Long read.
My son and I had a great and blessed hunt this past weekend on a quota hunt draw. It's a pretty good story as well and gets a little "crappy" along the way.
Two weekends ago we spent two days walking and covered a lot of territory. I was mainly looking for travel spots that would be good for pressure with hopefully some sign. We found a plan A,B, and C. Plan A spots were about 400 yards apart. They both had white oaks falling like rain with lots of sign, scrapes, rubs and natural funnels that should be good for pressure to push to us.
We got set up Sat morning way before daylight trying to beat the crowd. I got snorted at before daylight and again right at daylight as the wind was being weird. It got broad daylight, and I hated the tree selection so was pretty aggravated at myself. I was exposed to my right side which is my weak side being right handed. I wasn't happy. There wasn't a good tree selection there but spotted one that I thought would be better to change midday. I was on an all day sit but wanted to change midday.
I started seeing deer which helped my mind thinking about being in the wrong tree. I saw a few 2.5 yos cruising and one chasing two does so was a good morning.
I decided to switch trees at 11:30. I got down packed my stand halfway together and walked the 30 yards to another tree. I got set up and quietly headed up the tree. I always climb up or down if shooting light with my gun across my stand. I was headed up to around 30', was gonna eat lunch, and get ready for the evening. I get to 20' and heard something above me so stopped and focused that direction. I then heard footsteps over my left shoulder and spotted this buck cruising. I saw he was a big bodied deer and had tall and thick antlers. I never hesitated to shoot him. He got to 25 yards, put the crosshairs on him, and SNAP! I knew I had loaded the gun though. He never broke stride but heard me eject the round and looked right at me as I put another one in. I struggled closing the bolt and thought it was over but got it down and sent one through the boiler room. He's a solid deer but had broken both brow tines somewhere along the way.
I was able to get him out by myself and took him to the check in station as my son was still in the tree. It started raining around 1 and he sat the rest of the day in the rain. He saw several deer though.
Fast forward to Sunday…..
I thought he should go back and climb my tree even though he was in a great spot. After thinking about it, he decided to. My plan was to drop him off, sit for a bit so no one would come in on him, and go take care of skinning my deer out. He didn't have good cell service in the tree but could get it to call me at the parking spot. We could talk via radio while I was there.
He found the tree easily but called me on the radio telling me his safety harness rope was laying at the bottom of his tree from the day before. I told him it was a no go on climbing without a rope. Mine was back at the cabin we were staying in so not an option. I had a regular rope in the vehicle so told him to come get one. I ended up having a brand new nice rope that I cut 10' off of. I grabbed it and headed his way. He fell coming to me, cut his elbow, and banged his gun pretty hard. He gets the rope, heads back, and goes up the tree. About 30 mins before daylight, he tells me on the radio that the stomach pain has hit him and he has to go then out of the tree stand. He then realizes that he has no toilet paper but robs some Kleenexes and paper towels that he carries in his pouch to start a fire.
I'm thinking what a "crappy" morning for him but told him sometimes those terrible mornings turn good. I'm sitting there messing on my phone, snoozing, and trying to figure out when I was going to leave when he buzzed me again to tell me that round 2 was on deck and needed to happen then so off the stand again. It was about 20 mins or so after daylight then. I was sitting there looking on my phone and then "kaboom" right where he was. I let out a heck yeah but a little more animated. He called me on the radio and said big buck down. He was finishing up round 2 with his drawers still around his ankles when a buck chased a doe right over him. It was a bang flop. I told him I'd go get the sled and be back as we'd left it. I was about to pull out when I heard another shot. The buck had moved and flipped over a bank so he shot him again. I was relieved with the news that he was definitely down before I left. I got the sled, came back, and we were able to walk to him together as he had taken his time getting down and packing up.
I told him that's one story that you just can't make up. Lol…
It was a great and blessed weekend and think the good Lord for opportunities to spend the time with him. It's the first time we've doubled close together. We were able to get my deer out of the cooler and take a pic of both.
My son and I had a great and blessed hunt this past weekend on a quota hunt draw. It's a pretty good story as well and gets a little "crappy" along the way.
Two weekends ago we spent two days walking and covered a lot of territory. I was mainly looking for travel spots that would be good for pressure with hopefully some sign. We found a plan A,B, and C. Plan A spots were about 400 yards apart. They both had white oaks falling like rain with lots of sign, scrapes, rubs and natural funnels that should be good for pressure to push to us.
We got set up Sat morning way before daylight trying to beat the crowd. I got snorted at before daylight and again right at daylight as the wind was being weird. It got broad daylight, and I hated the tree selection so was pretty aggravated at myself. I was exposed to my right side which is my weak side being right handed. I wasn't happy. There wasn't a good tree selection there but spotted one that I thought would be better to change midday. I was on an all day sit but wanted to change midday.
I started seeing deer which helped my mind thinking about being in the wrong tree. I saw a few 2.5 yos cruising and one chasing two does so was a good morning.
I decided to switch trees at 11:30. I got down packed my stand halfway together and walked the 30 yards to another tree. I got set up and quietly headed up the tree. I always climb up or down if shooting light with my gun across my stand. I was headed up to around 30', was gonna eat lunch, and get ready for the evening. I get to 20' and heard something above me so stopped and focused that direction. I then heard footsteps over my left shoulder and spotted this buck cruising. I saw he was a big bodied deer and had tall and thick antlers. I never hesitated to shoot him. He got to 25 yards, put the crosshairs on him, and SNAP! I knew I had loaded the gun though. He never broke stride but heard me eject the round and looked right at me as I put another one in. I struggled closing the bolt and thought it was over but got it down and sent one through the boiler room. He's a solid deer but had broken both brow tines somewhere along the way.
I was able to get him out by myself and took him to the check in station as my son was still in the tree. It started raining around 1 and he sat the rest of the day in the rain. He saw several deer though.
Fast forward to Sunday…..
I thought he should go back and climb my tree even though he was in a great spot. After thinking about it, he decided to. My plan was to drop him off, sit for a bit so no one would come in on him, and go take care of skinning my deer out. He didn't have good cell service in the tree but could get it to call me at the parking spot. We could talk via radio while I was there.
He found the tree easily but called me on the radio telling me his safety harness rope was laying at the bottom of his tree from the day before. I told him it was a no go on climbing without a rope. Mine was back at the cabin we were staying in so not an option. I had a regular rope in the vehicle so told him to come get one. I ended up having a brand new nice rope that I cut 10' off of. I grabbed it and headed his way. He fell coming to me, cut his elbow, and banged his gun pretty hard. He gets the rope, heads back, and goes up the tree. About 30 mins before daylight, he tells me on the radio that the stomach pain has hit him and he has to go then out of the tree stand. He then realizes that he has no toilet paper but robs some Kleenexes and paper towels that he carries in his pouch to start a fire.
I'm thinking what a "crappy" morning for him but told him sometimes those terrible mornings turn good. I'm sitting there messing on my phone, snoozing, and trying to figure out when I was going to leave when he buzzed me again to tell me that round 2 was on deck and needed to happen then so off the stand again. It was about 20 mins or so after daylight then. I was sitting there looking on my phone and then "kaboom" right where he was. I let out a heck yeah but a little more animated. He called me on the radio and said big buck down. He was finishing up round 2 with his drawers still around his ankles when a buck chased a doe right over him. It was a bang flop. I told him I'd go get the sled and be back as we'd left it. I was about to pull out when I heard another shot. The buck had moved and flipped over a bank so he shot him again. I was relieved with the news that he was definitely down before I left. I got the sled, came back, and we were able to walk to him together as he had taken his time getting down and packing up.
I told him that's one story that you just can't make up. Lol…
It was a great and blessed weekend and think the good Lord for opportunities to spend the time with him. It's the first time we've doubled close together. We were able to get my deer out of the cooler and take a pic of both.
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) Congrats on making a lifetime memory together!
