Finally had a good night...........
11-02-2004, 08:56 AM
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Mertztown, PA
Posts: 970
Finally had a good night...........
After what has a been a year of firsts for me, the first time to lose a deer, then the first time to loose two, I finally moved to redeem myself last night. The year has been eventful, but in the wrong ways. I first gut shot a yearling doe that wandered onto private property, then I hit a six pointer that I tracked for over six hours before giving up hope. Suffice to say that my confidence had been shaken despite my many hours of on and off-season 3D shooting and practice.
I got to my tree last night around 3:30PM and climbed the Summit to a height of 25 feet. It was a piece of state game land that’s highly pressured, but close enough to home to offer some short weekday evening hunts. It was a beautiful evening in eastern PA with sun, a light breeze, and dry, crispy leaves that make hearing a deer much easier than usual. Before climbing, I hung two felts soaked in Bob Kirschner’s Silvertop estrous scent. This was the first season I tried the stuff and up until last night hadn’t had luck with it.
I sat for about an hour noting that the squirrels had thankfully stayed in. My adrenaline levels stayed low and it was just nice to relax in a tree after a day’s work. I sat there contemplating my weekend hunt when I heard what sounded like grunts coming from behind me. I spun around and saw a doe being chased by a buck grunting and running like I had never seen before. This boy had one thing on his mind and he wanted it BAD.
I picked up the Can call and hit it about ten times in a row hoping he would hear it through the leaves and broken branches. After several seconds all went quiet and it seemed the couple had moved well out of range. I re-hung the bow and listened to what sounded like branches breaking a good distance away. Ten minutes later there was the unmistakable cadence of a deer behind me. I slowly spun around and saw the buck that had been chasing so intently now moving at an angle toward me from the downwind side.
I looked at the Can again, but remembered that calling an approaching deer is a bad idea. Thankfully, that thought came soon enough. He tasted the wind and turned directly towards me at which point I knew he was onto Bob’s scent trail I had put out an hour earlier.
I grabbed the bow and remember looking off at the horizon and thinking, “Stay calm and don’t force the shot!” I was calmer than normal making me think that the year’s earlier mistakes may have educated me a bit.
At ten yards he gave mea perfect downward shot, one that I had practiced from my stand before opening day. I placed the top pin just to the left of his spine and let her go. The Thunderhead passed right through and stuck in the ground below him. The buck limped off about 45 yards and dropped within my view. His breathing was indicative of a lung shot until he expired two minutes after the shot.
All in all it was a very unexpected and welcome evening of hunting. I think I finally got over the apprehension that contributed to my bad experiences earlier in the year and I just pray those demons don’t return.
Pictured are my daughter and the Pennsylvania SGL eight pointer. It’s my best bow buck to date and testament, in my opinion, that the antler restrictions are starting to make a difference.
I got to my tree last night around 3:30PM and climbed the Summit to a height of 25 feet. It was a piece of state game land that’s highly pressured, but close enough to home to offer some short weekday evening hunts. It was a beautiful evening in eastern PA with sun, a light breeze, and dry, crispy leaves that make hearing a deer much easier than usual. Before climbing, I hung two felts soaked in Bob Kirschner’s Silvertop estrous scent. This was the first season I tried the stuff and up until last night hadn’t had luck with it.
I sat for about an hour noting that the squirrels had thankfully stayed in. My adrenaline levels stayed low and it was just nice to relax in a tree after a day’s work. I sat there contemplating my weekend hunt when I heard what sounded like grunts coming from behind me. I spun around and saw a doe being chased by a buck grunting and running like I had never seen before. This boy had one thing on his mind and he wanted it BAD.
I picked up the Can call and hit it about ten times in a row hoping he would hear it through the leaves and broken branches. After several seconds all went quiet and it seemed the couple had moved well out of range. I re-hung the bow and listened to what sounded like branches breaking a good distance away. Ten minutes later there was the unmistakable cadence of a deer behind me. I slowly spun around and saw the buck that had been chasing so intently now moving at an angle toward me from the downwind side.
I looked at the Can again, but remembered that calling an approaching deer is a bad idea. Thankfully, that thought came soon enough. He tasted the wind and turned directly towards me at which point I knew he was onto Bob’s scent trail I had put out an hour earlier.
I grabbed the bow and remember looking off at the horizon and thinking, “Stay calm and don’t force the shot!” I was calmer than normal making me think that the year’s earlier mistakes may have educated me a bit.
At ten yards he gave mea perfect downward shot, one that I had practiced from my stand before opening day. I placed the top pin just to the left of his spine and let her go. The Thunderhead passed right through and stuck in the ground below him. The buck limped off about 45 yards and dropped within my view. His breathing was indicative of a lung shot until he expired two minutes after the shot.
All in all it was a very unexpected and welcome evening of hunting. I think I finally got over the apprehension that contributed to my bad experiences earlier in the year and I just pray those demons don’t return.
Pictured are my daughter and the Pennsylvania SGL eight pointer. It’s my best bow buck to date and testament, in my opinion, that the antler restrictions are starting to make a difference.
11-02-2004, 09:30 AM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Heaven IA USA
Posts: 2,597
RE: Finally had a good night...........
Great Story, I really enjoyed it.
I can tell you that beautiful little "fawn" in the first picture makes that buck look like a monster. Pretty buck but your little girl is so much cuter! Congratulations on both the buck and the little one.
Glad to hear you have shook off the demons and got back in the "saddle".
I can tell you that beautiful little "fawn" in the first picture makes that buck look like a monster. Pretty buck but your little girl is so much cuter! Congratulations on both the buck and the little one.
Glad to hear you have shook off the demons and got back in the "saddle".
.
