The new private land I picked up this year is really producing. I had already put an 8 pointer in the freezer on 09/27 and below is my story of my 10 point buck on 10/28. I still have two doe tags left.
The 10 pointerI shot Tuesday night was on what I've named the CRP stand site because its 80 acres of tall/thick CRP with an abandoned homestead (house & shed). The stand is on the north edge of the woods that is ONLY 100-yard circle of trees down in this valley with a soybean field to the north and roads bordering. When you're down in there you can't see any roads/farm houses so I feel this site is a true sanctuary for deer to wander in/out and bed down and take a break. I hated the tree (too small) and direction of the stand (north) because its too much in the sun and I'm lower that I wanted to be (12-14') but NOW I'm not complaining at all!
I had seen this buck once before, I had previously scouted the property and was coming in a second time to put the stand up when I walked in from the north and spotted the buck bedded down next to the shed. He eventually smelled/saw me and jumped up and ran off and I proceeded to install the stand.
That evening I got into the stand around 4:30 PM, it was 55 degrees with a 5-10 mph south wind (perfect) and the beginning of the hunt was pretty uneventful except for the sun blasting me and an annoying woodpecker calling a lot and drilling his brains out not 10' from me for about 20 minutes! Eventually he left and the sun went behind the trees and the last hour got exciting. Two does walked through the woods to my left at 75 yards and out into the soybeans. I hit them with a can call but it didn't phase them at all.
About 10-15 minutes later I could hear something moving beyond the shed (40 yards) but couldn't see anything. A little while later I catch movement to my right coming slowly around the opposite side of the shed . . . . .I see a nice light brown and polished rack, it's that buck I saw before. He slowly feeds and walks at the angle he came in on and my stand is in perfect position to shoot him at 20 yards at the trailhead that goes to the soybeans. So perfect of position I didn't even stand up which I normally do. When he goes behind a few trees I draw in anticipation and he walks into the open and just right of the trail. I release the arrow and see it disappear in his side and he starts to run off in front of me and east up the hill and along the soybean-woods edge. His run looked a little labored up the hill which was a good sign. He turns left into the woods and I can no longer see him but can hear him crunching leaves and crashing through branches and then he stops. For you experienced bowhunters you know this is where he's standing there wondering what just happened and what usually happens next is a beautiful sound to a bowhunter. I then could hear him crash and burn back down the hill in the woods. He's down!
I still waited the standard 30 minutes just in case and wish I hadn't because in that time I had 4 more does come in and wander around below my stand. I didn't want to educate them of my whereabouts for future hunts so I sat in the dark for another 30 minutes. This was actually pleasant to the ear because there were many pheasants cackling in the CRP, coyotes howling, and deer scampering around!
I delivered him to the butcher, 150 lb field dressed and without lower legs.
This is definitely my year of firsts.
First bow deer shot from the ground (09/27 buck).
First bow deer shot while sitting in my stand (10/28 buck).
First season the first two deer harvested where bucks (I'm a meat hunter so I never pass on does).
Shot that 8 pointer my first time out hunting.
Shot that 10 pointer my first hunt at my CRP stand site.
This bowhunting season has been a year of firsts for me
