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Yep

Root

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2016
Messages
620
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I've been after a 10 point all season thus far. I've picked my way around what I believe are his beds. I've watched him bed in the morning and snuck around in huge loops to try and catch up to him. He's skated me within 80 yards a few times now.

With rut behavior starting to pick up today I decided to go in after him. So I crawled / stalked through the brown brush and golden rod. In all it took me over 2 hours to get to the tree and set up. I had a pile of branches to trim quietly. The plan was to catch him between his bed and where I saw him making a scrape two trees up from where I set up.
Around 4:30 my wife texted to remind me the freezer is nearing empty. (I have a tendency to only hunt one deer unless reminded she says)
A touch after 5 I spotted a decent 8 point and decided if given the chance I'd work towards filling the freezer. He hung up about 80 yards away wrestling around some brush. ( I typically don't call) I decided to try my doe bleat. I reached into my bag and tipped it over, he spun and stared so I was stuck frozen in the tree waiting for him to give me a window to put the call back. Eventually he put his head down and I reached to put the call away in my pack pocket.
When I turned with the call is when I locked eyes with Mr 10 point who snuck in straight down wind of me. There he was 18 yards away and clearly saw my arm move with the call. After a few minutes he turned and took off. _20181028_195327.JPG
He stood right in this opening. The one direction where I would be sky lit. Plus only being 3 sticks up he was almost the same height as me on the hill.

One problem with pushing into the middle of the action is they can and will come from any direction. I learned a good lesson. I'm giving it one more chance and moving onto another property.
 
View attachment 7340
I've been after a 10 point all season thus far. I've picked my way around what I believe are his beds. I've watched him bed in the morning and snuck around in huge loops to try and catch up to him. He's skated me within 80 yards a few times now.

With rut behavior starting to pick up today I decided to go in after him. So I crawled / stalked through the brown brush and golden rod. In all it took me over 2 hours to get to the tree and set up. I had a pile of branches to trim quietly. The plan was to catch him between his bed and where I saw him making a scrape two trees up from where I set up.
Around 4:30 my wife texted to remind me the freezer is nearing empty. (I have a tendency to only hunt one deer unless reminded she says)
A touch after 5 I spotted a decent 8 point and decided if given the chance I'd work towards filling the freezer. He hung up about 80 yards away wrestling around some brush. ( I typically don't call) I decided to try my doe bleat. I reached into my bag and tipped it over, he spun and stared so I was stuck frozen in the tree waiting for him to give me a window to put the call back. Eventually he put his head down and I reached to put the call away in my pack pocket.
When I turned with the call is when I locked eyes with Mr 10 point who snuck in straight down wind of me. There he was 18 yards away and clearly saw my arm move with the call. After a few minutes he turned and took off. View attachment 7341
He stood right in this opening. The one direction where I would be sky lit. Plus only being 3 sticks up he was almost the same height as me on the hill.

One problem with pushing into the middle of the action is they can and will come from any direction. I learned a good lesson. I'm giving it one more chance and moving onto another property.

Ouch! Better luck next time!
 
Terrible luck but a damn good story, man! Good luck on him. Hope you get him.


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You’ll always learn more from failures than from successes. Kill the wife a deer so she’ll quit fretting and then get back after them.
 
I actually almost laughed when it happened. Not that I wasn't disappointed, but if it was easy it wouldn't be fun. But I learned my lesson. One more crack at him and I'll move on and give it a breather, try again late season on him.

My wife reminds me that with two little kids, a business and normal job, time hunting only happens on weekends. But what she doesn't know is I feel a cold coming on, I'll be much to sick to go to work or run my shop for a day or two.
 
Now the debate. I've been studying Arial photos, permission boundaries, and sign I've seen on the ground. Basically leaving me with one choice of possibly being close enough. (assuming his bedding hasn't changed) I would have to hunt the same tree but try to hit it in the am. There is supposed to be a 18 degree temp drop for Saturday morning, the wind should be perfect. That tree is in a funnel of sorts in the middle of doe bedding.

But knowing he saw me has me doubting he will come by close enough if at all. What do you guys think? Hit it one more time in the am and hope to catch him or move on?
 
Hang in there man. At lest you could laugh it off! I think that’s a great quote about being in the “thick of it”. This Tuesday night I snuck up a creek bed for about mile to slip up a ravine to get between a buck bed and a corn field. I only had 1 shooting lane but felt confident. The 130” 9 pt I was looking to hunt came in the exact opposite way and took a trail away from me.

Hopefully you can be encouraged that you’re at least in the game on a mature deer. That’s a lot more to be said than most folks
 
I look at it differently now than I used to. Yes I really want that buck, but if I don't get him this year there's a good chance he'll be back bigger next year.

To me in an area like the one I was hunting, beating the mature does is harder than anything else. I've watched does scanning up in trees from their beds before they stand. Just getting to that tree is a process, but it's in the right place. I just hope he's in love next time he comes by and forgets about the blob in the tree.
 
I’m sure you’ll close the deal when the time comes! Keep us posted!
 
Got within 50 yards again but no shot. 4 point came in and kicked the doe up he was with off they went. Circled back around and bedded off where I don't have permission. _20181103_114613.JPG
 
Dang! I say the odds are in your favor soon haha
What state are you hunting? Is that snow?
 
It's been a season of walking for me so far. Chasing the same deer is starting to wear me thin. I've been within 50 yards of him several times. I took the day off yesturday and spent 5 hours stalking / walking. This was on a 200 acre property to give you an idea how slow I was going. I finally snuck into one of his exit trails after watching him in the timber pushing a doe back towards his bed on the brush / timber line. They ended up coming almost out of the trail where I would've had a shot and a younger buck wrecked it again.
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He's the brown blob in the picture. This is the last weekend of bow here so I'm giving it tomorrow am and then moving on. I was willing by that point to shoot anything!

Tomorrow night I'll be switching properties and try to get something for the freezer. I'm not very good at giving up once I get onto one so I'll see if I can force myself away.

The 5 hour walk was to much carrying 5 full length sticks. I need to come up with a plan b when going stalking / walking.
 
It's been a season of walking for me so far. Chasing the same deer is starting to wear me thin. I've been within 50 yards of him several times. I took the day off yesturday and spent 5 hours stalking / walking. This was on a 200 acre property to give you an idea how slow I was going. I finally snuck into one of his exit trails after watching him in the timber pushing a doe back towards his bed on the brush / timber line. They ended up coming almost out of the trail where I would've had a shot and a younger buck wrecked it again.
View attachment 7631

He's the brown blob in the picture. This is the last weekend of bow here so I'm giving it tomorrow am and then moving on. I was willing by that point to shoot anything!

Tomorrow night I'll be switching properties and try to get something for the freezer. I'm not very good at giving up once I get onto one so I'll see if I can force myself away.

The 5 hour walk was to much carrying 5 full length sticks. I need to come up with a plan b when going stalking / walking.

No ambush sites?
 
There are, but like his bed it's off of where I have permission.
 
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