This morning I saw almost everything I've ever seen in over 40 years of deer hunting in 2 1/2 hours! [:-]
I got to my stand 15 minutesbefore light and 45 minutes later, it started. I noticed some deer about 100 yards off in front of me. It looked like some chasing was going on. Two of the deer veered off to my left and two more were slowly heading my way. The first one was a doe and the second one was a buck but I couldn't see how big he was through the brush. As they came closer, the doe bedded down about 35 yards from my stand. The buck finally popped out from the brush as he circled toward me to get in front of the doe. He had a huge body, probably would dress out at around 230 but his rack wasn't that impressive. He was an 8 pointer but had one of his g-3s busted off, but, he had at least 8" brow tines. Those were impressive! I guessed him at 126". He then bedded down between the doe and myself. That was short lived though as a great looking 2 1/2 year old 8 pointer (about 118") and a 3 1/2 year old 8 pointer (one of the 135" ones I had been passing on) approached from the left of me. When they got to within 25 yards of the bedded buck, he got real PO'd and snort-wheezed at them then stood and ran them off. He went back and bedded down in the same spot but that too was short lived because those other two bucks weren't giving up. Again the old buck snort-wheezed a couple of times, grunted a couple of times and stiff leggedly walked toward the two bucks. Again they safely retreated just out of the danger zone. The old boy was not pleased at all. He continually snort -wheezed and grunted from his bed while the other bucks kept fidgeting just in front of my stand. They gave me several great shot opportunities from 5 to 20 yards! Finally he couldn't take it any more and got up and walked menacingly toward them again, coming to 15 yards in front of me. This time the younger bucks took off to the right of me but within minutes the 2 1/2 came back. While he was staring at the old buck, who was glaring back and being quite vocal about it, a 1 1/2 year old 3 pointer came along and got chased by the 2 1/2. This was too much for the doe and she got up and started walking toward my stand. After the old buck made sure the others were gone, he came back and got behind the doe and put his cold nose in her butt![:-]She kind of liked it! Well that troublesome 2 1/2 came back again and got promptly run off again. This time when the old guy came back the doe was 9 yards from my stand. That's when it happened....... he nailed her! Yep, she's pregnant! When he was done (all of about 30 seconds), he kind of threw her out of there! He stood there panting as she moved behind my stand. I almost gave him one of my smokes!
Well you guessed it....... that darn 2 1/2 came back again! The big guy sauntered out in front of me sending the youngster scurrying. While he was at about 8 yards, quartering away, I thought about it! I thought about it on the 135 incher too! Finally, after 2 hours, all the deer moved off. Except for a 1 1/2 year old 5 pointer who showed up too late. When he was gone, I made my move to get down. I had an appointment at a bank! [:@]
I heard at least 30 snort-wheezes, 75 grunts, saw 3-4 trees get trashed, much fending off of rival bucks, tending and breeding! The only things I didn't see was fighting and scraping. Ive seen this all before...... but not in the same day! Wow!! [:-]
Most action I've ever seen in 1 hunt!
