treft133
Member
The last two archery seasons I've had many close encounters and came up empty handed. I am hunting on good ole Iowa Public Hunting ground.
The hunt really started last spring as I was in search for a different spot within the same large tract of public hunting. After shed hunting and walking many different areas I stumbled across a nice pinch point that connects a couple bedding areas and a feeding area. I marked the spot on my phone and told myself to come back here in November.
This summer I studied the topo maps and put together a plan as to what the deer were most likely doing in this particular area on a regular basis. So I put trail cameras up late this summer with some mineral and was able to locate a few nice bucks including this buck.
As time went on this fall I was able to hunt opening weekend. Pretty uneventful as usual. However, I was able to move a lone wolf stand and sticks back deep into the timber to that pinch that I wanted to be in come November. I Hung the stand and stashed the sticks some 30 yards away. Little did I know I wouldn’t be bowhunting again until Halloween morning. Busy October!!
Fast forward to Halloween morning. I slipped into the stand and was settled in before 6:40. Before I knew it, it was 8:00 and I hadn’t yet laid eyes on a deer. So I decided once the wind calmed down for a minute that I’d smash the antlers together. We’ll with two cold hands I smashed the antlers together with the one brow tine completely smashing into the base of my thumb! I have a bruise the size of a silver dollar right now to prove it. As embarrassing and painful as it was, it wasn’t three minutes later and I turn around and there stands a 130 inch 8 pointer at 60 yards. Busted! He took 3 seconds to turn, blow and bolt! Unreal! So much for being quiet in the timber!
A few hours later I found myself glassing the ridge tops and bottoms, when I noticed several 6-8 trees completely shredded. So I sat down processing all the information that I had just observed and from what I learned over the summer. I decided that I’d sit until 10:30 and then get down, take a short walk and see if I needed to relocate the stand for my next sit in this valley. I hadn’t been sitting for more than 5 minutes, now 10:05 when I saw a big brown body move across the top of the ridge. As I stood up I noticed it was a shooter and instantly reached for my bow as he was trotting down the ridge quickly. After grabbing my bow and turning he was already at 35 yards. Fortunately he stopped at one of his rubs and destroyed it for the next 5 minutes.
I knew as soon as he stepped away from the tree it was now or never. I quickly came to full draw and mahhh. He stopped perfect quartering away at 38 yards. Settled the pin and let her fly! I knew instantly it was a perfect shot, blood was spraying everywhere as he took off. I watched him run 75 yards and go over a little knoll. I knew it was perfect and that he couldn’t of went too far. Did the happy dance in the tree and then got out of the there just in case. Called the guys and went back after him an hour later. He only went a little over 100 yards from the shot and piled up, perfect double lung!
Thanks Dana and Josh for helping drag him out of there. I also had to clean my shorts when I got home from the little Halloween prank you guys pulled…haha! Thanks!
I don't get to post these stories that often, so I couldn't help myself from sharing all the details.
He scored a whopping 172 4/8! He tops my 166 4/8 from 2010. As a clean main frame 8 he scored 158 0/8.
November has arrived! Good luck to all still looking to fill your tag!
The hunt really started last spring as I was in search for a different spot within the same large tract of public hunting. After shed hunting and walking many different areas I stumbled across a nice pinch point that connects a couple bedding areas and a feeding area. I marked the spot on my phone and told myself to come back here in November.
This summer I studied the topo maps and put together a plan as to what the deer were most likely doing in this particular area on a regular basis. So I put trail cameras up late this summer with some mineral and was able to locate a few nice bucks including this buck.
As time went on this fall I was able to hunt opening weekend. Pretty uneventful as usual. However, I was able to move a lone wolf stand and sticks back deep into the timber to that pinch that I wanted to be in come November. I Hung the stand and stashed the sticks some 30 yards away. Little did I know I wouldn’t be bowhunting again until Halloween morning. Busy October!!
Fast forward to Halloween morning. I slipped into the stand and was settled in before 6:40. Before I knew it, it was 8:00 and I hadn’t yet laid eyes on a deer. So I decided once the wind calmed down for a minute that I’d smash the antlers together. We’ll with two cold hands I smashed the antlers together with the one brow tine completely smashing into the base of my thumb! I have a bruise the size of a silver dollar right now to prove it. As embarrassing and painful as it was, it wasn’t three minutes later and I turn around and there stands a 130 inch 8 pointer at 60 yards. Busted! He took 3 seconds to turn, blow and bolt! Unreal! So much for being quiet in the timber!
A few hours later I found myself glassing the ridge tops and bottoms, when I noticed several 6-8 trees completely shredded. So I sat down processing all the information that I had just observed and from what I learned over the summer. I decided that I’d sit until 10:30 and then get down, take a short walk and see if I needed to relocate the stand for my next sit in this valley. I hadn’t been sitting for more than 5 minutes, now 10:05 when I saw a big brown body move across the top of the ridge. As I stood up I noticed it was a shooter and instantly reached for my bow as he was trotting down the ridge quickly. After grabbing my bow and turning he was already at 35 yards. Fortunately he stopped at one of his rubs and destroyed it for the next 5 minutes.
I knew as soon as he stepped away from the tree it was now or never. I quickly came to full draw and mahhh. He stopped perfect quartering away at 38 yards. Settled the pin and let her fly! I knew instantly it was a perfect shot, blood was spraying everywhere as he took off. I watched him run 75 yards and go over a little knoll. I knew it was perfect and that he couldn’t of went too far. Did the happy dance in the tree and then got out of the there just in case. Called the guys and went back after him an hour later. He only went a little over 100 yards from the shot and piled up, perfect double lung!
Thanks Dana and Josh for helping drag him out of there. I also had to clean my shorts when I got home from the little Halloween prank you guys pulled…haha! Thanks!
I don't get to post these stories that often, so I couldn't help myself from sharing all the details.
He scored a whopping 172 4/8! He tops my 166 4/8 from 2010. As a clean main frame 8 he scored 158 0/8.
November has arrived! Good luck to all still looking to fill your tag!
