My greatest day afield (little long and no deer down)
11-06-2006, 06:47 AM
#1
Dominant Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location:
Posts: 21,043
My greatest day afield (little long and no deer down)
I had my best day afield…..in ANY type of hunting on Saturday…..and I didn’t harvest an animal. I bumped about 10-15 deer getting TO my stand on Friday morning…..so I waited on Saturday until 8:30 (good light) to start my trek to my stand. I took 45 minutes on a 20 minute walk……trying not to get too warm……and resting a couple of times along the way. I saw 4 deer cross in front of me….and they never saw me…..so all is well, so far. I got into my tree around 9:00…and settled in for a “rest-of-the-day” sit. Now we wait……
Nothing happens….other than me uncontrollably grinning from ear to ear……for I look around …and I am CONVINCED I’m in the perfect spot. After a couple of naps…..and the solving of all the world’s problems…….there’s a deer. It’s 3:15. It’s the old chocolate brown guy I’d seen Friday morning. I now know why he’s that dark. He is OLD! His muzzle is a mixture of grey and black and he’s noticeably a lot different (even in body style) than the other area juvenile bucks. Anyways…..I never even reach for the bow (Which I somewhat regret)….and he beds down @ 14 yds (I’d never had one bed down within sight of my set). His head is behind a tree…..so I can move a little without spooking him. The sun was to my left….and he was to my right. My shadow was being cast on the ground right beside him…..and I was jokingly reaching out my right arm and “petting” him with the shadow of my hand. I know…..the things we do to entertain ourselves.
Time now…..5:00. I notice a buck and a doe heading towards me. Whoops….another small buck. I look to my left….(I’m now up and facing the tree)…..2 more deer, there. The old fella stands, now…..and I’m having more deer enter from the right. My bow’s still on the hook. Nothing I want to shoot at. More deer……and a few more. I told RobPA……I stopped counting at 23 (though it may have only been 23. They kind of ran together). The old guy goes over to the 1st young buck up the hill and they “kind of” face off. It reminded me of2 toddlers being given boxing gloves but not really having any reason to fight. They just seemed like they were cast into the situation…..and it seemed like the thing to do. They’d tickle the antlers a bit…..then quickly go back to eating acorns. Tickle….eat….and then on to the next guy. I saw 6 bucks…..an “8”, a “6”, a “5” (the old guy I thought was a spike from Friday) a couple of “4’s” and a spike. I watched 4 different sparring matches…..with the 8-pointer (whom I recognized from game cam photos) winning his only challenge (again from the old guy). I watched the 8 work a scrape in the middle of the woods (I’d previously only seen them around field edges)…….twice…..and keep the younger deer out of there. The bucks, with the exception of the old guy, weren’t exactly chasing……but it looked like that might happen, soon. I actually decided I’d take the 8 pointer…..and came to full draw…..only to have him turn and face me…..until I couldn’t hold it any longer and let down. He was looking at me…..didn’t bust me…..and I guess we can chalk another enigma camo moment up. So far, so good.
I regret not taking out the old guy…..because it’s evident his genes are abundant in the racks of the smaller bucks. They all look like him…..and I should probably exercise good management and get him out of there. If I see him again…..I’ll try to take him. If not…..i have a hired gun coming down from PA in a couple of weeks who says he’d help me out (RobPA)!
I saw my favorite grey turkey……and went home knowing I’d seen things that MANY will never bear witness to. It was my GREATEST day afield……..EVER.
Nothing happens….other than me uncontrollably grinning from ear to ear……for I look around …and I am CONVINCED I’m in the perfect spot. After a couple of naps…..and the solving of all the world’s problems…….there’s a deer. It’s 3:15. It’s the old chocolate brown guy I’d seen Friday morning. I now know why he’s that dark. He is OLD! His muzzle is a mixture of grey and black and he’s noticeably a lot different (even in body style) than the other area juvenile bucks. Anyways…..I never even reach for the bow (Which I somewhat regret)….and he beds down @ 14 yds (I’d never had one bed down within sight of my set). His head is behind a tree…..so I can move a little without spooking him. The sun was to my left….and he was to my right. My shadow was being cast on the ground right beside him…..and I was jokingly reaching out my right arm and “petting” him with the shadow of my hand. I know…..the things we do to entertain ourselves.
Time now…..5:00. I notice a buck and a doe heading towards me. Whoops….another small buck. I look to my left….(I’m now up and facing the tree)…..2 more deer, there. The old fella stands, now…..and I’m having more deer enter from the right. My bow’s still on the hook. Nothing I want to shoot at. More deer……and a few more. I told RobPA……I stopped counting at 23 (though it may have only been 23. They kind of ran together). The old guy goes over to the 1st young buck up the hill and they “kind of” face off. It reminded me of2 toddlers being given boxing gloves but not really having any reason to fight. They just seemed like they were cast into the situation…..and it seemed like the thing to do. They’d tickle the antlers a bit…..then quickly go back to eating acorns. Tickle….eat….and then on to the next guy. I saw 6 bucks…..an “8”, a “6”, a “5” (the old guy I thought was a spike from Friday) a couple of “4’s” and a spike. I watched 4 different sparring matches…..with the 8-pointer (whom I recognized from game cam photos) winning his only challenge (again from the old guy). I watched the 8 work a scrape in the middle of the woods (I’d previously only seen them around field edges)…….twice…..and keep the younger deer out of there. The bucks, with the exception of the old guy, weren’t exactly chasing……but it looked like that might happen, soon. I actually decided I’d take the 8 pointer…..and came to full draw…..only to have him turn and face me…..until I couldn’t hold it any longer and let down. He was looking at me…..didn’t bust me…..and I guess we can chalk another enigma camo moment up. So far, so good.
I regret not taking out the old guy…..because it’s evident his genes are abundant in the racks of the smaller bucks. They all look like him…..and I should probably exercise good management and get him out of there. If I see him again…..I’ll try to take him. If not…..i have a hired gun coming down from PA in a couple of weeks who says he’d help me out (RobPA)!
I saw my favorite grey turkey……and went home knowing I’d seen things that MANY will never bear witness to. It was my GREATEST day afield……..EVER.
11-06-2006, 07:01 AM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: The top of The Wild and Wonderful West Virginia
Posts: 2,625
RE: My greatest day afield (little long and no deer down)
I know what you mean. There have been days with deer all around me and I never touched my bow. I love to watch wildlife in thier natural state with no pressure.
11-07-2006, 08:05 AM
#3
Dominant Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location:
Posts: 21,043
RE: My greatest day afield (little long and no deer down)
I hear ya, hillbilly.......but I regret not taking out the old guy. I think Im gonna tke him if I see him, again. I'm hoping I get a shot at a buck, Friday......and RobPA (who's coming down to NC to hunt in a couple of weeks) can get back into this spot and see what it's like to have 20+ deer around you at one time (this scenario has happened to me twice, this year)!!....lol One would THINK a hunter would be in heaven......but I find it a bit overwhelming. That's a LOT of eyes, ears and noses to contend with! Plus.....all the bucks, Saturday, were smallish.....and you're constantly letting deer pass.....thinking the next one you see is going to be "your" deer. It will SPOIL you!!....lol
Of course......I've been in that SAME spot and not seen anything.
Jeff
Of course......I've been in that SAME spot and not seen anything.
Jeff
11-07-2006, 10:11 AM
#4
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Oct 1998
Location: Hughesville, PA USA
Posts: 18,322
RE: My greatest day afield (little long and no deer down)
ORIGINAL: SBGobblers
One would THINK a hunter would be in heaven......but I find it a bit overwhelming. That's a LOT of eyes, ears and noses to contend with! Plus.....all the bucks, Saturday, were smallish.....and you're constantly letting deer pass.....thinking the next one you see is going to be "your" deer. It will SPOIL you!!....lol
Of course......I've been in that SAME spot and not seen anything.
Jeff
One would THINK a hunter would be in heaven......but I find it a bit overwhelming. That's a LOT of eyes, ears and noses to contend with! Plus.....all the bucks, Saturday, were smallish.....and you're constantly letting deer pass.....thinking the next one you see is going to be "your" deer. It will SPOIL you!!....lol
Of course......I've been in that SAME spot and not seen anything.
Jeff
Jeff, that is a fantastic day afield and you'll have more and more of it. Bow season is like no other season for the whitetail hunter. It's when everything and anything that a whitetail deer can and will do, does do.
I'm honored to be invited to share that experience with you. I'm looking forward to it for no other reason that to walk the walk and take to the trees with a friend and fellow bowhunter who, "get's it". Some of my best days afield have been without blood shed. Take yesterday for example, with both Kurt and I's tag's filled we couldn't help but go out "hunting"....with video cameras in hand we took to our treestands and I video'd one of the biggerst bucks I've ever seen from those stands within bow range and me grinning ear to ear, behind a video camera.
