flips2

I decided to try and get a doe this morning, mainly to get out of the house(cabin fever). The place were I went is in Fairfax County in Clifton. I didn't get out early in the morning because I was feeling lazy so I took my time and was up the tree around 9:30am. About ten minutes after being in the tree I noticed a skull out in front of me about 35 yards and put the binos up to take a look. I could see that it was a buck head so I decided that I would get when I got down. About 11:15am I caught movement from my left side and saw a deer walking towards me. I looked closer and saw that it was a 6 point buck with both antlers. I'm like great can't even shot him and I see another deer walking behind him. I take a look and its a 8 point buck with both antlers. I was a little surprised to see both them with full headgear. Neither were wall hangers but the 8 looks like it has very good potential(already out past its ears but not the mass yet). They get about 20 yards from me and get a little nervous and know something was up. I went to move my binos up and they spooked but only went about 20 yards. This is were it gets a little crazy.

The 6 pointer comes behind the 8 pointer and starts to mount him. I just about busted out laughing in the stand and kind of in a state of shock tobe seeing this behavior in Feb. They start to mosey behind me and I hit the bleat call and grunt a few times to see what they would do. They looked towards me but continued up the hill towards the yard of a neighboring house. I follow them with the binos and at about 75 yards I can see more deer in this laural thicket. I look and see 3 more bucks all with sometype of headgear to on top. Then 2 bucks lock up in a pretty heated battle for about a minute while the other three are running around them. I couldn't believe my eyes watching all this unfold. They finally wenton their way and I had to check my watch to make sure it was Feburary and not November. It was amazing to still see smaller bucks with both sets of antlers atop their heads and to still see bucks fighting.

I caught movement again fromwhere the first two bucks came from and it was some guy walking his dog in the woods. He came about 10 yards in front of meand never saw me in the tree. I whistled at him a few times but he had headphones on and couldn't hear me but the dog was going beserk. They ended up walking down this creek bottom that I was watching so I decided to call it a day. I climbed down and went over to skull that I hadsaw from the stand and was surprised to see it was a 11 point buck. It had been there sometime by the way the mice hadstarted gnawing on it. I am going touploadsome photos of the rack. Hopefully they will come out.

I all can say is what ahunt!

flips2

Here is another picture

o2bebowhunting

DID you see any does? great hunt for this time of year.

dakine999

Cool find and sounds like a fun day out.

flips2

Thats the thing, didn't see one slick head at all. Go figure.

gamespooker

boy he had some height on him!

coolbrze0

That is weird, no doubt. I haven't been out for the late season, have spent most of my time working or rabbit hunting. The part about does being 2 months from dropping fawns turns me off enough that I haven't been out in the late season for a # of years. That's one reason the dgif is opening the season on 1 Sept. this year, we're not getting high enough harvest #s in NOVA.