infoman jr.
Well-Known Member
Obviously opportunities like these don't come around often. I had identified a couple of deer using a soybean field that were pretty solid deer. Both were likely 3.5, but a buck in velvet has long been a goal of mine. A couple months ago, I set a stand in a cedar tree overlooking said bean field from the West side. I love hunting from the cover of a well-trimmed cedar. You can practically do jumping jacks up there.
Anyway, the evening of opening day found me in the cedar. Early in the evening, the two bucks, a 10 and 11 point, stepped out about 150 yards south of me. Due to the obscure view provided by the cedar tree, I was unable to see exactly where they entered the field. They never came closer than 120 yards.
I was back in the cedar the following evening, and while the two bucks didn't show themselves, the majority of the deer were congregating in the same area the bucks visited the evening prior.
I knew I had to make a move on these deer before the velvet shed, the beans started to brown, and the bucks were off to different activities.
I was excited about this weekend. The past 2 seasons, I'd shot my buck on the second Saturday of the season. Just like the two seasons preceding this one, temps were dropping, and the moon was making an early evening appearance (both, I believe influence deer movement). Saturday evening, I chose to hunt a ladder stand on the East side of the field which would serve as an observation point. If something came close enough, great, but that wasn't necessarily the goal. I wanted to see exactly where the bucks were entering the field. I held onto my tree umbrella as a heck of a storm passed through.
Like clockwork, at 7:05, the two bucks entered the field, and I had a solid bead on the trail they used. Mission accomplished. The 10 point was actually making pretty decent pace toward my area of the field but hung up at about 80 yards. Now, the challenge would be to exit the field cleanly. I moved very slowly down the ladder and ducked down into the woods. I was unsure if I was detected, but I didn't hear any deer bound off.
At 2:00 yesterday, I approached the West end of the field where I'd seen the bucks enter and identified two options for trees to hang my lockon. One would offer a slight wind advantage at the expense of a longer shot. I chose to get tight to the trail. I knew this would be my last opportunity at a velvet deer for the season. I texted a buddy and said that this was going to go really good or really bad. Go big, or don't go big...right? With my pruners and Hooyman saw, I made fairly quick work of hanging my lockon on a small poplar. I had great cover in this little tree, and the thick undergrowth provided extra concealment as the deer entered the field.
The wind was the biggest gamble. My only hope was the the wind would take my scent over the deer who were approaching from the hollow behind me. This was an all-or-nothing kinda thing. The hunt started rather poorly. The first deer that approached came from behind me and was on track to come directly under my stand when he caught a whiff of where I'd stood and bounded off. I only caught a glimpse of antler as he turned and feared it was the 11 point. The fact that he was alone and didn't blow put my mind at ease. This was when I thought it just might happen. A doe and fawn (I'd seen these two several times) came in the field from downwind and ate for a bit.
Sometime later, I could hear another deer behind me. This one wasn't quite as impressed at my setup and proceeded to blow about 15 times. Great... My pity party was put on hold as 7:00 approached. I knew that if something was going to happen, it was going to happen soon. I made as little movement as possible and stayed standing. A few minutes after 7, I noticed movement downwind. It was a buck, and another, and another! It was the 10, 11, and a stud of a 2.5 year-old. I grabbed my range finder and ranged the 10 at 30 yards. The 11 (lefty, we called him) was estimated to be 25 yards. I came to full draw and aimed at the pocket of the 11 point's shoulder. I touched my release and watched the arrow impact and lodge into its offside shoulder. He spun around and left the field leaving the 10 point wondering what had just happened.
Once the 10 ran off, I immediately begin taking my stand down and waited for the other guy on the farm to get there so we could begin tracking. He commented that a deer had run across the farm road in front of him when he was driving close by (foreshadowing much?). A few yards into the woods, we found my arrow. It was soaked in blood and seemed to have great penetration. Spirits were high.
We had a difficult time following the blood trail with our flashlights, but the trail led (surprise!) to the exact spot he had seen the deer cross the road earlier. That was the last blood we found last night. I found one more drop of blood this morning. 4 guys and 2 dogs couldn't find this deer. My only guess is that I shot slightly too forward, missing the heart.
Anticlimactic, I know.
On one hand, I'm extremely gratified that I was able to move in on those deer and get well within bow range, however I'm extremely disappointed that I couldn't finish the job.
So long, Lefty.
Anyway, the evening of opening day found me in the cedar. Early in the evening, the two bucks, a 10 and 11 point, stepped out about 150 yards south of me. Due to the obscure view provided by the cedar tree, I was unable to see exactly where they entered the field. They never came closer than 120 yards.
I was back in the cedar the following evening, and while the two bucks didn't show themselves, the majority of the deer were congregating in the same area the bucks visited the evening prior.
I knew I had to make a move on these deer before the velvet shed, the beans started to brown, and the bucks were off to different activities.
I was excited about this weekend. The past 2 seasons, I'd shot my buck on the second Saturday of the season. Just like the two seasons preceding this one, temps were dropping, and the moon was making an early evening appearance (both, I believe influence deer movement). Saturday evening, I chose to hunt a ladder stand on the East side of the field which would serve as an observation point. If something came close enough, great, but that wasn't necessarily the goal. I wanted to see exactly where the bucks were entering the field. I held onto my tree umbrella as a heck of a storm passed through.
Like clockwork, at 7:05, the two bucks entered the field, and I had a solid bead on the trail they used. Mission accomplished. The 10 point was actually making pretty decent pace toward my area of the field but hung up at about 80 yards. Now, the challenge would be to exit the field cleanly. I moved very slowly down the ladder and ducked down into the woods. I was unsure if I was detected, but I didn't hear any deer bound off.
At 2:00 yesterday, I approached the West end of the field where I'd seen the bucks enter and identified two options for trees to hang my lockon. One would offer a slight wind advantage at the expense of a longer shot. I chose to get tight to the trail. I knew this would be my last opportunity at a velvet deer for the season. I texted a buddy and said that this was going to go really good or really bad. Go big, or don't go big...right? With my pruners and Hooyman saw, I made fairly quick work of hanging my lockon on a small poplar. I had great cover in this little tree, and the thick undergrowth provided extra concealment as the deer entered the field.
The wind was the biggest gamble. My only hope was the the wind would take my scent over the deer who were approaching from the hollow behind me. This was an all-or-nothing kinda thing. The hunt started rather poorly. The first deer that approached came from behind me and was on track to come directly under my stand when he caught a whiff of where I'd stood and bounded off. I only caught a glimpse of antler as he turned and feared it was the 11 point. The fact that he was alone and didn't blow put my mind at ease. This was when I thought it just might happen. A doe and fawn (I'd seen these two several times) came in the field from downwind and ate for a bit.
Sometime later, I could hear another deer behind me. This one wasn't quite as impressed at my setup and proceeded to blow about 15 times. Great... My pity party was put on hold as 7:00 approached. I knew that if something was going to happen, it was going to happen soon. I made as little movement as possible and stayed standing. A few minutes after 7, I noticed movement downwind. It was a buck, and another, and another! It was the 10, 11, and a stud of a 2.5 year-old. I grabbed my range finder and ranged the 10 at 30 yards. The 11 (lefty, we called him) was estimated to be 25 yards. I came to full draw and aimed at the pocket of the 11 point's shoulder. I touched my release and watched the arrow impact and lodge into its offside shoulder. He spun around and left the field leaving the 10 point wondering what had just happened.
Once the 10 ran off, I immediately begin taking my stand down and waited for the other guy on the farm to get there so we could begin tracking. He commented that a deer had run across the farm road in front of him when he was driving close by (foreshadowing much?). A few yards into the woods, we found my arrow. It was soaked in blood and seemed to have great penetration. Spirits were high.
We had a difficult time following the blood trail with our flashlights, but the trail led (surprise!) to the exact spot he had seen the deer cross the road earlier. That was the last blood we found last night. I found one more drop of blood this morning. 4 guys and 2 dogs couldn't find this deer. My only guess is that I shot slightly too forward, missing the heart.
Anticlimactic, I know.
On one hand, I'm extremely gratified that I was able to move in on those deer and get well within bow range, however I'm extremely disappointed that I couldn't finish the job.
So long, Lefty.
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