The 2016-2017 deer season is officially over for me as I have filled my last tag on Friday. This year I took a new job quite a ways from my home. I really didn't think it was going to be a good hunting year for me as the job was going to dramatically decrease the time I could spend in the woods.
Archery season was very good to me. On my way to work I noticed this nice group of bucks that would walk this particular fence line early in the morning. It took me a month or so to track down the "actual" owner of the land and when I did I secured permission. I hung my trail camera for a few days before rut, was able to get some valuable information about daylight movement, and that first weekend I was able to tag out on a great main frame ten. He scored right around 175.
On my "home farm" as I call it I had followed a good 8 pt for a few years. He was a regular on the farm but I do not believe it was his "home" as I would get pictures of him traveling through but not enough to believe he lived there. This was a hard deer for me to judge by trail cameras but I felt if given the opportunity it would be hard to pass. Flash forward to Friday, I took a few hours off work so I could hunt before last light. I snuck into my location on the ground a waited. I saw a good buck enter the 30 or so minutes before sun down.
He looked as though he was going to come straight for me, but then when the other does, small bucks entered the field they headed down the fence line away from my location. As they walked away a good 8 pt entered the field and followed the group. When they got into the draw I crawled 75 yards closer to their location in hopes of getting a shot before they entered the cut bean field. My plan worked perfect. He presented me with a good open shot at a good distance, I squeezed the trigger and he fell in his tracks. I had some history with this deer and feel as though he was 4.5 making a good jump in antler size from last year. He scored right at 155 with his longest tine being 12 7/8. What a year, I can't wait to start again next year
Archery season was very good to me. On my way to work I noticed this nice group of bucks that would walk this particular fence line early in the morning. It took me a month or so to track down the "actual" owner of the land and when I did I secured permission. I hung my trail camera for a few days before rut, was able to get some valuable information about daylight movement, and that first weekend I was able to tag out on a great main frame ten. He scored right around 175.
On my "home farm" as I call it I had followed a good 8 pt for a few years. He was a regular on the farm but I do not believe it was his "home" as I would get pictures of him traveling through but not enough to believe he lived there. This was a hard deer for me to judge by trail cameras but I felt if given the opportunity it would be hard to pass. Flash forward to Friday, I took a few hours off work so I could hunt before last light. I snuck into my location on the ground a waited. I saw a good buck enter the 30 or so minutes before sun down.
He looked as though he was going to come straight for me, but then when the other does, small bucks entered the field they headed down the fence line away from my location. As they walked away a good 8 pt entered the field and followed the group. When they got into the draw I crawled 75 yards closer to their location in hopes of getting a shot before they entered the cut bean field. My plan worked perfect. He presented me with a good open shot at a good distance, I squeezed the trigger and he fell in his tracks. I had some history with this deer and feel as though he was 4.5 making a good jump in antler size from last year. He scored right at 155 with his longest tine being 12 7/8. What a year, I can't wait to start again next year
