Vacation Pre-Rut Hunting Highlights

This was from the 14 days leading up to the 15th.

-ASMS

The Gift From Above...Last Minute Buck

Today was the last day of my vacation. My Dad and I decided it would be the perfect time to try and bowhunt a new set we had recently hung in hopes of ambushing a big buck that we figured was using a reclusive area that had 8 large rubs scattered in it.  The plan was to arrive 2 hours before light and sit it out in hopes of being there well before he returned from a night on the town.  4 am arrived early this Tuesday, after hunting 13 of the last 15 days I was worn out.  We arrived at the property at 5:15, miraculously as we drove in we spotted a doe and a big buck locked down in a weed field that lay between a moved grassy area and the wood lot.  We drove by and let them be.  We pulled out of sight and devised a plan to sit and watch until light and if they hadn't moved we would get up wind and try to stalk them on foot and with the bow and arrow in hand.  At day light I ascended up on a dirt mound to gain a better vantage point on the weedy area.  From there I would try to pin point the buck and doe and come up with my plan of attack.  After 5 minutes of scanning I spotted a smaller buck bedded 50 yards away.  I motioned for dad to bring the camera and the muzzle loader (just in case).  Shortly after that the big buck appeared over the top of a small rise and began to scare both the smaller bucks and me! He was thrashing trees, snort wheezing and shaking his head like a cinched up rodeo bull.  He definitely made his presence known that we were on his territory and that doe was all his.  After a quick brush back to the other smaller bucks waiting to jump in, he vanished from where he had appeared.  We sat there sore, cold, covered in mud and growing quickly impatient for over the next hour and a half. This was suppose to be a hunt from a treestand, and then changed to a spot and stalk.  So not only were we unable to use the camera arm but we had left the tripod at home too, so my dad was free handing all the footage.  I was expecting to spot them, slip back down the dirt (now mud) hill and began the Mohican sneak attack.  Instead it turned into a sit and wait hunt from the top of a small mud pile.  The smaller bucks between us and the big buck stopped us from trying to stalk any closer and were proving to make this bowhunt very difficult.  At 9:00am a large snap caught the smaller bucks attention and ours, and just like that the bruiser was standing on the rise looking our direction again.  I lowered down onto the Knight muzzle loader and found a small hole the size of my fist that was perfectly placed on the center of his chest.  Once I got the ok, the safety was off and the smoke filled the air.  He vanished, was he down, did I miss, did he run off? I couldn't see anything. "Did I hit him?" "I don't know?" "Let me rewind the footage and check."  Well with out a tripod the concussion of the gun shook my Dad's sturdy camera position and the deer vanished at the sound. We replayed the footage a few times and caught a glimpse of his rack running North.  We decided to back out and come back in 3-4 hours.  Those 4 hours I spent praying, pleading and trying not to throw up my lunch. I knew this would be my biggest buck to date if we found him. When we couldn't handle it anymore we went to the spot we had land marked his disappearance and we found hair and blood.  We followed the blood for about 100 yards and then it just stopped, like he put a cork in the leak.  The next 45 minutes were spent wondering around hoping to stumble upon him.  Distraught, emotionally drained and very pessimistic, I returned to last blood drops and last set of tracks.  I walked another 20 yards and sat down. I was scanning for any sign, and debating getting the dog out to help track.  I again prayed and begged with the Lord that he would help us find this buck.  Another couple minutes went by and still I saw no new sign that showed me he had gone down this trail.  I heard my dad circling back around to my spot so I proceeded to stand up, I turned to the right and took a quick glance through my binoculars.  My heart skipped at least 4-5 beats as I saw what appeared to be a white tail.  I took off running in the direction and before I could get there I could smell his rutting stench and see the antlers shining in the sun! I let out one big yell and jumped down into the depression where he lay.  This wasn't a staged recovery, before my dad could turn on the camera I was already standing over him trying to regain my composure.  The ups and downs of deer hunting is something only a hunter knows.  With in 20 seconds you can go from the top of the mountain to the bottom and be left there shaking and stupefied. The sheer rush of spotting such and animal and then the heart pounding adrenaline spike when you think you might get a shot at him, to only exchange the up for a quick down hill fall of frustration as the brush is too thick or he turns back around and then vanishes only to reappear and start the emotions all over again.  But after the shot the gut wrenching feeling of second guessing and replaying all the details until you finally put your hands on him all come running out as you finally pick up his bullish head and wrap your fingers around his antlers.  This hunt can not be summed up any better than a gift from God.  From how we spotted him, to where he ended up, to how we found him, it was all the perfect close to a week and half of vacation!  Nothing I do in my day to day life can stand up to the thrill I get from chasing these magnificent creatures and if I'm lucky enough I get to give the occasional old bully buck a ride in the back of the Chevy. Thank you Lord! You never cease to amaze me.

-ASMS

Last Minute Buck Down

Nocturnal to Killable...

All of these bucks were seen on their feet and in daylight today! It's just starting and I can't wait to get a mature buck with in bow range.  Bucks were up, cruising and chasing tonight.  It's not full board yet but the sightings are growing and it's only a matter of time now...

-ASMS

"The Retrieve"

I have to brag for a couple minutes here. On day 2 or 3 I can't remember, we were walking a ditch road the guys had named rooster road from the previous years of success there, we flushed 3 or 4 roosters at once, one of them gave me a perfect shot. Shot number one hit him perfectly in the head and chest region, the second in the body and Dad added one more for good measure. Now at our astounding disbelief this bird kept flying. Tex and Harley were hot on his tail but as he passed the 100 yard mark we began to call the dogs off. Harley turned quickly after Brian encouraged her return with the field collar. Tex on the other hand continued in stride like he didn't feel a thing. 2 days later we found out he didn't feel anything because his collar was broke, but anyway. I continued to blow his whistle and watch him get farther and farther away. The pit in my stomach was growing closer to my throat with every 50 yards he continued to run. At the top of the hill I noticed he was slowing, closing in on 400+ yards at this time. My stomach began to settle as I figured he would stop in exhaustion and I would just have to go get him, but at that moment the rooster who was still soaring fell dead in mid flight. Tex scooped him up and turned without missing a step. He carried the bird all the way back to my feet as I yelled, “that ‘a boy, that ‘a boy bring him hear buddy” over and over until the bird laid at my feet and so did Tex. He fell down as soon as he returned. At that moment I am not ashamed to say that with the swing in emotion from scared of losing him to the jubilation of his retrieve I almost broke out in tears. I couldn't scold him, because the last half of his adventure was perfect and I was so happy he had come back with the bird I didn't even care. So, I'd challenge anyone who has had a longer retrieve to speak up. Hard headed or not it was one of the proudest moments I've had with my dog.

So, after we all gathered around the truck and talked of how far that was, I was told that not only are pheasants smart and nearly impossible to kill they have another quality that links them to a chicken. They continue to live even after death. A pheasant is able to lock his wing muscles in place at death and basically turns himself into a hang glider. Even though they are dead on impact, with the wings locked in place they can coast for a long, long way, 400+ yards to be exact. The two blockers said they saw the pellets hit this bird in the head and chest and watched his reaction and head fall, but he kept right on sailing. Looking back I can still picture that bird not moving his wings one time, but simply coasting all the way to the ground. Tex knew we had killed him and didn't want good meat to go to waste.

-ASMS