Best day hunting EVER... and a little humor
10-26-2006, 09:24 AM
#1
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Hoosier Country, Baby!
Posts: 1,710
Best day hunting EVER... and a little humor
Oh boy, did I ever have the best day in the stand today!Yesterday, as I posted, my buddy scored on a little 8 pt. He rattled 4 bucks within shooting range yesterday for himself, so I was pumped to have him rattling for me today.
He sat in the buddy stand with me, and around 7:45, hit my leg to tell me there was a buck coming down the trail on the other side of the ditch (10-15 yards). I whispered, "That's a dead deer walking." It spotted us at about 25 yards, but it didn't phase him, he kept coming. I stood up, and waited until he got behind the tree to draw.... or try to draw. LOL I couldn't draw my bow back!!! I was in shock, as I have been practicing with it and having no problems, in fact shooting very accurately out to 30 yards. I kept trying and trying... couldn't get it. Meanwhile, I look at my buddy and say, "I can't draw my bow!" He's looking at me like I'm crazy... the buck is standing there staring at us the entire time. So, for sh*ts and giggles, Joe bleats at him... he looks at us and cocks his head like a dang dog. We are both just rolling at this point. We are sitting there laughing so hard we had tears rolling down our faces!
So, I try again... nope, can't pull it. LOL Laughing so hard I can't compose myself at this point. The thing STILL standing there watching us. He stomped a time or two, and went back to what he was doing... all at 15 yards! So then he turns and is facing us, probably thinking, "This is what my mom warned me about... she can't even pull that thing, dumb human." While Joe and I are saying, "Dumb deer" Seriously, this went on for about 5 or 6 minutes. I eventually got the bow back and he started walking away, I was laughing so hard I just had to let it go.
I'm glad I did though... 10 minutes later, mind you, we were still laughing and talking, I look out and see an absolute monster of a buck about 80 yards out. I'm like, Joe, BUCK! BIG BUCK! He finally spots it and hits the rattle bag. That thing stopped dead in it's tracks, did an about face and walked straight for us! It was all business at that point. He hit the rattle bag a couple more times along with a small grunt, the thing came straight to us. He lingered at about 20 yards, but was behind a tree, couldn't get a shot. I had to wait til he started walking away. He got to 30yds and was perfectly broadside. He too saw us there, he HAD to have, he was staring right at us, and we were even whispering back and forth. He ended up stopping right where I wanted him, but too far out. I almost couldn't pull the bow back again and I though... OH NO!!! I got it back and fired, right under him. He didn't even spook, just turned around and sauntered across the field. At one point we were sure we saw him limping and I thought, "Oh god!! Please tell me I didn't just hit that deer in the leg!" We got down and walked out into the field, couldn't find the arrow, but knew it wasn't in him, since he didn't dash away we got a good look as he walked away. [&o]
We climbed back up in the stand, about 8:20, 10 minutes later, same place we saw him first, two huge deer, one 10, one 8 walking across. We hit the rattle bag again, no interest in it. They acted as if nothing was goin on and kept along their merry way. 10 minutes later, another large 8 (could have been one of the same ones cuz we lost sight of them) comes from the corner of field about 50 yards out. He looked for the rattle bag, but that was the extent, he didn't have much interest in it, headed across the field.
5 minutes later, I turned my head and looked over my shoulder... there was yet another smaller 8 pt or so about 5 yards from my stand. How we didn't hear him come in, I'll NEVER understand, but we didn't. When I turned, it was too late, he had spotted us and went behind some thicket at about 35 yards.
I have NEVER had a hunting experience like this. It seemed we did everything "wrong" according to some people's book... we had hot chocolate broke open drinking it right in the stand out of the thermos, talking the entire time... laughing so hard we couldn't contain ourselves, up and down to check for an arrow, clinging and clanging all morning long, dropping things out of our stand accidentally... I guess when rut is approaching, they forget about all instincts... or maybe they just really aren't as smart as people give them credit for
That's my philosophy.
Any way you look at it, it was an unbelievable day, and although I didn't bring that big boy home in the back of my truck, it was the best hunt I've ever had. I was doubtful of rattling, I'm a diehard believer now. I watched it work in the best possible way... it was unbelievable.
**I figured I better edit this to add: We did get down at 9:20 and found the arrow I shot at Brutus, clean as ever, clean miss... thank GOD!"***
He sat in the buddy stand with me, and around 7:45, hit my leg to tell me there was a buck coming down the trail on the other side of the ditch (10-15 yards). I whispered, "That's a dead deer walking." It spotted us at about 25 yards, but it didn't phase him, he kept coming. I stood up, and waited until he got behind the tree to draw.... or try to draw. LOL I couldn't draw my bow back!!! I was in shock, as I have been practicing with it and having no problems, in fact shooting very accurately out to 30 yards. I kept trying and trying... couldn't get it. Meanwhile, I look at my buddy and say, "I can't draw my bow!" He's looking at me like I'm crazy... the buck is standing there staring at us the entire time. So, for sh*ts and giggles, Joe bleats at him... he looks at us and cocks his head like a dang dog. We are both just rolling at this point. We are sitting there laughing so hard we had tears rolling down our faces!
So, I try again... nope, can't pull it. LOL Laughing so hard I can't compose myself at this point. The thing STILL standing there watching us. He stomped a time or two, and went back to what he was doing... all at 15 yards! So then he turns and is facing us, probably thinking, "This is what my mom warned me about... she can't even pull that thing, dumb human." While Joe and I are saying, "Dumb deer" Seriously, this went on for about 5 or 6 minutes. I eventually got the bow back and he started walking away, I was laughing so hard I just had to let it go.
I'm glad I did though... 10 minutes later, mind you, we were still laughing and talking, I look out and see an absolute monster of a buck about 80 yards out. I'm like, Joe, BUCK! BIG BUCK! He finally spots it and hits the rattle bag. That thing stopped dead in it's tracks, did an about face and walked straight for us! It was all business at that point. He hit the rattle bag a couple more times along with a small grunt, the thing came straight to us. He lingered at about 20 yards, but was behind a tree, couldn't get a shot. I had to wait til he started walking away. He got to 30yds and was perfectly broadside. He too saw us there, he HAD to have, he was staring right at us, and we were even whispering back and forth. He ended up stopping right where I wanted him, but too far out. I almost couldn't pull the bow back again and I though... OH NO!!! I got it back and fired, right under him. He didn't even spook, just turned around and sauntered across the field. At one point we were sure we saw him limping and I thought, "Oh god!! Please tell me I didn't just hit that deer in the leg!" We got down and walked out into the field, couldn't find the arrow, but knew it wasn't in him, since he didn't dash away we got a good look as he walked away. [&o]
We climbed back up in the stand, about 8:20, 10 minutes later, same place we saw him first, two huge deer, one 10, one 8 walking across. We hit the rattle bag again, no interest in it. They acted as if nothing was goin on and kept along their merry way. 10 minutes later, another large 8 (could have been one of the same ones cuz we lost sight of them) comes from the corner of field about 50 yards out. He looked for the rattle bag, but that was the extent, he didn't have much interest in it, headed across the field.
5 minutes later, I turned my head and looked over my shoulder... there was yet another smaller 8 pt or so about 5 yards from my stand. How we didn't hear him come in, I'll NEVER understand, but we didn't. When I turned, it was too late, he had spotted us and went behind some thicket at about 35 yards.
I have NEVER had a hunting experience like this. It seemed we did everything "wrong" according to some people's book... we had hot chocolate broke open drinking it right in the stand out of the thermos, talking the entire time... laughing so hard we couldn't contain ourselves, up and down to check for an arrow, clinging and clanging all morning long, dropping things out of our stand accidentally... I guess when rut is approaching, they forget about all instincts... or maybe they just really aren't as smart as people give them credit for
That's my philosophy. Any way you look at it, it was an unbelievable day, and although I didn't bring that big boy home in the back of my truck, it was the best hunt I've ever had. I was doubtful of rattling, I'm a diehard believer now. I watched it work in the best possible way... it was unbelievable.
**I figured I better edit this to add: We did get down at 9:20 and found the arrow I shot at Brutus, clean as ever, clean miss... thank GOD!"***
10-26-2006, 09:46 AM
#4
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Hoosier Country, Baby!
Posts: 1,710
RE: Best day hunting EVER... and a little humor
As crazy as this sounds, and my husband and hunting buddy Joe will vouch for me, I don't get buck fever... never have after my first deer. I guess maybe because I'm out for meat, not headgear, all deer are the same to me... not that it wouldn't be GREAT to have one of those big ones under my belt (I don't know that I *ever* would've been able to top the one I missed today honestly), but I was just as willing to shoot the first one that came in... he woulda been dead... but, uh, LOL, I don't know, I'm still laughing about it.
I sat down and Joe goes, "What the heck happened?" I said, I have too many clothes on! LOL That was the problem, I took my coat off and I was able to pull it back!
When I said that, he just lost it... I swear, I have never laughed so hard and so long in my life, it was really the funniest thing that has ever happened to me. I am glad my buddy was there and I wasn't sittin' laughin' to myself! He tells me, "Start takin' **** off... " Then he goes, I can't believe I just told my best friend's wife to "start takin' her clothes off!" LOL It was so funny, I can't wait until my husband gets out of bed, he is never going to believe me! LOL
I sat down and Joe goes, "What the heck happened?" I said, I have too many clothes on! LOL That was the problem, I took my coat off and I was able to pull it back!
When I said that, he just lost it... I swear, I have never laughed so hard and so long in my life, it was really the funniest thing that has ever happened to me. I am glad my buddy was there and I wasn't sittin' laughin' to myself! He tells me, "Start takin' **** off... " Then he goes, I can't believe I just told my best friend's wife to "start takin' her clothes off!" LOL It was so funny, I can't wait until my husband gets out of bed, he is never going to believe me! LOL
10-26-2006, 09:56 AM
#8
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Hoosier Country, Baby!
Posts: 1,710
RE: Best day hunting EVER... and a little humor
LOL... yep, only 8 weeks to go til "Lil Buck Fever" arrives. Actually, she was sleeping through it all (yay)! She is usually all over in there while I'm trying to hunt, she's an active little squirt!
10-26-2006, 10:02 AM
#10
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Hoosier Country, Baby!
Posts: 1,710
RE: Best day hunting EVER... and a little humor
Yeah, ya know, I'm a believer of this land. I have been hunting 4 years now, took a buck every year so far... Since I've been hunting, I've seen FAR more bucks than does, and this year I have seen a whopping TWO does to about 23 bucks now I believe... Isn't that a crazy ratio? I don't understand it. It really does baffle me. To this date (last 3 years), I really have only seen two large bucks, besides the two we have on our wall that my husband has taken off this property, but today... today I just sat in amazement. We have some nice7pts and 8 pts that we see a lot of, buttoday there wasn't ONE deer that woulda cost me a simple processing fee, every single deer woulda had to been mounted because they were all unbelievable! (well, not the first one, he was decent, but not one I'd pay to mount... I was gonna take him though... I *really* had every intention of it)
I don't know, don't ask, I don't understand how there can be so many bucks and not so many does!
I don't know, don't ask, I don't understand how there can be so many bucks and not so many does!