tree_ghost
Well-Known Member
I got access to a new area to hunt and haven't had much time this year to check it out prior to season. I decided earlier in the week that I wanted to hunt there this weekend to try and gain some more intel on the deer movement prior to the rut, and maybe get lucky with some action. I cyber scouted a small ridge that appeared to have hardwoods running the length of it on the top half and heavy cedar thickets on both sides on the lower half of the ridge. I picked my access route based on stand location and wind direction, and all that was left was the hike in. I got up early Saturday morning and headed the 350+ yards from the truck to the stand location. I gave myself 2 hours to do this in the dark through the woods as to not educate all the deer on my entrance. Once I got to my waypoint on the ridge I waited about 30 minutes for dawn to break before picking the tree I wanted to climb since I had never been to this area before this morning and I wanted to make sure I wasn't setting myself up in a poor location under the cover of darkness. I found the right one and then jacked on up 25'. About 8:00am I see movement at my 10:00 position. I identify it as a yearling doe moving down the ridge just as I had hoped as I watched her from the corner of my eye I saw another yearling doe charting the same course as her sister. I figured momma was probably right behind them and I debated on taking her for some fresh back straps. Sure enough there she was coming right down the trail the yearlings had taken. As she approached my shooting lane I opted to hold off on a doe kill with the weather approaching 77 degree that afternoon. The mature doe continued on and crossed my shooting lane at 35 yards. As I watched these three very slowly work there way down the ridge I caught movement back at my 10:00 position...I look up to see the only mature buck I had on camera with his nose to the ground directly on the trail the three does had taken just a few minutes prior. In very short order I grabbed the camera and swung it around and on. Reached up to grab my bow with my left hand, draw, anchor, bleat, squeeze...arrow flies down range...clean miss high [emoji35][emoji35][emoji35]I couldn't believe it. I was in shock. I have no excuse short of I got buck fever and rushed it. I filmed this deer for the next 24 minutes within 40 yards of me trying to figure out what happened without ever presenting me with another shot. He eventually turned back around and slowly made his way back down his approach trail and I was left looking like this [emoji33]. The plan was perfect and short of me missing the shot it played out perfectly. I'm hoping that I can steady my nerves and get another shot at him before the end of season.
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Now you can get fired up about hunting that spot again! (I'm just looking on the Brightside... it SUCKS to finally fling an arrow and miss)
