Nanny Whacker, (pics) (appreciation p5)
10-13-2007, 10:24 PM
#1
Boone & Crockett
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 1998
Location: Hughesville, PA USA
Posts: 18,322
Nanny Whacker, (pics) (appreciation p5)
Yup, that's the stand Rick James (Matt) had in mind for me Saturday morning. I arrrived in Matt's (RJ) camp http://www.huntingnet.com/fieldjournal/fieldjournal_detail.aspx?nID=710 late Friday night. We sat and talked for a couple hours and before we knew it, it was 1:00 am and he was setting the alarm for 4:30. This hunt was planned prior to my injury but with my injury I wasn't sure how much hunting I was going to get in. Surprisingly I'm getting up on my feet and Matt said, go ahead and get that doe tag which includes both our hunting areas in the same doe management areas so I applied. I received my doe tag after our season already started and this is/was my first doe tag in many years. I have not shot a doe since prior to year 2000. Matt said he needed some doe thinning and he could get me into spots regardless of my injury.
Late Friday night we talked, he said in the morning he wanted to put me in the Nanny Whacker stand. A stand named for a very successful doe tagging stand. Early morning came quickly and I was in stand well before light. I listened to Matt's instructions for possible doe locations and I kept watching them spots. I noticed movement and without seeing antlers I knew it was a buck. I turned grabbing my bow and noticed a good set of antlers. Matt said he'd been mad if I didn't shoot a buck if given the opportunity but with what they are trying to do, please make it a 3.5 year old or better. I quickly ID'd him as a 2.5 year old and set my bow up and grabbed the camera.
At 23 yards, he got a free pass. Typical Rob luck, hunt the Nanny Whaker stand and have a nice buck in range for a free pass.
The morning didn't produce any more sightings. I heard some jakes yelping down below and Matt almost got a shot on a doe. I'll let him tell that story.
I made a suggestion to find a spot where I could buy Matt breakfast so we headed out. Made a loop around the property in the Titan and saw several gobblers, saw gobbler most of the day.
Back at camp we got around to head out for the afternoon hunt.
Matt decided to put me in a ground blind on one of his food plots. We talked about this blind earlier and he said he had this old girl bust him a couple times the past 2 weeks and he wanted her out of the herd. Good herd management and she constantly ran off other deer.
We headed out and set up in the ground blind. The food plot looked incredible, Matt did great work on it and you can read it by checking out his journal.
Deer should show up any time but they did not. I could tell the plot was getting hit and from the camp we watched gobblers in this plot all afternoon. There hasn't been a day yet all season there wasn't a deer in it.
Evening came and we still waited for the first deer to show up. At around 6:15 I spotted movement and we concentrated on the deer. A button buck was the first to show up, followed by it's sibling doe. The maternal doe wasn't far behind and Matt explained, that's her....we got ready.
Matt was filming and suddenly the camera turned off and the fawns looked up. The doe got nervous and Matt said something like she's going to bust again. I said ut oh and Matt said if you can take her....take her. She started stomping as I set up on her, ranged her at 41 yards, drew and took aim with Matt looking over my shoulder.
The arrow was loosed and we both watch it pass through her vitals. She tore out of there only to be heard going down. Matt knew he heard her go down but we still snuck out, found immediate blood, marked the spot and erroring on the side caution, backed out, headed to camp to discuss it. We waited 2 hours, sent a couple text's and went out to find her a mere 150 yards from POI. A real nice 2.5 year old doe. The Snyper put about a 3" entrance hole and a 2" exit hole and an easy blood trail to follow.
Matt's such a great guy that he even dragged out my doe....he even got his hands bloody immediately by gutting my doe. I filled out the tag and we were back at camp.
Thank you so much Matt for a great Saturday hunt and allowing me to take a nice management doe on your and your fathers lands.
You've done fantastic work on the food plots and I look forward to the already invited return visit.
Late Friday night we talked, he said in the morning he wanted to put me in the Nanny Whacker stand. A stand named for a very successful doe tagging stand. Early morning came quickly and I was in stand well before light. I listened to Matt's instructions for possible doe locations and I kept watching them spots. I noticed movement and without seeing antlers I knew it was a buck. I turned grabbing my bow and noticed a good set of antlers. Matt said he'd been mad if I didn't shoot a buck if given the opportunity but with what they are trying to do, please make it a 3.5 year old or better. I quickly ID'd him as a 2.5 year old and set my bow up and grabbed the camera.
At 23 yards, he got a free pass. Typical Rob luck, hunt the Nanny Whaker stand and have a nice buck in range for a free pass.
The morning didn't produce any more sightings. I heard some jakes yelping down below and Matt almost got a shot on a doe. I'll let him tell that story.
I made a suggestion to find a spot where I could buy Matt breakfast so we headed out. Made a loop around the property in the Titan and saw several gobblers, saw gobbler most of the day.
Back at camp we got around to head out for the afternoon hunt.
Matt decided to put me in a ground blind on one of his food plots. We talked about this blind earlier and he said he had this old girl bust him a couple times the past 2 weeks and he wanted her out of the herd. Good herd management and she constantly ran off other deer.
We headed out and set up in the ground blind. The food plot looked incredible, Matt did great work on it and you can read it by checking out his journal.
Deer should show up any time but they did not. I could tell the plot was getting hit and from the camp we watched gobblers in this plot all afternoon. There hasn't been a day yet all season there wasn't a deer in it.
Evening came and we still waited for the first deer to show up. At around 6:15 I spotted movement and we concentrated on the deer. A button buck was the first to show up, followed by it's sibling doe. The maternal doe wasn't far behind and Matt explained, that's her....we got ready.
Matt was filming and suddenly the camera turned off and the fawns looked up. The doe got nervous and Matt said something like she's going to bust again. I said ut oh and Matt said if you can take her....take her. She started stomping as I set up on her, ranged her at 41 yards, drew and took aim with Matt looking over my shoulder.
The arrow was loosed and we both watch it pass through her vitals. She tore out of there only to be heard going down. Matt knew he heard her go down but we still snuck out, found immediate blood, marked the spot and erroring on the side caution, backed out, headed to camp to discuss it. We waited 2 hours, sent a couple text's and went out to find her a mere 150 yards from POI. A real nice 2.5 year old doe. The Snyper put about a 3" entrance hole and a 2" exit hole and an easy blood trail to follow.
Matt's such a great guy that he even dragged out my doe....he even got his hands bloody immediately by gutting my doe. I filled out the tag and we were back at camp.
Thank you so much Matt for a great Saturday hunt and allowing me to take a nice management doe on your and your fathers lands.
You've done fantastic work on the food plots and I look forward to the already invited return visit.
10-14-2007, 03:46 AM
#8
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Indiana (southern)
Posts: 6,146
RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
very cool story Rob'o, Matt sounds like a hell of a guy. Congrats on the nanny Thats got to be the first pic i have ever seen with the hunter and a set of crutches over a succesful kill. The leg thing has gave me plenty of entertainment, thanks bro 
Thats got to be the first pic i have ever seen with the hunter and a set of crutches over a succesful kill. The leg thing has gave me plenty of entertainment, thanks bro
