with hunting old sign I hunted last week, so I decided to get in the woods at sunrise and scout my way in to see if I could find some hot scrapes to set up off of. I found a big community scrape area with a fresh rub and ended up setting up in the creek bottom 30 yards from the scrape area and 20 yards off a creek crossing with big fresh tracks crossing the creek. There was a ton of security cover on the trail leading down to the creek opposite of where I came from. I knew it was going to be risky with my thermals in the creek bottom but I wind mapped it and saw I could get a shot at the crossing if he came the way I hoped he would.
Just after 10am, a buck came down the trail towards the creek right where I thought he might come from. There was pretty good cover between me and the deer and I didn’t see his whole rack I just saw a big body and several points. I knew that it was a nice buck for this piece of public land I was hunting. Right as he hit the crossing he stopped dead in his tracks and I knew he smelled something he didn’t like. I had a small window to shoot at him and sent an arrow directly at his lungs. I saw it hit him and he took off over the creek and crashed 50 yards from where he was shot. After a bad shot on a buck earlier this year I didn’t want to get my hopes up but I liked what I saw. I gave it 40 minutes and went down to find a blood trail.
As I followed the trail I found my first deer laying on the ground, a beautiful Pennsylvania public land 8 pointer. I've been on cloud 9 since. The haul was brutal alone but it was worth it. He came out to be 165 pounds dressed. Dropped him off at the butcher and told them to save the cape so I can get him shoulder mounted. I’ll never forget my hunt yesterday and the work it took to shoot my first deer. Thanks to all who have dropped wisdom and special shot out to Jman10879, a fellow SH guy who’s helped me tremendously. It sucks my season is over as I love the rut but I’m glad I got it done.
Just after 10am, a buck came down the trail towards the creek right where I thought he might come from. There was pretty good cover between me and the deer and I didn’t see his whole rack I just saw a big body and several points. I knew that it was a nice buck for this piece of public land I was hunting. Right as he hit the crossing he stopped dead in his tracks and I knew he smelled something he didn’t like. I had a small window to shoot at him and sent an arrow directly at his lungs. I saw it hit him and he took off over the creek and crashed 50 yards from where he was shot. After a bad shot on a buck earlier this year I didn’t want to get my hopes up but I liked what I saw. I gave it 40 minutes and went down to find a blood trail.
As I followed the trail I found my first deer laying on the ground, a beautiful Pennsylvania public land 8 pointer. I've been on cloud 9 since. The haul was brutal alone but it was worth it. He came out to be 165 pounds dressed. Dropped him off at the butcher and told them to save the cape so I can get him shoulder mounted. I’ll never forget my hunt yesterday and the work it took to shoot my first deer. Thanks to all who have dropped wisdom and special shot out to Jman10879, a fellow SH guy who’s helped me tremendously. It sucks my season is over as I love the rut but I’m glad I got it done.
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