I had my first hunt day of the season yesterday. Last week I did a speed scout of some spots that have produced early season acorns in the past. I also found a new hot oak thanks to a helpful doe. With these spots in mind, I went out yesterday morning and eased into the spot I considered to be the best and used my 2TC kit to climb a shoulder width diameter tree about 22 yards from the farthest red oak of the little cluster. The climb went very well and soon I was perched about 22 feet up the tree nestled in a clump of leaves belonging to the neighboring tree.
The spot consisted of three large red oaks growing close together in a little basin along a creek. The basin was about 1 foot lower than the surrounding area. Of the three, the center one was the largest with a base width of about 4 feet. This was the tree I observed the two does under last Wednesday about 9:00 AM with my binoculars. This tree was about 16 yards to my immediate front. A deep creek with a little trickle of water in it was to my right and the woods consisted of mature pine stand with dense low understory for hundreds of acres to the South. To the West, a thicket of new growth pines formed a transition a few hundred yards away. I suspect the deer spend a lot of time off in that thicket and in the hills of the mature pine stand to the South.
I sat from 6:45 AM until 11:45 AM and saw no deer. I was a bit surprised since the ground under this tree was torn up and there were fresh acorns and nipped acorn caps and fresh deer poop under the tree. The activity I observed about a week before was also morning feeding. You just never know. Maybe they caught me coming in? Maybe a week’s time has turned the feeding pattern to evening? While I was in the tree, the red oaks were raining acorns. This just has to be a good spot with that sign.
I drove around and checked a few more spots but nothing looked as good as the spot I hunted that morning. By two PM I had to make a decision and so I decided to go with my gut and be back in that tree for the evening sit. I eased back in and climbed the tree again and settled in. I had squirrels to entertain me and at one point a raccoon came in and headed straight for that big red oak. A large vine about 4 inches in diameter grows from the base of that tree way up into its canopy. The raccoon shimmied up that vine and went to the very top of that tree. He made it look so easy.
Around 6 PM I was calmly sitting in my saddle “in the zone”, or zoned out, when my phone begins to ring. Luckily, I had it on the lowest volume setting. I quickly go to silence it and see it is my wife calling. She knows I am in the woods. She just hasn’t gotten in deer hunting mode and realized not to call me until well after dark. Texting is the accepted form of communication during daylight when I am in the woods. If it’s important she will text me. I put the phone away and look up and a 4-point buck is now closing the distance to my tree at 8 yards. He comes right on in to about 4 yards of the base of my tree and then turns and starts munching acorns. I am a little annoyed to see him since these are not legal quarry and just pose a risk of detection without any benefit. I also know a doe is less likely to come in if this little fellow is here. I then catch movement to the South under the leaf canopy. It is another buck. Things are looking up. He cautiously walks in and watches the young buck. From what I can see he is a ten point, as wide as his ears, about 100ish inches. Now this presents a dilemma. He is a legal buck and a dandy little 10. A few years ago, I would have tried my best to arrow him. Now that I have killed several 100 inchers and some a good bit larger, I don’t feel the desire to try for this deer. Where I am hunting on public land in sandy soil pines in Mississippi this is a pretty good deer. Man, I am torn. The final decision comes down to this. In a year, if he makes it, being a 10 point now, he could be a 125 inch 12 next year. He seems to have better than average genetics. Most of our 2 year old’s seem to be 10 pointers. He may not make it but if I kill him now, that is it. He will never have the chance. Also, if someone else kills him this season this could be their best buck yet. I know just a few years ago this buck would have made my year. Right them, in the moment, he just did not make my heart rate go up. It’s funny how we go off inches and scores, but a trophy is so personal, so situational, that any arbitrary measure just doesn’t do a deer justice. I let him walk.
They ate for a while and ambled off to the East along the valley. I waited until dark with no other deer seen. I hope you won’t be too cross with me for not taking that buck. I did consider the contest and the points he could have contributed. I just couldn’t do it. Keep in mind also that it was not a foregone conclusion that I could have killed him. A lot can happen between the time I reach for my bow until the time I release an arrow. It’s hard to draw on a buck with another close by with both inside 15 yards in calm conditions. He has a lot of potential and I did a small part in helping him reach it. Maybe I will see him again in a year or two and he will be a wall hanger. I did get a short video of him and his buddy under my tree. Sorry for the poor quality photo below. I pulled it off the little video.
I plan to be out again in the next few days, and I hope to put something on the ground to help with the contest and to help fill the freezer. It was a good first day of the season.
) and rest up for the rut. I have October 29-November 8th off. I also picked up a tag to do a muzzeloader hunt 20 minutes from home November 2nd-5th. In a perfect world I could have 2 bucks down during my rutcation. That being said I'm not going to be that picky with that muzzleloader tag but the pressure is off and I can try to hold out for a real big one during the rut.
