I harvested a buck in Iowa public on November 12, but he had serious ground shrinkage!
Sorry but I've just gotten conditioned to over-pressured Illinois public land nocturnal bucks. This guy snuck in behind me in a 20 mph wind and everything happened in a flash. Ended up pinwheeling him from 52 yards which was crazy in the first place. Grossly under-estimated distance but hey with today's flat shooting carbons.........
All kinds of crazy things happened:
1. As it got light out that morning I noticed what looked like a deer laying dead 15 yards from the tree I was in. It was! Someone had made a horrible rump shot on a 130" 9 point and there it lay, after probably 2 days of misery. I took photos.
2. Two does and the buck I ended up shooting clearly saw this buck and freaked out, doing 180's. I shot my buck at 8:30 quartering away heading back up the trail he came in on. Only after having to reposition, spinning 180 myself in my treestand. My first draw hit my screw-in bow holder, clinking. Had to let up. Buck didn't spook due to wind. Folded bow holder back and redrew, grunted to stop him, and shot. He did not make it to top of ridge.
3. On my way out to retrieve deer cart, the booner I was after was freakin standing 20 yards downwind of my plan B tree that morning........at 11 AM.
He was a toad. And I walked to within 60 yards before he saw me......windy.
4. After a week of overcrowded parking areas, NOBODY was in either of the two lots serving my area. Couldn't believe it. Prime rut and everyone left? OK.
5. When I field dressed my buck, I'd left the heart laying on top the gut pile. When I returned 2 hours later the yotes had already found it and ran off with it!
6. One of the straps on my cart got wrapped on the axle and completely blew out the plastic spokes on one of the wheels!
So now I'm in the middle of nowhere with no other hunters around and I need to move my buck 1/2 mile. Wasted 5 hours driving to Ottumwa Menard's to buy a new one. Was very lucky to find a place open considering it was Veteran's Day.
7. So I have 4 days vacation left and I run down to central Illinois to bowhunt 3 days where I am very familiar. Ran into two retired military psychos who have ladder stands in my favorite spot and threaten to kick my ass if I don't leave and never return! Get assaulted, battery, attempted theft of my video camera documenting their BS. Threatened to trash my jeep. What nice fellows. BTW - I went to that spot at 4 AM in dark using GPS as always.......these guys cruise in there at 10 AM.
What a season.
8. I had to leave after that due to 2 special hunts mentoring a youth in northern IL. Well the it's post rut, the deer are locked down, there are zero food crods in our zone, and this kid sees absolutely nothing. He informs me he is quitting hunting permanently. Well, OK what does a guy do? I learned I'm never going to mentor again unless I have private land. Period. It was actually a relief for me because I couldn't use my climbing stand when I was mentoring. Never felt safe. I like to be attached to tree at all times with my rope/harness.