Never Say Never
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I have been chasing buck around since the bowhunting season started. Here in Connecticut, opening day is September 15. I try to get out as much as a could during the week (depending on work schedule). I will go out for a couple hours after work and for the whole day on Saturdays. This is a new area I have been hunting in and don’t know exactly what is in there yet. I have some trail cam images of some large buck, but they some how seem to evade me when I’m in the hunt. On Saturday, that changed. I woke up nice and early and got into the woods right at light. Too bad I didn’t get there earlier. Two deer, one which I saw to be a doe, beat me to my spot. I went in and off they ran. I hate the unknown. Was that other deer with her the big buck I have been after, or was it just another doe? It drove me wild all morning. Around 7:30 I heard some leaves crunching behind me. I slowly turned that way to see there stood a nice 6-point buck. Looked to be young 2 years or so. I watched him walk the trail I normally watch all the deer run on and off he went. He was a shooter for public land. I let him walk in hopes of seeing him next year. There wasn’t much action the rest of the hunt, although the squirrel army was out in full force. I waited and waited for that elusive buck. I stood up from my chair to stretch the legs and I look off in the distance and see a nice rack. I shot the rangefinder only to see it say 150 yards. Way too far for my bow. I grabbed my camcorder and started filming him. For some reason, he got himself tangled up in thorn bushes. He turned and looked like he was heading my way. I waited and waited. He ghosted just like all the smart buck seem to do. I was disappointed, but I set my eye on him and he was next to be taken down.
Monday comes and luckily, I made it back from work early enough to get out and hunt. I was able to gear up and get out in the woods for 1:30PM. I sprayed myself down and started the walk into my seat. I wasn’t sure of what I was going to see today. I more so went to change the SD card on my trail cams to see if anything has come through that area. As I sat, I still wondered where that 7 point from Saturday could have gone. I was also still thinking about that deer that was unidentified early in the morning as well. I waited and waited to try my grunt call. For some reason, I decided to pick up my rattling antlers and whack them around. I haven’t really been a believer in the antlers yet, but I have seen others draw deer in with them so why can’t I? I rattled in 3 to 5-minute increments. Off in the distance there was movement. That excitement feeling overcame my body at this moment. I knew there were deer, but what were they. Still 150 yards away, they started to move down the trail. I thought there was only one. More movement behind that deer got me even more excited. Was this the buck with his doe? Was he following this doe? All these thoughts went through my head. They got closer and I was let down. Four does came through. Where was the buck trailing them? I know my scent was covered up well. Sure enough, I waited for the buck.
It was 4:07 and getting dark rapidly. I gave up. He wasn’t coming. Just four doe all day. I never complain when seeing deer, but where did that buck go. I felt defeated. I packed up my bag and walked over to the trail cam. I saw there were some images taken and removed the SD card. I sprayed some buck urine in the scrape next to me and started my walk back to the car. As I was coming up the hill just 40 yards from my truck, I thought to myself, should I put my bolt in my quiver or wait until I get closer? I waited and good thing I did. Sneaking up that hill quietly, I didn’t expect to see what I did. About 20 yards to my right is a deer with its head down. I thought to myself that this cant be really happening. Still unsure of what it was, I flip open my scope caps and flick off the safety. The deer picks its head up. It was the 7 pointers from Saturday. I snuck right up behind him. He was eating some food and still had his head down. This guy didn’t know who was standing behind him. He turned broadside and picked up his head to look at me. I put my red dot right behind the front shoulder and squeezed. Did I hit him? He didn’t take off running like I see in some videos. He walked 10 yards and stopped. I was still unsure at this point. All of a sudden, he dropped like a stiff board. He was down. I finally got him!!!!
One thing I learned from this hunt is to NEVER SAY NEVER!!! I went in to the hunt expecting to see him down below where I saw him. I never would have imagined sneaking up on this deer and taking him down that way. It was truly an amazing and unexpected result. Never give up when you are out there. Who knows, you could be walking to the truck packed up for the day and the buck you’ve been after could be standing there. Remember to always stay IN THE HUNT!!
Public Land 7
December 3, 2018