Excitement tonight!!

[Daver]

I just got back today from a 10 day Disney World adventure with the family. I can't tell you how eager I was to get into the deer woods after standing in line, fighting crowds and paying through the nose for seemingly everything for two weeks!

I went to a good area and since I hadn't been bow hunting yet this year, I took my stand in with me and hung it and got right in it hoping for the "first sit" good luck. I always feel like I am making too much noise, but I didn't really have an option.

With about 30 minutes of shooting light left I had a doe come in tight. I was sizing her up and considering using up my antlerless tag. She was within 10 yards for about 10 minutes, but I had decided she was too small so I was just watching and hoping for some more to follow. Through the leaves out about 50 yards, I saw the classic "pinball" maneuver where 3 or 4 deer scatter in all directions as a buck rushes in, usually a sight for the first couple weeks of November. But lo and behold, here comes a little thinly racked 8 pointer.

He managed to chase the mature doe out of theater before I could get a shot off, harumph! He nibbled here and there, all within 10 yards of my stand, and didn't seem to want to leave. I was scanning all around trying to pick up a good sized doe when I saw
a branch bobbing up and down only about 30 yards away.

Yikes, underneath it was another beast, a real whopper! I got my binos on him and he would not hold still long enough to get a real good count on him as he was now making a scrape and tearing his rack through the overhead branch almost simultaneously!! Finally, I got a clear enough look to say he was a definite shooter, at least a solid 140", 10 point frame with what appeared to be another 3 or 4 points sticking out every direction. ( BTW, I am being conservative on the estimate, I really think he is a fair piece bigger than 140"!! )

At any rate, he closes to 15 yards and I am at full draw expecting him to follow the other little buck. He doesn't! He hangs up behind some brush and is feeding. I am at full draw and am feeling real good about a shot coming up only he stays there so long I had to let off! I didn't spook him or the other deer thankfully, but he basically turns and walks out the only way he could, no shot!!! I see him again about 40 yards out running does and I try to grunt him back in, no go! After about 10 minutes, they all drift off, aargh!

Well the good news is that it is nice to know that there is a good one living in the neighborhood and there is quite a bit of hunting coming up! I was surprised somewhat by the behavior, it definitely felt like early November there for a few minutes tonight! All in all, I had as much fun tonight than at any time during the Florida excursion.

 

[hunt-m-up]

Have you ever used the bleat-in-heat type calls? Little cans that you just flip over and they imitate a doe bleat. I've turned deer numerous times with them. It actually works better when they're walking away, because they can't make you. Good luck.

 

[Old Buck]

Sounds like a near perfect hunt, you had a great first day and still have both tags and all season to enjoy them!

 

[WHTFANTASIES]

Just remember we had an early harvest moon this year and i think the rut will be earlier than normal but last thru the week of Thanksgiving .Lets all see what happens.

 

[Daver]

I went to the same farm tonight, different stand location. While I was setting my stand I spied a button buck about 50 yards away munching acorns. He never did spook, so I guess I am not as noisy as I think I am hanging stands. Really, if you think about it, the squirrels make a lot of racket, the key is to sound like a squirrel I guess.

Well I am down to one bow tag left, I shot a nice doe tonight after watching 9 of them for about 30 minutes. It was about a 17 yard shot, entered a little higher than what I wanted, but still caught both lungs. She cooperated at first and ran away uphill, towards my truck, but then went daft on me and took a hard right straight downhill and piled up in the bottom of multiflora rose filled ravine. She only went about 75 yards and the othre deer jumped a little at first, but kept on feeding.

I didn't see any bucks tonight though. After I shot the doe I waited about 45 minutes to see if a buck showed up and none did. I tried some light rattling, tickling of the antlers, no go.

As far as the bleat can call, I have one but it is so old it doesn't work anymore. I'll just have to get another!! That might have worked last night. Now I'll shoot a few pheasants next weekend, I am actually seeing and hearing some this year, and then turn to some serious buck hunting. Good luck to all. I think this going to be a strong year for good bucks, I am hearing of several good buck sightings.