Mike Belt
Well-Known Member
Yesterday my buddy and I saw 16 different bucks but no shooters. No chasing or rutting yet either but they're beginning to move some at Ames. This morning going in I was watching the ground directly in front of me while walking in and just happened to look up to see a skunk running about 10 feet ahead of me. That was the last thing on my mind and would have been a wonderful way to start the day but he decided to take an exit to the left so I lucked out. I got to where I was going to hunt and found my tree. I was in a thick overgrown grass field 50 yards off a bean field. I have seen alot of deer working the edge here in the past. I'd never climbed this tree before so it took awhile to get 30 feet up after cutting branches along the way. By the time I got situated and began pulling my rifle up first light had arrived. Before I could get my rifle off the ground I glanced along the edge and a big bodied deer had come by and was entering the pines. I never could tell what it was. A little while later an 8 pointer pushing 125" came by and gave me all kinds of broadside shots from 30 yards out. While he was standing in front of me another smaller 8 pointer (110") walked out. The first buck did a stare down and finally headed towards him. The closer he got the more his hair raised up and his ears laid back. Finally he started side stepping and I thought I was going to be in for a treat but the second buck did the submissive thing and after that they got along without mishap. Shortly after they walked off I had a couple of smaller bucks come by and then I looked up in time to see 2 bucks running the far edge of the field before they entered the woods. At 450 yards I had no problem seeing their antlers but I can't swear exactly how big they were. I had a tree on the other end of the field I wanted to pre-climb and had some more limbs to cut so I climbed down. Just as I got there I noticed a doe standing in the small cove. Since that's what I was after this morning in the first place I knelt down and started to shoot but she was so small I decided to let her go. She walked into a thicket on the other side of the field and I proceeded on. I glanced up briefly and thought I saw her going back across the cove before I did a double take noticing that was not the doe. I got my binocs up just in time to see a 140" deer disappear. He never saw or heard me so I sat down to see if he'd come back out. Not today. While I was sitting there another smaller buck walked within feet of me never realizing I was there. When it quieted down I climbed the tree I wanted to get ready (about 75 yards from where these deer were). After I climbed down and headed to the truck another small buck walked out. (I think these bucks like the sound of me sawing limbs). I called it a morning after that. No deer but enough to begin getting interesting. Back again in the morning.
