I wish I could say he was a target buck, I had thoroughly scouted the area, had cameras out all over, did observation sits....but no. There was none of that. I had seen good rubs in the area. Although I had sat in the area infrequently the past several years hunting does. I hunt solo. The only mentors I really have besides youtube and books for hunting, are yall here on this site. And the woods.
A north/south power line and I sat up in a tree with two trunks, V shaped, at about 10-12 feet inside the hardwoods on the west side of the powerline, facing into the woods. To the north about 30 yards was a creek that cut west/east across the powerline.
About 530 pm I scanned, and checked my 6. Under or in the powerline were 4 does that had come out and were grazing. So I turned on my platform with my tether snug over my left shoulder. Im a lefty. And watched, bow in hand. They moved to the far side of the powerline inside the woods and turned north towards the creek.
And that's when I saw him, with the does. And another buck 6 or 8, and a third buck maybe 6?. They all disappeared into the woods and I thought they all went east...until I saw a doe moving back towards the creek through the woods. These hardwoods have no real underbrush under them. The group fed along the creek. That's when I counted them and realized there were 7 does and 3 bucks all together. Never seen that before that late in the season.
Then they started back towards me. The 8 point and one of the smaller bucks fed across the powerline. The smaller buck in front moved through an opening in the branches in front of me at about 35 yards. I thought if that big buck stays on the line he's feeding, he's coming through the same hole in the branches... so I drew and waited, and waited. The other buck kept going, the does kept feeding and the big buck finally took 3 steps. I put him in the V of my EZV sight. It was 555 pm, sunset was 559 and I watched my arrow with nocturnal on it fly straight and disappear through him. It was a quartering to shot at about 35 yards.
He kicked and took off south down the powerline. All the rest of the deer took off with him. I started shaking. He went down the powerline and then turned west into the woods. He piled up after about 30 yards in the woods.
First buck with my saddle and bow. Eight points, 145÷/- lbs.
My bow is my 2015 Bear Bounty 47#@25 in. Arrow was GT hunter xt 400 with a 50 gr insert and 150 magnus buzzcut.
Can't wait til next year to see what the other two bucks look like.
A north/south power line and I sat up in a tree with two trunks, V shaped, at about 10-12 feet inside the hardwoods on the west side of the powerline, facing into the woods. To the north about 30 yards was a creek that cut west/east across the powerline.
About 530 pm I scanned, and checked my 6. Under or in the powerline were 4 does that had come out and were grazing. So I turned on my platform with my tether snug over my left shoulder. Im a lefty. And watched, bow in hand. They moved to the far side of the powerline inside the woods and turned north towards the creek.
And that's when I saw him, with the does. And another buck 6 or 8, and a third buck maybe 6?. They all disappeared into the woods and I thought they all went east...until I saw a doe moving back towards the creek through the woods. These hardwoods have no real underbrush under them. The group fed along the creek. That's when I counted them and realized there were 7 does and 3 bucks all together. Never seen that before that late in the season.
Then they started back towards me. The 8 point and one of the smaller bucks fed across the powerline. The smaller buck in front moved through an opening in the branches in front of me at about 35 yards. I thought if that big buck stays on the line he's feeding, he's coming through the same hole in the branches... so I drew and waited, and waited. The other buck kept going, the does kept feeding and the big buck finally took 3 steps. I put him in the V of my EZV sight. It was 555 pm, sunset was 559 and I watched my arrow with nocturnal on it fly straight and disappear through him. It was a quartering to shot at about 35 yards.
He kicked and took off south down the powerline. All the rest of the deer took off with him. I started shaking. He went down the powerline and then turned west into the woods. He piled up after about 30 yards in the woods.
First buck with my saddle and bow. Eight points, 145÷/- lbs.
My bow is my 2015 Bear Bounty 47#@25 in. Arrow was GT hunter xt 400 with a 50 gr insert and 150 magnus buzzcut.
Can't wait til next year to see what the other two bucks look like.
