With my cull buck finally down, I was left with only a couple of hunts remaining to try and get within range of a management 8 point or another big cull buck for that matter.
My next time out was Tuesday morning. With temperatures right at the freezing mark, a heavy frost, bluebird skies, and bucks going 150 mph in search of does, I was confident that I would at least see an eligible target.
I perched myself on one of the steepest ridges on the entire property to try and prevent deer from slipping downwind of my treestand location if they responded to a rattling or grunt sequence. Glad I did.
Not long after daylight, I had one of my collared bucks slip through towards the bedding area. After another hour of waiting, I was worried that all the deer had gone to bed before daylight – but that was not the case. The boys were just getting in from a long night of chasing the girls.
At 7:45 a.m., I picked up my rattling antlers for the second time that morning but got a response this time. Within the next 5 minutes, I had 4 different bucks all gawking in my direction within 100 yards. A yearling buck, 2 year old, 3 year old, and a 5 year old. None legal bucks to me though.
This was the 5 year old. He was a 9 point.
After 30 minutes went by and the woods quieted down, I clanged the antlers together again and the woods came to life again. The same 3 year old and 5 year old came back in to investigate the second “fight” of the morning. While they were deciding whether or not they were just going to fight each other, I could hear a couple deer walking up behind me.
They circled downwind but because of the ridge they could only go about 15 yards behind my tree – not nearly far enough out to get in my scent stream. When I saw the first buck, I just about lost it…
…but quickly realized he wasn’t one of the over-hill 8 pointers I was looking for. This was a 4 year old buck with tremendous width. If he adds a bit of mass and tine length, he will be a true monster as a fully mature 5 or 6 year old.
Here’s another picture I took of the same deer.
Right on his heels was one of my hit list bucks though.
With several other bucks within 50 yards to compare to, I instantly recognized all the characteristics of an over-the-hill buck – sagging belly, monster body, neck looks as developed as his chest. Oh yea…and 8 points which made him a management buck.
As they continued down the trail that would put them both in one of my 20 yard shooting windows, I wasn’t sure if I was going to have an opportunity to draw my bow with 4 deer standing so close (something I couldn’t have done on my previous encounter with 4 bucks that same morning…too many eyes searching for the battle). Fortunately, one of the other bucks grunted his displeasure at the wide 8 point and my potential target. All attention went to the deer that vocalized and that was the window I needed.
I drew my bow and waited until he cleared the last pine limb. At 17 yards, I settled my pin and buried my arrow through the deer and into a log laying behind him. He sprinted down the steep ridge behind my stand before slowing to a stop in the creek bottom below. 15 seconds later it was over.
He weighed over 200 pounds and I couldn’t have been more tickled with his antlers. A classic management 8 point but a trophy buck to me. He was at least 5 years old, but we’re leaning towards 6 or 7 years. Better than average mass, great eyeguards, and awesome width. Believe it or not (I had to measure 3 different times just to convince myself), he is deceptively wide at 20 3/8″ inside spread.
This picture shows off his old face and very gray coat.
His rack hadn’t changed much since last year. The picture below is from February 2009 and even though he had lost a lot of body weight, he still holds the appearance of an older age class animal.
So, I’m tagged out for bucks. My deer season is over. I can hear my wife shouting “Finally!”
Or is it??? Stay tuned for an “encore” hunt that I’ll write up on Monday.
Also, my personal take on hunting inside a high fence (a first time experience for myself this year) will be going up sometime next week or shortly thereafter. I’m sure you all will be interested to read that.
