gunrunr
Life Member
Harvest finished early for us this, first time in several years I was looking forward to having lots of time to hunt the rut. I harvested two does just a couple of days ago. A simple double, taking two shots on two deer in less than 30 seconds and having both go down within 25 yds and pickup accessible (no dragging required) Doesn’t get much better than that! While they were off to get processed into deer sticks and summer sausage it was time to go back to the stand. I hadn’t seen any rutty activity yet but I knew the time had to be getting close. We had family plans to all go together on Halloween and pick out a new Christmas tree for our recently enlarged living room. Just as we were about to leave we found out the store in question was closed on Sunday, so it didn’t take me long to shower up and head out to the woods instead. After all, it would be the last chance to hunt this month! A brisk east wind prevented me from going deep into the timber where the best big buck movement usually takes place but I had a backup plan. A tall ladder stand on a ridge overlooking a timbered draw and a finger of CRP grass had previously netted me two P&Y bucks, so it would have to be the place for tonight. I knew right away that the rut was starting as I immediately saw some chasing and running around on the ridge behind me. A nice older non-typical came cruising through the grass right to me and turned broadside at less than 10 yards but he just wasn’t was I was looking for. As I was kicking myself for not shooting him (After all I do have two buck tags thanks to being a landowner) a doe ran by at 60 yards, looking back over her shoulder a lot. I know something had to be after her so I got ready. The shakes started taking over my body when I spotted him through the glasses, it was Notch! He is a very nice 10 pointer with lots of kickers and a big notch missing out of one ear. I had studied enough trail cam pics of him to know he was on my hit list and I wanted a chance at him. Unfortunately, he was after this doe and although my grunts and snort-wheeze did manage to stop him and get him to consider coming my way, the hot doe prevailed and he disappeared into the timber across the CRP from me, hot on her tail. My heart sank as I watched him go out of sight, blessed to be able to see such a buck, but would rather be shooting at him. Low and behold, the doe came back out of the timber and headed out into the grasslands again, but the path she was on would not bring her anywhere close to me. ( maybe I could just watch him again!) Plus, you never know what can happen during the rut! She held up and kept looking back, watching for him and he wasn’t following her. Finally I put the glasses down and saw him heading straight towards me on the same path the non-typical had come earlier in the evening. My heart was racing out of my chest as I came to full draw, he stopped at 30 yards and hesitated, turning and seeing the doe he was after and started off in her direction. I let the arrow fly out of my new Destroyer and heard a satisfying THUNK as arrow meets deer. Recovery was easy as he only went about 30 yards from the point of the shot and went down, all within view of the stand and out in wide open grassland, easy to get the truck to. It took me some time to calm down before I felt safe unhooking my harness and climbing down, plus I wanted to give him a little time as he was between me and my truck. I was a little disappointed to see that one G2 was completely sheared off and his G4 was broke on that same side, but luckily I know a guy who is really good at fixing that. He can make him look just like the pictures of him did a few weeks ago. A quick tape shows he will easily net out into the Pope & Young scorebook, will score about 159 gross as-is broken-up and should gross about 175 with his tines fixed back up the way he grew 'em. I am a fortunate man!
