There are times that we as bowhunters can do everything seemingly right and yet we are given the slip by a or THE big buck we've been chasing all year.
This story is about a buck I chased most of the 2006 archery season, and though this particular day I thought I had him pegged.....I was given the slip yet again.
I was hunting the late bow season here in WI in 06, and though I was seeing a few deer, I just wasn't seeing anything that I wanted to take. There was about a week left in the season when I moved to the north end of the farm to try to cut the deer off on their way to our biggest foodplot that contained cold weather forage. The first day I sat one of my north end stands, I watched a lot of deer momement throughout the day with some of the best being between noon and 2 pm.
It was around 1:30 p.m. that first day in the stand I caught movement about a hundred yards north of me and saw some deer heading up the hill to the big plot. I watched what I thought was a large doe group coming up through a saddle in the hillside when I caught antlers coming up out of the creek bottom. I focused immediately on the buck and figured him to be a mid 120s 2.5 yr. old 8. A solid looking deer and one I was suddenly very interested in being I was FREEZING!
I didn't get to watch the young 8 for very long as I quickly caught movement again coming out of the bottom behind him, and this was an even better set of antlers. I figured him to be a solid 4.5 yr old 10 point main frame with some bonus trash involved. He was a very solid looking buck to say the least, and I was hoping their course of travel brought them in bow range though I knew better.
I watched the small herd filter up through the hillside to our big food plot at which point they were out of my sight. The kicker was they entered the plot in an area we didn't have a stand set and there was no real possible trees close to where they entered for use with my climber. I stayed in my stand and watched the deer come back down the hill at about 80 yards from location to go back into the thick creek bottom...again so close yet sooooo far.
I went back the following day and again watched the small herd make its move up the hill in early afternoon at around 1:15 this time and again come back down from the plot an hour later on the same path as the previous day. The difference with this day was that I took special note of a tree I could use my climber on that would put me in bow range to cut them off on their way to feed.
I watched the weather that evening when I got home looking for the perfect day to make my move with the wind. I would have that day on none other than the LAST day of the season. I went in that morning in the dark with my climber on my back, pack strapped to the stand, and bow in hand. I settled in quickly at about 21 feet up and 26 yards south of the trail they were using to go to the plot. I had a nice 8 mph NNW wind blowing across my face and though it wasn't warm out by any means being WI and all; I was all but burning with excitement being I had this big boy pegged!
The latest I had seen the small herd make their move was 1:38 p.m. so I was getting a little worried when it was already 1:45 and no movement. I didn't have to wait much longer because at 1:53 the first doe came up out of the bottom heading up the exact trail I was watching. In total 6 doe came up before the young 8 showed himself and then the big boy was there right behind him. As soon as the first doe crested the hill, I picked up my bow and got into position for the shot so it was roughly 15 minutes before the huge lead doe made it to my location. I watched intently over my left shoulder as each of the deer made their way up the hill on the trail a short 26 yards away, and then the big boy STOPPED! He stopped and lifted his head and just watched as the rest of the deer, the young 8 included all walked past my ambush point, and none of them had a clue I was there.
All of the other deer were already at the plot except the young 8 as he fell behind when he stopped to look back at his larger counterpart before continuing up the hill. My heart rapidly started to sink when the big guy started looking around a bit and flicked his tail some....I knew he was going to run an end around and out flank me OR just bug out completely. He finally turned and started walking farther north when I hung up my bow and grabbed my other weapon.....my digital camera. I took the first shot when he turned and looked up the hill again. I took my second shot when he continued on a NNE path that took him past me at no less than 60 yards.
I had done my homework and except for that wierd SIXTH SENSE the big boys have.....I had him dead to rights....OR SO I THOUGHT!
DON'T YOU JUST LOVE HUNTING?!?
Enjoy the pics!
And him leaving me all broken hearted...
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