Close Call

[Mike Belt]

Now that season's over I went today to help a friend pull his tower stand down. Went all season in this area without seeing much. Headed down the field road on his side by side and about 100 feet away within 25 feet of the road we spied antlers sticking up out of the grass. We pulled up right next to him and stepped into the grass thinking he it was a dead buck. Got within 15 feet or so and he got up and headed into the timber. He was right at a 130" 8 pointer. Pretty joker. He never even turned to look at us as we drove up and walked up next to him... just got up and loped away. I bet he's done that before.

 

[Rjratliff1975]

Sometimes they sure seem to know when season is over.

 

[Andy S.]

Not surprised with how slick those bucks are. Did any of you have him on camera?

 

[Mike Belt]

Had 1 buck on camera that wasn't a great pic but looked real similar. Narrow rack but pretty good mass and tine length. He looked like a 3.5 year old. Don's cameras didn't have many pics considering one of them has been there for the last month. 40 pics over that time period. I think them spraying the grass at the beginning of the season stymied a lot of the deer movement in that area over the season. I know it did a couple years back on Cox's Ridge.

 

[cbhunter]

Had 1 buck on camera that wasn't a great pic but looked real similar. Narrow rack but pretty good mass and tine length. He looked like a 3.5 year old. Don's cameras didn't have many pics considering one of them has been there for the last month. 40 pics over that time period. I think them spraying the grass at the beginning of the season stymied a lot of the deer movement in that area over the season. I know it did a couple years back on Cox's Ridge.

wow, 40 pics sure seems small over a month but I know things vary from place to place.


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[TheLBLman]

Hoping not, but could this buck have been "sick"?

 

[Deer Assassin]

cool

 

[Mike Belt]

He looked as healthy as a deer could be. He was just bedded in the grass at a corner of the field right beside the road where I doubt anyone stopped to hunt during the season. Just one of those flukes. Good to see another one made it through.

 

[TheLBLman]

Good to see another one made it through.

ALWAYS

 

[Winchester]

Those old bucks have a lot of grit, have watched them stretch out on the ground literally with their chin on the ground and let whatever danger is nearby walk right on past! Not panicking with flight has saved many a life on these old boys. I love to watch them try to hide!

 

[Mike Belt]

As I walked up on this buck I was expecting to see him lay his head flat to the ground but when he didn't I thought he was dead. He waited until I was about 10 feet from him and just stood up and loped away. Not in a hurry at all. I've never seen one crawl in the timber but have seen them hit a grass field and drop to their belly and crawl across it until they picked up the timber on the other side.

 

[megalomaniac]

I've seen mature bucks lay their head down when caught in their bed to shorten their profile... Never had one just look at me with head up and lope off tho. He had some guts!

 

[tree_ghost]

I've seen mature bucks lay their head down when caught in their bed to shorten their profile... Never had one just look at me with head up and lope off tho. He had some guts!

He didn't have guts...he had the 2016 regulation book [emoji3]


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[Mike Belt]

I was intently staring at him the entire time I walked up on him. He was facing about 35-45 degrees away from me and never turned to look in my direction. I didn't make a sound but he knew I was there. He just sort of rose to his feet and loped off. Slick.