Augmike:
I am not too far away from you in 8h.

I have seen a ton of activity this bow season. Unfortunately, I my stand location has been about 10-20 yds off of where they would be ideal. I may have to use the climber this weekend, but I really cannot risk getting too much closer to their bedding area.

I did see something I had never seen or heard before. I had two bucks get up from the bedding area right at the last 5-10 minutes of daylight. The larger one got up and went straight for one of my other ladder stands about 70 yards to the 7 o'clock position of where I was in another ladder stand. He literally beat the snot out of it, even getting on his hind legs. Hearing the "tink...tink..tink.." of antlers rapping against the stand just amazed me. Sure enough the next day I checked it out, and it is all marked up.

That is when I heard the smaller buck in front of my stand. Hetook the same trail I have patterned all the deer on, and stopped at the only place I could get a fair shot. Needless to say my arrow nipped a hanging tree limb and stuck into a fallen log right in front of the standing buck.

Sad to say, but I could have taken all the bucks I have on film this year during bow season with a shotgun..but I just couldnt get them in close enough for a shot (other than the smaller 5 ptr).