Tonight I had not planned to hunt. In fact I planned to do a speed running workout. But a call from a hunting buddy turned into an hour long strategy session with maps and notes and when I finally hung up it was 6:00 pm. With Bowhunting on my mind, I quickly changed into my hunting gear and headed out for a quick evening hunt at quarter to 7 after delivering two bags of feed to my kids and wife. I had about two hours of light left so I hustled to peek into the fold that has been the epicenter of my deer sightings. My approach was not as stealthy since the coastal breezes were gusting between 10 and 15 knots. I used the terrain to shield me from view until I reached the spot I had jumped a buck and spike four days earlier. I spied movement in the grass and ranged a big bobcat at 70 yards, totally unaware of my presence, but sauntering away from me.
I scanned the brush line for any hints of deer. Dark shapes, Antler tips, horizontal shapes. No luck.
I skulked around the brow of rhe hill and scanne dthe opening below for feeding deer. No luck. I sat down next to a lone bush and scanned the canyon for the next 10 minutes with my binoculars as the wind , once more began to get touchy. When there was a definate southwest wind it was all right but when the wind died, currents began to swirl. After ten minutes, I saw a big blocky shape emerge from a tangle of blackberries 120 yards below, and make a determined exit directly away from me.
Everything about this animal said MATURE BUCK. As I raised the glasses I could see the telltalle curvature of antlers that no longer held the velvet I’d seen in this vicinity in earlier trips. The buck made his exit in a path that gave me plenty of time to see his blocky body and long g-2′s and deep front forks. a solid 115″ buck with about a 20 inch spread. This was my White Whale.
I watched as he took the same path out of the draw I had climbed up in two earlier visits. Once during turkey season and once earlier this archery season. I now knew where his super secret lair was. A place where the air currents swirled and the mostly down wind approach was open hillside with scattered brush patches. His feeding spot was no more than 50 yards from where he was bedded, unseen until he evacuated. It was such a good spot, I’m sure he will use it again. Heck he used it in April and was using it in July.
Now to find a way to drop in on him with out him sensing/hearing/smelling my presence…
I watched the canyon until dark and once more saw the two spike bucks I had seen on all of my previous hunts. The Spike with one stubby antler stood in the open for an hour testing the wind before he began to feed. I shifted my position slightly across the canyon from him and he pegged my movement right away. That was probably what tipped off the old blocky buck. But unlike the wise old man he stood stock still and bored holes in me 110 yards away. Finally at 8:30pm I retreated back the way I came, bumping into the same doe and fawn I’d beeen seeing at 70 yards.
Criter count for the day:
1 bobcat
1 doe
1 fawn
2 spike bucks
1 shooter buck (the same one as before)
