BigDaddy12t

Well guys, I am just sick, went out Thursday night, and right at dark I had 2 bucks right by my stand. I had been watching them earlier, but then they disappeared. I did get to watch them fight for a few seconds tho before the walled off, they were about 100 yards away at this time. I still could not tell how big they were, becouse they never did come close enough. Well, just before sunset, one of them came back, he was a smaller 6 point, he came so close to my stand, I could have poked him with my arrow. But I knew that I wasnt going to shoot, becouse he was smaller than my last years buck. Anyways, while I was watching him, the other one shows up, It was the koolest thing I have ever seen. First you have to realize that I have never had any luck with any calls of any kind, and #2, we just dont have many deer that go above 120- 125 around here. Anyways, I waited until he got to the bean field that I was hunting, and I grunted one time as soon as he got to the beans. I usit with my back to the beans, becouse the come frome the CRP field in front of me. So when I grunted at him, I had stood up and turned around to face the beans, but as soon as I grunted, he turned back around, and went back thru the little strip of woods I have my stand in, and as soon as he got on the path out front, he turned and headed right for me, by the time I was turned back around, he was broadside at 15 yards in my shooting lane. I stopped him with a mouth grunt, and then tried to draw my bow, but my bow hit my bow hanger, so I had to sit down. So I sat down and went to draw, and POP!!! my shoulder popped. (I have a bad shoulder, thats a whole other story, when this happens, I usually cant move my arm for a couple of minnutes) so all I could do was sit there and look at him, I could not believe that he was still standing there looking at me after all of this time.[&:]I should mention, that it was getting pretty dark by now, even tho there was still about 10 minnutes left to hunt. Anyways, after a couple of seconds, I mustered up the strength to try and draw again, I got to full draw, but I was so shook up, and had the fever so bad, that I couldnt even find my peep, and my anchor was way off, I was just screwed up, I needed to calm down some how. I let back down, and tried to calm down and check my peep and everything, and then I drew yet again, (yes, he was still standing there, but he had stepped forward a few steps by now ) But by now, it was just too dang dark to see thru my peep sight, and see my pins. I know he would have gone at least 120, if not better, Went back out today, and sat in the same stand, but didnt see a thing. Sorry guys, have to find a way to shake tha buck fever, you should have seen me, I was beside myself. I could have forced the shot, but there was just no way I was going to do that, we will meet at another time. Sorry this got so long. Hope everyone is doing ok.

trouthunter

Hey cousin (shed) and all you other XX team members... I posted a story that was emailed to me in the big game hunting forum called "the longest minute". It's worth the read if you got the time...

-Scott

AR 34 eight point

Thanks Quick

That umbrella is the one that goes on the tree

Good story bigdaddy, now shake it off and put one on the ground.

rybo, dont let that miss bother you, it is so easy to make a mistake in archery, just grab the conifidence and shoot another.

Took out my daughter tonight and had 3 bucks comming in accross a field. One 8 point ran off and I got the other 8 and a smaller buck to come our way, busted me reaching for the range finder, stuck the nose in the air and ran off.... dang.... but we got to see some.... last distance was about 60 yards but still needed to change direction to get a shot.... I had a real hard time holding the camera, I will put it on the arm next time.

Good luck fellas

buttonbuckmaster

Ryan, sorry to hear that man, it happens to all of us.

I didn't go to the playoff game today. One of our part timers quit yesterday....so I got stuck at work.[:@]$50 out the window. I went hunting this AM...nothing, again. Full moon is making it tough.....come on cooler weather.

IL Rancher

Yeah, full moons and warm temps... Hey Button 29 for a low on wed and 32 low and a chance of snow on Wed... I think, me thinkis, that Tuesday afternoon hunt is in the works for me...


Hope it pushes all the way South.. time for fall to get going.

rybohunter

don't worry about it big daddy, you'll calm down the next time he comes by. At least you didn't force a bad shot on him.


I finally saw a shooter yesterday morning. Had lots of action with the does too. So close to getting off a shot. Probably one ofthe longest times I had deer in range but no shot presented. I also saw a huge coon and a gray fox.

quiksilver

Don't sweat the whiff, Rybo. At least it wasn't another 130 class, or you'd be really sick.

Dave - good thing you didn't go to the game - Pujols stunk up the place.

BigDaddy - that's what it's all about. If you don't get excited, it's time to hang it up. It's feelings like the one you felt that drive us all. I'm just happy that you got to experience it. Get back out there and climb back on the horse. Hope that shoulder holds up too.

Anthony - Things will get better once the corn is off and the youth seasons end.

Sum - I have the same one - it's called the Buckwing porta roof or something. $15 and worth its weight in gold.

Saw two doe yesterday and two more carloads of hunters at the farm I hunt. Really getting disgusted. They walk all over and stink up the place. They show up at daylight, leave at dusk, so they're clearing the deer out before they get to me. It sucks. The deer respond by getting into the cover andsitting tight. The hunting has really gone south. I went this morning to scout out some public land (where we spotted Ryan) and found an isolated hollow with what appears to be little/no hunting pressure and a nice heavy rubline on an old logging road. I cleared a tree out about 35 yards from a really active scrape. I'll be in there soon.

In other news, my buddy killed an absolute hog of a buck yesterday. An absolute hog. Probably one of the nicest bucks that will be killed in the state this year. Once I get a picture of it, I'll post it. It's a mainframe 5x5 with the most massive main beams I've ever seen - palmation that runs all the way to the G4 on the right beam (probably related to a hoof injury on his rear left hoof - missing a toe). It couldn't have happened to a better guy - good kid, hunts as hard as anyone I know, his wife just left him, so he needed something like that to happen. Me, him and another guy grew up hunting and trapping together since we were knee-high, and I'd say for sure that this cat is one of the best whitetail hunters in the county, but the monster bucks have always alluded him. Until yesterday. So, that made my day. It might not score so high, because I bet it's under 15" inside, but what a rack. 11 scorable points, with about 8 stickers that are just under 1".

rybohunter

Fran,
Was it one of the ones you guys were seeing spotting?

SumHunter

Well guys...My wife was gone all weekend to Chicago and my sister offered to keep my kids! Perfect, plenty of time to hunt and it being a long weekend (Monday - Columbus Day), I wanted to take a doe also!!

Friday night was alright. I sat in a fence line connecting a picked corn field and an alfalfa field. I had two basket six points, a 90 inch 8 point, and a buttonbuck walk right by my stand. The 8 wasn't too bad but he is definitely a young deer. I listened to the two six points spar for probably 10 mins. Saturday morning the wind was blowing out of the east...only have one stand that I can hunt with that wind direction. Saw a small four point and another buttonbuck...No shots at does. Saturday night, saw a couple of does but the one that I tried to get a shot on just wouldn't cooperate; she quartered towards me way too much>>>NO SHOT. Then this morning, sat until 1030 and saw absolutely nothing. Looks like I'll give it whirl next weekend.

Good luck to you all.

quiksilver

Sum - tough luck this weekend, but it sounds like you saw deer and enjoyed the free time. That's what it's all about.

I'm hunting tonight, not sure where the winds of fate will take me. I've got four options. I'll decide once I'm driving.

In other news, I almost bought a dog yesterday. The wife wanted to go out for lunch, so we did, and we hit up a burger joint that is in a plaza with a pet store. Well, they had this Saint Bernard pup. I was bored waiting for her to get done ogling the ankle-biters, so I made the fatal mistake. "Sir, can I play with that guy right there?" 1 minute later, I'm in the playroom passing ball with this dog. We bonded. Kelly shows up, and now she loves him too. He had these big clumsy feet, and was kinda dopey and uncoordinated - looked like a big brown and white bear cub. So then I'm determined to own this animal, that is, until I found out the price. Holy bejeezus. $1100 (plus add'l charges)for a dog?! I got my golden with papers, shots and everything for $500, and he was champion show line. Apparently, financing is available. LOL I may go back in under cover of darkness and steal him from the evil clutches of the pet store.

As an aside, I think pet stores play on people's emotions bydisplaying the dogs in tiny, uncomfortable cages, thenhold them for ransome by charging exhorbitant prices, and making you feel like you have some moral obligation to "save" him from a life of misery inside that cramped, smelly cage. Pet stores are evil.