Legacy

Here's a video of the quick track job from yesterday. By the initial blood trail I figure he didnt go too far and I thought I heard him crash. He was about 30 yards inside the woods from the edge of the field and less then 90 yards from the stand. By the amount of blood and where it was I assumed I had an exit wound but nope. Bullet caught the opposite shoulder. No doubt the biggest blood trail i have seen with only a 20 gauge entry hole.

Thank you sir. Once you draw blood you are done with that hunt. I could pay to play again and believe me I have already thought about returning.

Dead deer!!!!

Walked passed the shot site as I was walking out. Great blood. Snuck out of there and going back in awhile with some help. He ran in the direction he was facing. Sounded like he crashed less then 70 yards away from the stand in the thick stuff.

BBD! Shot looked great. Thought I heard him crash.

My kid punch his tag on a great 8. Story and pics coming...

The streak continues!!!

My kid just hammered one... BBD

Good luck everyone

Well a plan is in place for Saturday. Im looking forward to get back out there with a fresh buck tag. Weather looks like it should continue to be great. Deer movement has lockdown written all over it. Does have been treading lightly since the the week leading up to Halloween with lots of single deer traveling by them selves. Does have been avoiding open landscape. However, this week I noticed larger doe/fawn family groups forming up again in the afternoon. Seems like a sure sign that some of my does that have breed are not afraid to be social with each other again. As for the gentlemen... up until about the 10th I saw quite a bit of all day activity. Including bucks of all sizes. Currently there seems to be some great buck movement for the last hour of hunting light but the majority seems like the am hours are the time to be in the woods. From daybreak to about 10-11 ish). I have had pretty consistent activity in the am hours with a shooter on cam just about every day. (as I type this my notifications went off with a big 9pt at 805) What are you guys seeing?

What a beast Matt!

so i have always used zip ties with my tags so i just bought these to go along with that... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NBRQ4RR?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

a fresh tag on saturday cant come soon enough

His neck was jacked!

Here's the story and some better pics... I finally had a chance to hunt a new set (on a new piece) that I have been very patient to get into. I needed a northerly wind so I jumped at the opportunity with a NE forecasted. I haven't been in there since I hung the stand a month earlier. So slipped in there about 1 and on my way in I moved a camera closer to the set hoping to get a better idea of what was happening. I spent the afternoon trying to to read the ground and analyze pictures from the two cameras on the property trying to learn what the deer are doing and how they are traveling. So before 5 I had something catch my eye. It was my buck cutting through the swamp stopping to work a rub. He literally spent about 20 minutes thrashing this bush about 75 yards away. It was this point that I gave myself a green light and hoped to get an opportunity. Well that buck walked to me like he was on a string and I pulled the trigger at him broadside at 6 yards. That's where things got interesting... his reaction wasn't what I expected. He was walking from left to my right when I shot. He ran 10 yards in the same direction then he turned 120 degrees and ran quartering away towards the corner of the property. He slowed his pace about 75 yards away and I thought I saw the classic tail flicker as he disappeared into the thick stuff. My initial thought was dead deer. I turned back expecting to see my arrow buried in the ground on a hard angle with my lighted nock in plain sight but it wasn't there. I did not see the arrow hit the deer. When the deer ran off I thought I saw a tiny entry hole but never any blood. When he turned I didn't see an exit hole or blood or an arrow. I packed my stuff and climbed down to do a quick analysis of the shot site while I still had some light. I knew the deer was at least 100 yards from me in the opposite direction so I wasn't too worried about bumping him on my way out. I couldn't find my arrow. And had zero blood at the site. There is a trail cam picture that I posted here and I can tell you my head was spinning when it was taken. I walked out and spent the next 4 hours scratching my head and questioning what the heck happened. It was a tough 4 hours to say the least. I originally thought about waiting until morning but I went back in at 9pm with my kid hoping to find the lighted nock. We walked back into the property and I quickly walked him through the shot scenario. We scanned the woods with our lights off and still no arrow to be found. We started walking the bucks escape route and my kid spots blood 5 yards from where the buck spun to his left and changed directions. And then good blood. And then I realized I have blood coming out of two sides. Then 75 yards into trailing I can smell him!!! 25 yards later BBD and the hooting and hollering starts! Deer was dead 25-35 yards from where I last saw him. No doubt he died on his feet and expired within seconds of losing sight of him. Autopsy... I center punched the liver (shot him as he was walking). No history with this deer. I went through my pictures and found I had one series of trail cam pics of him. He was a unique 11 point but unfortunately he is busted up pretty good. 5 broken points including both brows, 2 tines, and a sticker off the base. The roller coaster of emotions you experience in this "blood sport" can make you go mad. The highest of highs and the lowest of lows. From me not seeing blood or finding my arrow to me living the moment with my kid as we grab antlers four hours later... what a f•cking ride!

Awesome!

BBD! Sorry for the late notice but last night was a roller coaster! More to come...

I have been hunting hard the past couple of days. Lots of bucks seen. Handful of shooters. Deer doing what you would expect for this time of year. Some midday chasing the past 2-3 days in the thick stuff. My best camera seems to be one on a pinch point between two big blocks of woods and one that I have in the thick stuff. No doubt there is some breeding going on. The unwilling Does are literally hiding. The weather sucks...looks like I will sideline myself for the next 36 hours

Congrats Joe