KYHunter
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2018
- Messages
- 1,113
So I’ve been following this deer since late season last year when he showed up on camera on one of the farms I hunt here in western KY. I looked for his sheds all spring and couldn’t find them but I quickly picked him up on camera this summer to confirm he survived the winter. Our bow season opens early here so all my focus was on this deer. I primarily try to hunt buck bedding so I was hunting fairly aggressively but just wasn’t aggressive enough on opening morning as he showed up on camera by a set I didn’t hunt because I didn’t want to risk spooking him just yet.
Based on camera info I could tell he was still in the area despite several hunts aimed at his core bedding area. I then realized that he likely had shifted bedding to the other side of the farm. I gained permission to access the farm from a different direction in an attempt to minimize my intrusion and it paid off. On my walk in a noticed fresh rubs and big tracks in an area I didn’t expect them to be. Rather than continue to my “suspected” bedding I set up on the hot sign where it ran into the corner of a bean field. I setup only about 12’ off the ground in a tree barely 4” in diameter. I had Hawk Minis, predator platform and Lattitude Classic saddle. I didn’t see any other deer all evening but right before dark this guy came out and gave me a 12 yard quartering away shot. He ran less than 100 yards and made for an easy recovery! It’s always nice when the deer read the script. This deer was likely a 5 or 6 year old as he had no anterior maxillary teeth left and very limited mandibular teeth. A short but fun season here in KY! Now I’m on to TN.
Based on camera info I could tell he was still in the area despite several hunts aimed at his core bedding area. I then realized that he likely had shifted bedding to the other side of the farm. I gained permission to access the farm from a different direction in an attempt to minimize my intrusion and it paid off. On my walk in a noticed fresh rubs and big tracks in an area I didn’t expect them to be. Rather than continue to my “suspected” bedding I set up on the hot sign where it ran into the corner of a bean field. I setup only about 12’ off the ground in a tree barely 4” in diameter. I had Hawk Minis, predator platform and Lattitude Classic saddle. I didn’t see any other deer all evening but right before dark this guy came out and gave me a 12 yard quartering away shot. He ran less than 100 yards and made for an easy recovery! It’s always nice when the deer read the script. This deer was likely a 5 or 6 year old as he had no anterior maxillary teeth left and very limited mandibular teeth. A short but fun season here in KY! Now I’m on to TN.
