Cougar Mag

Last Friday I was about 20 minutes late picking up a hunting buddy and it sure cost me. Long story short, just as I placed my climbing platform on the base of the tree here comes 3 does, a six pt. buck and a huge buck with a 20-22" inside spread and good mass on the main beams with good height. Other than that he looked to be a 140-150 class buck. I have no way of knowing how many points, I was concentrating on putting my release back on and nocking an arrow. This proved to be a little bit of a chore in itself. I had both gloves on still and although with lots of practice I had no trouble working the velcro strap through the buckle, now it seemed almost impossible. Being a little excited didn't help and no matter how calm I tried to remain the dang strap would not thread through. I did learn a lesson here....in emergencies heck with the velcro loop strap. Just put the release on and grip the barrel tightly, very very tightly! If I had done this, I could have gotten a good shot off farther too my left. But I didn't, I wanted the release on.

After finally getting my release back on, just as I was working my way around the base of the tree while on my knees hoping to get a clear shot, the big buck starts pushing the 6 pt. away. Good for me I say to myself, thinking it would give me more time to get comfortable and he will be free of the brush between he and I at the moment. Finally I see a good opening and its only a 25 yard shot! All I need is 2 more steps to the right from the buck and for the 6 pt. to cooperate. But hey, the 6 pt. decides he has had enough of the big buck and starts walking away......right toward me!! At 10 yards I am caught with the 6 pt. staring at me. No way is the 6 pt. going to leave until he figures me out and by that time the big buck will be long gone back after those does that turned north. Dumb became dumber.........The big buck is clear and I decide to take a chance and start drawing my bow, hoping against hope the 6 pt. won't do anything. Dumb move! The 6 pt. blows and retreats north, the big buck trots off north and the older does all leave too! One blow from the 6 pt. and its all over.

He won't be back..he is too old and wise. All the 6 pt had to do was go east, north or west, but not toward me.[:@] And if I'd been on time I would have had a 20-25 wide open shot to my left from my stand and the 6 pt. would have not mattered! Of all the times to be late one morning last week while on vacation! Thats bowhunting!

John Deer

Sorry to hear that Cougar. Hopefully you'll be able to catch up with him again soon. It seems like Murphys Law always comes into effect during bow season.

Antler Eater

Cougar,

I feel your pain my friend. I had a similar time constraint problem a couple of years ago on a 160 class buck. You came closer than I did.

I don't think your move was dumb at all. You are almost in a "no win" situation when you find yourself on the ground, face to face with a buck blocking the one you want. Desperate times call for desperate measures. You didn't have a whole lot of options to try. I would guess that six was going to "make you" shortly, one way or the other. Hey, you made the best attempt you could under the circumstances you found yourself in... I know it does little to ease the pain, but at least you might stop the hemorrhaging. [&:]

Good luck...I'm sure you will still score on a nice buck.

standorstalk

It hurts, but these are the stories that keep us going back out there. Good luck to ya.

shed33

Mag, I feel your pain, earlier this season in September, I hussled in after work to one of my stands. As I peaked up over the ridge to see my stand, there standing 4 feet from my tree was the buck I am after. He looks right at me and I freeze. He turns and walks away into the timber. I was really suprised to see him 3 hours before dark, then again there was a low pressure system that had moved in and really cooled the temps.

I am still hunting that darned buck !

Rob/PA Bowyer

Tough one Mag. What I do is never go into the woods without my release on unless it's dark....lessoned learned the hard way myself.....[&:]

Strut&Rut

Cougar,

Not picking on you, but if you were in your tree how do you know those deer would have walked down the same path?

I stopped getting mad at myself, when crap like this happens, a long time ago. File it away under, "Damn, that sure was a nice buck I saw"...

I mean, it's just like turkey hunting. You can setup on a bird 3 days in a row, moving to his "flydown" area each day. And on the 3rd day, he flies down to where you aren't again...instead this time, it was where you were sitting on day #1!