HuntingNet.com Forums - Put me in the books.....

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Put me in the books.....

...for a nice 8 point. ;) See picture below.

It all started as the alarm went off at about 2:45 this morning. I got up, showered and then proceeded to eat a quick breakfast before throwing the treestand and bow into the truck.

The drive was relatively short as my hunting area is only about 10 minutes from my house. I pulled into the lot to find it empty. By the time I had put everything on and proceeded into the woods it was around 3:50 am. I walked through the long stand of pines, up the hill and down the trail to my stand. I carefully attached the climber to the tree and then placed my 3 scent canisters around the treestand area.

After climbing the tree I secured all my gear and settled in for the long wait for first light. It was coooollllllllld this morning. Luckily I packed two chemical hand warmers that were strategically placed on both of my shoulders. Still, I had the chills from time to time.

As it finally got light out I mentally marked the position of the other three hunters that I had within sight. Considering the thickness of the area I was hunting they posed no threat to my hunting opportunity. I was just glad to be out in the woods.

Around 7:20 am I heard the small "crack" of a limb and sat up straighter and positioned my bow out in front of me. Only a few seconds went by before I caught the outline of a deer moving within about15 yards beneath me, under the tree canopy. I instantly noticed the rack and got out the binoculars to see if it was a legal buck or not. Darn, only 4 points though it was ahigh "Y" buck. I thought I might as well watch it for awhile just to pass the time. It ended up meandering to almost directly below my stand.

It was at this point that I heard another "crack" and peeked over my right shoulder. About twenty yards away another deer appeared from the dense understory. This one was also a buck with an unmistakeable set of headgear. It definitely was a shooter.

Here is where it gets interesting. I am seated and the 4 pointer is directly below me. In the meantime the bigger buck steps further out into my shooting lane. I cannot do anything though as any movement on my part will surely alert the buck below me. So, I sit and I wait...all the while shivering with excitement and from the cold.

After about 5 minutes the bigger buck turns around and walks back the way he came. A minute or two later the 4 pointer does the same. It is at this point that I am able to stand and turn towards the bigger buck. I crossed my fingers and just prayed that he would step out into the open again.

And he did....

..at about 12 yards. I instantly drew the bow back, settled the pin on his near shoulder and.......

...released. It was almost like watching in slow motion as my orange and black fletchings disappeared inside him. That was almost immediately followed by a loud "thwack" sound.

The big buck, the 4 pointer, another buck I didn't even see and a fourth deer all started running full tilt up the side of the hill. A few seconds later I heard a loud "crash" and just knew that my buck was down.

I then, carefully, sat back in the stand and pulled out the two way radio. "Big buck down" "Big buck down" I shouted into it and then the shakes started. I swear I couldn't move a muscle as I was afraid I was going to shake right out of the treestand.

After about ten minutes the shakes finally subsided and I was able to glass around a bit to see if I could see my arrow or any blood. Twenty five minutes or so went by and I proceeded to start getting down from my stand. After reaching the bottom of the tree I packed up all my gear and went to look for the arrow. It was easy to find and all covered in bright red blood from tip to nock. The Steelhead performed flawlessly with only one bent blade.

Tracking was easy as the blood trail was generous. I walked up the hill to where I heard the deer crash and there lay my buck.....a dandy 8 pointer.

I thank God for the opportunity to harvest such a beautiful animal and thank everyone here for sharing it with me.

Chalk one up for the Perfect 10. We are on the board. ;)

I am going to post this first and then go back and post the pic as I seem to be having problems with that lately. Also, I haven't scored it yet but will do so after I finish it skinning it here shortly.