DT,
In early season 4 yrs. ago, I had a GREAT 150-ish 10pt mainframe, with twin 2.5-3" kickers extend straight back off of his G1's, eating some of the branches I'd trimmed on my way up the tree I was in. The only shot I had was a STRAIGHT DOWN shot on him at about 2-3yds away, and I totally blew it!!!!! I was so disgusted, I could have jumped straight out of the tree with a knife and killed him but I MISSED with my by, because it was a shot I'd never attempted. That night when I got home, I turned on some lights climbed up onto my deck, about 14 feet above the ground, and practiced that shot. At "Crunch time," I tried looking straight down the arrow to NO AVAIL!!!!! What I found was that I could have just put my top pin right on the spot, and busted him dead as anything. Moral of the story, PRACTICE EVERY POSSIBLE SHOT you can imagine will ever present itself so you are prepared when that moment occurs!!!
Had this situation happen to me last year. It was the Friday before classes were out for the week for Thanksgiving break and I was pumped. After day dreaming through my first two classes I skipped ([]) my 12 o clock so I could get home and hunt. As soon as I got home I headed back into the woods for an afternoon hunt. Without taking a scent a way shower, without my scent lok gear, with Old Spice deodorant and with Adidas cologne!
The result- my first mature buck- a 3.5 year old 8 pt.
Yesterday morning we took our showers, put on our freshly washed gear, sprayed down, went into the woods.
Well, after hunting the morning, retrieving my brothers deer, checking her in, going to his butcher, getting dog food, eating lunch, and so on. We drove to the farm, pulled our gear out of our scent lock bags, got dressed and went into the woods. TOTALLY new to me. I always showered and went through a scent elimination ritual prior to entering the woods.
We only saw 1 deer, but it was the spot, not the scent. I was kind of wondering if we'd get winded....
Totally out of my comfort zone.
DT,
You're overanalyzing it. I shower the night before MOST of the time, but I also wash my sheets in scent-free detergent and use scent-free softener. You don't have to be completely "DESCENTED," you just need to be free of those "threatening" scents that get us busted often times. I've chewed MOST of my times in the woods, and I've had deer lick my spit puddles probably half a dozen times, including a little 6-pt that I SPIT RIGHT IN HIS HEAD, and he just looked up at me and went back to licking the puddle. You want to cover your scent, TRY SOME BUCK URINE!!!! Bucks being more nomadical are much less of an "Alerting" type scent than a "strange doe," and I've gotten away with a lot, because the scent that I brought in was "non-threatening."
If you think Scent-Lok is good, try some Silver Ion base layers, I've found they are better, and much cooler in early season. Also they allow me many variations of my outer layer camo to keep me more versatile in the woods be it early season, or late season, my base stays the same, and my outers are a relatively cheap set of camo that I may only have $30-40 in the whole outfit.
My dad has a saying, " They always show up when you're the least ready". Opening day of gun season 2005 I wasn't ready. I didn't have my gear ready and we over slept. So we hauled butt to our stand and I forgot a flashlight. So Istumbled around behind my dad as he led me to his lock-on. He got in another treebehind me in his climber. Wellyou know those mornings where nothing is moving no deer, no squirrels, no birds, no nothing. I was in la la land staring at the ground when I just happened to glance up and see the biggest deerIhave ever seen in my life about 85 yards out. I think he saw me about the same time causehe froze at full alert. Shocked Islooooowly reached for my Mossberg slug gun eased it up put the crosshairs on his shoulder and let her bark.To my amazement I hit the buck. I was so pumped the only other buck I hadever killed was a spike.My buckis a typical 8 pt. that scored 125 and to me that is huge!!! That was a the best dayof huntinI have ever had and the best part was that my dad was right there to see the whole thing.
Last day of the season, last year. I was hunting a stand on a GREAT trail leading to a late season food plot. The wind switched, and though I went through a scent elimination routine, I just had a feeling I HAD to move.
I ended up getting down, and sitting on the ground nearthe trail, which was better then sitting in the stand.
I didn't see any deer, and I still wonder if I shouldn't have stayed put. Who knows.
the other day I was out and found a great spot and what I thaught was a great tree for it. I was using my climber and started up the tree. This was very hard to do, the bark was so hard the climber was not biting into the tree much and I was kind of scarred going up.I like to go as high as possible, but this day I only went about 12 feet. The spot turned out to be a great spot and I have a new tree picked out for next time.
Stay clear of Mature Berch, (not white until half way or more up) bark is like rock
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Walk softly, carry a BIG STICK!!!!
SEMPER-FI USMC 2000-2004 Iraq sucks!
[Deleted]
]) my 12 o clock so I could get home and hunt. As soon as I got home I headed back into the woods for an afternoon hunt. Without taking a scent a way shower, without my scent lok gear, with Old Spice deodorant and with Adidas cologne! 
