GMMAT

I got in my stand Friday morning with GREAT anticipation. I’d seen a LOT of activity at one scrape….and I was anxious to see who was the culprit. I only began deer hunting this year….and I’d yet to see a buck while in the field, this season (Started hunting in mid Oct…..hunted 7 times). I checked my watch on these….so this is the truth: 1) 7:05…biggest doe I’ve ever seen starts making her way towards me. I watch her for about 10 minutes….and she’s slowly heading my way. When she gets within bow range I realize….I was mistaken. It’s a half-rack 3 (3 points on one side….other antler broken off). I quickly knew I wasn’t going to shoot this deer…and decided to simply take in the moment and watch. He made his way over to the scrape…..I watched him lick the branch…..and THRASH his head in the plumage of the overhanging limbs. He then pretty VIOLENTLY scraped out his “V”….and milled around the opening I was in. 4 does had made their way into my set by now…..and he started chasing them all. 2) I then heard my first grunt in the wild. I had purchased a grunt tube on THURSDAY…lol…and it was amazing that it sounded just like the tube! I had been a bit skeptical. Well….he chases all the does away (eventually)….and chases one completely out of site before returning. He then only has one doe in the field. He’d chase her (not hard, though)….and when he’d turn his back….the doe would kinda run after him. I didn’t notice he wasn’t grunting until later. The little doe…then goes over to the scrape….and stands on its back legs to lick the branch. It then scrapes kinda halfheartedly and makes its way over to me (Well….my stand was exactly NINE yds. from the scrape). I could tell, then, that it was a button buck. Now I’ve seen 2. All of this action took 30 minutes to unfold. 3) At 8:50….I hit my grunt call. At 9:05 (I looked at the watch, again)….a deer starts making its’ way across the field in my direction (approx. 110yds away). When it gets to about 60 yds….I see that it’s the half-rack. When it gets to 50 yds….I realize it ISN’T the half-rack….but a NICE 6 pt. He comes over to the scrape and goes through the ritual…actually jump-kicking as he thrashed his antlers into the same limbs. I’d decided I was gonna take this deer if he presented the opportunity….and I started to draw back (He was PERFECT quartering away, slightly). When I got the arrow about 12” through the whisker biscuit….the sound startled him. He didn’t bust me…but he knew something wasn’t right. He lumbered over to the right of me…and again presented himself in a perfect way for me to take a shot. He’s 6 or 7 yds, now….and again the noise of the biscuit got his attention in the wrong way. He kinda trotted off…..not fully knowing of me….but a bit spooked. 4) I was kind of mentally drained after that…lol….and I sat down for a bit. @ 10:05 (Yes…I looked, again)…I hear a sound from behind me that I KNOW is a deer coming. Problem is….this deer had to come from about 110 yds right through the woods….but it was on top of me before I heard it. When I finally saw it…my knees buckled. He went past…I stopped him with my best “TV” “Baaaa”…..and he froze. Wow. This stuff works. Problem is…he didn’t freeze for long. He squatted….and started off to his left…..off the trail. I could never get a clean shot. He was an OLD, BIG….at least 8 pointer. He was FULL GROWN.

The good I can take from this is …..heck….infinite. I gained some experience….I saw things that MANY will never witness…..and I didn’t get my stand blown out. I didn’t harvest an animal….but I had a WONDERFUL hunt.

Good luck, guys………Jeff

GMMAT

Oh yeah....I forgot....I no longer own a whisker biscuit. I changed to a drop away, Saturday. I am NOW, stealth.

Jeff

Greg / MO

Never owned a Whisker, so I don't know if that's commonplace, but that would be the first learning I'd take away from those events!

Congrats on -- like you said -- experiencing things that most people have no idea of how special they are.

Antler Eater

Sounds like your "noise" issue is solved.

If you should ever find yourself in that position again (where you spook an animal on the draw) don't stop, keep drawing back. Often times like you experienced they will hop a short ways and stop [8D]. This will offer a short window of opportunity for you to "send him a message".If he doesn't stop you still didn't lose anything....

What a great morning you had!!! Well worth the price of admission!

GMMAT

Thanks, Antler Eater.

I was TRULY in AWE that morning.

I thought JUST about what you said about drawing on back once I'd started. You're likely right in saying that I should have kept going to full draw, but I'd already seen 6 deer that morning without being busted....and I wanted to be able to take this deer another day.....from that same stand location. Call me what you will.....this was my thinking, though.

I saw 4 bucks and 4 does (first bucks ever in the wild).....and none of them blew me out or busted me. They ALL came to within 10 yds....and MOST were directly beneath me at one time or another.

Did I mention I was hooked?????

Jeff

spde911

Sounds like a great day in the woods! I have a whisker biscuit too, but I haven't had any problems with noise. I've been thinking of switching to a drop away rest, just haven't done it yet. My set up seems to be working. Good luck and I hope you get him.

Droptines

My WBmakes very little,if ANY,,noise.It must have been your arrow.Do you shoot a carbon with a camo finish ?.
Sometimes the bristles get wornspot that will start to make noise.A small strip of 120 grit sand paper,run over the spot the arrow rides on,will do the trick.

aeroslinger

Man that sounds like a fun time. Love it when there's lots of activity. I went to a biscuit earlier this year and haven't had a chance to get busted or not, but was getting a little noise and had me concerned. I normally shoot alums. I ended up waxing the arrows and it seems to have done the trick. I may end up with a drop away before its over.

GMMAT

First of all....thanks for the replies. It truly was a majestic morning.

I went to the archery shop after that morning....and pulled back on a few bows in there with the WB. They all sounded the same. I had them put a drop-away on....and we put the little felt strips on there. It is now ABSOLUTELY silent. The WB isn't LOUD, per se.....but it does make a noise. When you're as close as I was....they can hear it. It's just a fact. I really LOVED the WB for its ease of use (heck...I bought 3 of them!). My son has the WB on his bow (same noise). Neighbor has one (same noise). A bow we have for sale has one (same noise). So...I'm convinced.

I thought about adding something to the arrows (wax, etc...)...but I've worked hard to get scent-free....and I don't want to start researching scent-free waxes and silicones.

I shoot carbon arrows with no paint.

Thanks guys....I appreciate the comments. I feel like the luckiest guy in the world to have been able to experience this morning.

Jeff

Finch

Sounds like an awesome morning in the stand. I love just being able to watch animals in the wild with them unknowing of my presence. I've never heard a real grunt or have I seen one work a scrape.

I had a WB and switched to a drop away this year. I really never gave the WB a chance but I do like the dropaway as far as accuracy. My Dropaway makes a little noise just b/c I don't have felt on it yet.

Good luck on the buck