Well fellas, I finally made it happen today. I've been on vacation all week long. On Monday I was hunting a scrape line and saw 5 bucks. I had a nice 8 pointer within 20 yards making a scrape but couldn't close the deal. It stayed just behind a beech tree and was facing me the whole time until it finally decided to do a 180 and walk straight away. There was a nicer 8 point standing about 40 yards away watching the smaller 8 make the scrape. The last time I saw them they were walking off together. Later in the morning I saw another smaller 8 point and a 4 point walking single file on the bluff below me. That evening I witnessed a really small spike stand up on it's hind legs in a scrape biteing the overhead branches. At first I thought it was feeding on the leaves but then I realized he was leaving his scent on the limbs above the scrape.
On Tuesday morning I had another spike come in at 13 yards but he stayed in the brush just enough to prevent me from getting a high percentage shot so I passed on him. On Tuesday evening I moved my stand 40 yards over the hill onto another scrape line. I had to go really high (30 feet) up into an oak tree in order to keep from getting busted on the upper side. Just as I got situated 2 dogs ran 4 deer past my stand and then the wind picked up. I left and didn't hunt at all on Wednesday.
This morning I was in my stand just after daybreak and spent the first 15 minutes with the range finder looking at possible shots and yardages. At about 8:00 an 8 pointer came in and was standing about 15 yards from the tree I had been hunting in. I was thinking to myself that I made a mistake moving farther down the hill. I ranged him at 40 yards. I was thinking of taking a shot but that's out of my comfort zone. I wouldn't risk it. It went over to the scrape that the bigger 8 pointer had made on Monday and that's when I gave a couple soft grunts. He turned and looked down hill but then turned and walked out of sight. I gave a couple more soft grunts and at the same time I could still hear him walking. He went into the heavy brush and circled coming back around on the flat below me. I ranged this spot earlier at 20 yards but it's a steep angle because I'm so high in the tree and he's facing me..........no shot. He turned and walked farther down hill through a lane I had ranged at 30 yards and I drew my bow hoping he would stop and give me a shot. He didn't stop in the lane but just past it under a overhanging limb and he turned for a look back. I checked my no peep, it was perfect, placed my 30 yard pin above his shoulder and squeezed of the shot. It looked good and the deer took off. I wasn't 100% sure that it hit exactly where I aimed and if it was off it could have been a gut shot so I decided to give it some time. I sat in my stand until 11:00 and then got down to look for the deer. I followed a good blood trail for 75 yards and there he laid. What a great feeling. Sorry, no pics because my daughter has our digital camera. He's not the biggest buck I've killed with a bow but will certainly be one of the most memoriable.