Close but no cigar!
 

I went hunting after work tonight. Got in my stand at 3 pm. At 3:30 pm, 2 does and 4 fawns came out behind me. This is the family unit that hangs out here. It consists of the mother,her three fawns, her daughter and her fawn. All fawns are still with their doe, even the button bucks. As they were crossing behind me at 35 yards, the old doe caught a whiff of my scent. The others didn't notice until she locked up. They all froze as she came closer. She tried sniffing my tracks in the 15 inches of snow bit seemed to have difficulty. She got to 20 yards and stood looking for a while, then moved off as normal with the rest in tow.

Fourty minutes later I saw another deer. It was coming from where the does came, actually trailing them. It turned and started coming toward me at a 45 from my left ( I had turned around and was facing the tree). I saw it was a buck and a nice one at that. As he got to 30 yards, I recognized him from 10 days earlier. The biggest one I've seen all season, A 160 inch 9 pointer with a 1 1/2" sticker on his left g-2, the 4 point side. Wow! what a buck! 20 plus wide, g-2s 11"+, g-3s 10", 5" g-1s and 1 g-4 that was 4". Huge body. Dress at least 210. Last time I said that, the buck dressed at 226, when my buddy got him. I am an the conservative side when estimating score and weight. I don't like to exaggerate. 10 days earlier I score him with bino's from 100 yards.I guessed him at 156. He gets to 20 yards and starts going broadside to me. He stops right in front of me, no shot at 15 yards. He needs to take one more step......HE GETS MY WIND!!! he takes 3 jumps and gets about 30 yards and stops. One last look and he walks straight away from me. ARRRGGGGGHHHHH!!! They were supposed to come out in front of me ( remember I turned in the tree). They just didn't do what they were supposed to!;)

When I walked out I looked to the far end of my spot where I saw 2 does feeding when I walked in. I saw about 8 or more deer down there so I got out the binos and there he was, bumping does down there.

What an exciting hunt! Don't get me wrong, I'm out there to get one 140+. The air gets thinner up there. But even if I don't, these kind of encounters make up for it. This is the best season of my life so far. I'm having a gas!! Little bit of bad luck, but that's hunting. Maybe tomorrow![:-]

RE: Close but no cigar!
 

Man, sounds like a awesome hunt. To bad it didnt they way you (and probably all of us) wanted it to. I have had that happen to me before, its just part of hunting. Good luck tomorrow and the rest of the season.

RE: Close but no cigar!
 

Keep on him my friend, you know I'm pulling for ya. He's still interested in them does so that makes him a bit easier to hunt. Good luck Greg.

RE: Close but no cigar!
 

Sounds like you had a great hunt tonight! i was out and didn't see a deer during legal hours! Sure has been cold the past few days on stand aye????? I got to my stand yesterday morning and my thermometer said 4 degrees, it was below zero with the wind chill! The snow and cold, I love it! Good luck tomorrow!

RE: Close but no cigar!
 

Man i hear ya. Thats like me yesterday i was out doe hunting (since i dont have a buck tag any more) but i had these 2 bucks start fightin and came right under me and then right at dark had 2 doe come under me but when i was lookin threw my peep sight i could not see them So i passed.

But it was a great hunt i saw over 20 deer 4 bucks 1 fight 1 fox and 1 coon. I cant complain.

RE: Close but no cigar!
 

I'd hate to bring up scent control....;) so I won't.

Great hunt GregH, like you said to me, sometimes it's just an honor to see them for a season. Good luck.

RE: Close but no cigar!
 

I may try it next season, but when they're downwind at 15 yards, in these cold temps, you are going to need a big prayer along with that scentloc.;)

RE: Close but no cigar!
 

The only weather tougher is when the moisture holds your scent tight around your stand. I'd rather have a nice steady breeze. Again, good luck.

RE: Close but no cigar!
 

What a great encounter!

I'm a big believer in Scent Away. I do every bit of it: shower with the soap before every hunt, use their deoderant, wash my clothes in the detergent, use the dryer sheets, store my gear in the ziplock bags with the fresh earth wafers, spray down with the spray before entering the woods, and finally, pin the fresh earth wafers on me in the tree. Did I miss anything?

I rarely get winded. In fact, I can't recall getting winded once this year.

RE: Close but no cigar!
 

Man Law! You got that right, Rob. The weather people call those winds.."variable" = O mph, every direction and usually fog during prime time, mornings and evenings. The worst.[:@]