I said to Megan last night while laying in bed that today was going to be a good hunt. Boy was I right.
I get to my stand about twenty minutes before daybreak and get setup (I didn't climb the wrong tree either
) Just as it was light enough to see; I hear movement. Two bucks were making their way down the hill eating acorns along the way. They moseyed off into the thicket. I grunted three times to get their attention and they came back and hung around a while. One was a big six pointer and the other had to be at least a ten but had a small rack. The big six got thirty yards away and I told myself he'd have to be a bigger six than that before I would even take my bow off the hanger. The 10 or 12 pointer left for the thicket as the other continued eating.
About 8:30 I hear two dogs making their way closer and closer. Three does bust out of the thicket running for their lives with the dogs right behind them. Of course, this spooks the big six and he jets. That upset me just a little. Then I had BIGGER problems. Nature was calling (actually SCREAMING at me) and so I had to shimmy down the tree to take care of business. As I make my way back to my climber I see the two dogs again. I curse them under my breath and then ascend.
I'm back in the tree now and its about 10:30. I grunt about six times. Moments later a spike appears. He starts to feed and then I notice another buck, he's an 8 pointer. They feed for about thirty minutes and then take off. They saw something and didn't like it. I decide to grunt about another five times. Minutes later a "mule deer" approaches. I knew right off he was a shooter but he was heading the wrong way. Like a ventriloquist, I throw out two more grunts to give him a better idea but not a pinpointed location. He starts to come my way. I range a few objects and then without looking, clip on my release. He gets about thirty yards away and I release. My arrow buzzes through the air like a twin engine plane. One of my blazers came off mid flight.
The buck startled and I couldn't believe I had missed. He walks about ten yards and looks confused. I nock another arrow. Then he starts to swagger and falls. He regains his composure and falls again. Not taking any chances I put my 40 yard pin on his lungs. Between me being drunk on adrenaline and him staggering my arrow lands right in his hind quarter. WOW! Terrible shot. He doesn't seem to notice and falls down one last time and expires. He didn't go more than thirty yards from the first arrow. Never out of my sight.
The amazing thing about this whole ordeal was that this buck was standing in the SAME EXACT spot where I shot my buck last year that wasn't found until much later. Also, this is the latest time of the morning I have ever killed a buck and early season at that. I passed on bigger bucks last year but I thought this guy was unique. I love the "mulie" look and his raised lightly colored brow. Score will be later tonight. Thanks for looking!
I must have taken out some vitally important arteries.
The arrow had NO blood on it because of where it exited. Only some tallow.
Buck down...what a morning!
