Gill-T

Great story and outcome!

Thanks all. Truly a great day to be in the woods. Almost no wind and dry conditions had the leaves loud like corn flakes. Great for hearing deer coming and great for deer to hear your footsteps and want to see if you are a doe. I tried my damndest to stay quiet while hauling and going up in a tree in a climbing tree stand. Getting up in a clanky tree stand is not the most stealthy approach but I did finish the climb with minimal metallic unnatural sounds. I could hear deer moving my way as I was hauling up my bow. Hurry.......but no mistakes! Back pack hung, get arrow out of quiver and loaded. Get your release on quick.....they are coming! In case they heard my noise, and they were bucks, I grabbed my grunt tube and blew a few times while directing the sound behind the tree. They heard it and they are coming. First two bucks are 1.5 year old scrubs. One angles to the left and heads for my downwind side. The other heads upwind. The bigger buck chooses the path towards me. At some point the one buck crossed my wind or trail in and started walking stiff legged. Crap........don’t bust, don’t bust. The body language has the ten pointer on edge and immediately locks up stiff and watches the smaller buck. What seemed like an eternity, the buck finally moved after 15 minutes of complete motionlessness. He was very preoccupied with some ferns as the buck was tasting them for clues of a doe in heat. He moved like most older bucks do, like molasses. Painfully slow which had me tied in knots. He took twenty minutes to walk from 50 yards to 29 yards. He tried to pull a fast one doing a rope-a-dope when he put his head under a small sparse hemlock. He looked up at me twice through the screen of the hemlock but I was hip to his move as I stayed still with my bow in front of me breaking my outline. After watching the painfully slow progression of the deer, my heart was pounding. Then, he decided to move quickly....turning broadside. I drew quickly and grunt stopped him long enough to send a perfect arrow. He died 50 yards from the stand. The adrenaline dump was unreal. No amusement park ride could ever compare to that ride I was on!! Love it.

Long haul out

Mr itchy is happy

Ten pointer

BBD!!!!!!! A mile back in on state land and I have to sit down for what just transpired. What a sport.

Tomorrow Mister Itchy will be discussing how close shotgun opener is.

Forget that, did anyone find my container of cat crap?

The buck is not looking for male deer??

yep, seeing bucks along roads cruising late mornings. With a little bit of moon, they should be running around all night then bed before light for a little nap. Wake up late morning and go cruise the neighborhood.

...and some cat crap cover scent! Walk around Brian’s ground first before going to stand.

I feel your pain. I have had seven hunts ruined this year. Three pheasant hunters, one duck hunter, one couple out for a hike, one bungling bow hunter, and one guy checking trail cams. I expect there will be an army of scouters out getting ready for gun season this weekend so my total should climb.

Beauty

Heater body suit = sleeping bag. What am I missing?

Heart is good soaked first in cold saltwater solution then put in goulash.

You are bringing back some cool memories for me. I lived in Denver in ‘95-‘96 and hunted that area. Thanks for sharing.

That is the same expression he has after stepping in cat crap

Congrats!!! The cat crap cover scent worked!!

Yes.

Neighbor is checking his cameras at 4:30.......I believe it is official, he is messing with my hunts.

Settled in for first sit today in Akron. Never have I gone to my tree stand in a tee shirt at this time of year.

I just bore witness to a huge 150” class buck get nailed in the hind quarter by a police cruiser behind the Walden Galleria Mall in Buffalo. Cruising buck at 63 degree weather wtf.

Oh no, a scrub buck with a bad limp.....no mr itchy no mr itchy