10/1 Hunt

[Haskell_Hunter]

I've been waiting for this season to start since the end of last season.  I was worried that I got a late start on the beginning of the season because the heat kept me out of the woods.  I had to replace my blind from last year.  I left it in the woods and didn't secure it that well.  So every few months I'd find it in a different place.  Eventually one of the limbs broke inside, so I replaced the whole thing on Tuesday.

 

I went to bed later than I wanted to.  Was packing up my gear getting ready for today.  I didn't want to be fumbling around in the morning trying to find "that thing" and waste time.  So I got up, made some hot chocolate for the thermos and headed up into the wood.  Got to my blind around 6AM, which was exactly when I wanted to get there.  Set my spread up, adjusted the height of the shooting stick, and got the crossbow ready.  It was still pitch black out, and I really couldn't see anything, but I was ready.

 

Around 7:20 a bunch of turkey came in.  I've seen them on the cam, in my yard, and often during deer season.  They made their way to the bait pile and proceeded to scratch around for whatever they could find, as turkey do.  About 10 minutes into this scratch fest I see two does coming down the hill toward me and the bait.  The mother hen also sees them approaching and walks toward them.  She stretches her neck out and stops.  The does stop about 10' away from her.  They stand there looking a the bait and then the mother hen.  Eventually, the does high-tail it around the turkey, behind my blind and down the hill.  Never knew that turkey would have a stand-off with deer over a bait pile and win.

 

So now I'm pissed at the turkey.  One because they scared the does away that would have been an easy harvest, and two, they're not in season (yet).  Those turkey have signed their death warrant, bring on the season.  To make matters worse, they stuck around for a bit longer.  Eventually they decided to walk about 10' in front of my blind, so I thought I'd get a video of them.  I started the video on my phone, and the damn light on the back of the phone turned on.  Interestingly, it didn't spook the turkey.  But it made for an annoying video because you can see more of the inside of the blind than the turkey.

 

http://www.bacon-n-beer.com/hunt/IMG_1430.mp4

 

After they walked to the right of my blind I thought that was it for them.  Oh, no, not so!  The mother hen sensed there was something in the blind, and stuck around.  They paced around my blind for another 15 minutes, keenly eyeballing me and clucking softly.  I'm not sure if I was getting hit on, but it didn't change the fact that I'm taking one of them this fall.  Eventually the turkey went up the hill in front of me.

 

At about 8:00 a buck comes in from the left.  I know this buck.  I've seen him for the past three years on my cameras and while I was sitting in my blind.  He's the "Y" antler buck with only two on each side.  Crappy genetics and a deer that's been annoying me and taunting me for the past two seasons.  This year, he's finally got a third point on one side.  Revenge for all that taunting will be mine.

 

He knows there something up with the blind.  He keeps looking over, and eventually walks past the bait.  He goes to my right like the turkey, and I didn't have a decent shot.  I'm frozen because he keeps looking over, and I don't want to move, rush the shot, and lose him.  So I wait.  He comes back from my right and walks toward the bait.  Stops.  Looks at me.  Walks back up the hill.  Stops.  (Man I'm hungry and that bait looks good).  Walks over toward the bait.  Stops.  Looks at me. Takes a couple of steps toward the bait.  Stops.  Looks.  Steps.

 

I pulled the trigger on my crossbow.  He gave me a broadside and took a step.  I had a perfect shot at about 15 yards.

 

He jumped and ran up and over the hill out of side.  Now it was time for the mandatory 30-minute sit.  Pack my stuff up.  Pour some hot chocolate.  Check the time on my phone.  Send out text messages.  Check the time on the phone.  Sip some hot chocolate.  Check the time on the phone.  Realize that 10 minutes have passed and more than likely time in the universe was slowing down just to spite me.  At 30 minutes I get up and start looking for my arrow.  Wasn't too hard to find, but it's pretty banged up.  One of the blades on the broad head is chipped and broken, another chipped, the third intact.  These are Muzzy 100s, so I have replacement blades, so I'm not too worried.  No blood on the broad head, but the vanes are a mess.  Bloody with some chunks.  One of the vanes is damaged too.

 

 

I couldn't find a blood trail there, but I knew where the deer went up the hill.  So I walked up the hill and looked around the top of it for a blood trail.  Still nothing.  So I turned around to walk in the direction the deer was headed, and there he was about 30 yards away laying down.  I walked over and saw that the entrance hole was low, slightly lower than where I was aiming, and upon closer inspection, I clipped the back knee/elbow of the front-left leg.  But Mr. Poor Genetics was finally down.  3-points on one side, one on the other.  Still some velvet on the antlers.

 

 

After I field dressed him I was looking for the heart.  So many folks on here saying the heart is delicious.  I couldn't find it.  This is all I could find that resembled the heart.

 

 

I think my arrow destroyed his heart.  Maybe I damaged it further when I was sawing through the rib cage, but it shouldn't look this bad.  I expected something to be intact.

 

Regardless, my hunt was over at 8:45, I was out of the woods by 9:45, and the deer was at the butcher before noon.

[BHC]

Congratulations....now time for a bear

[Buck154]

Congrats

[LPJR]

Congrats HH!  Sounds like a great time.  

 

Strange that dried velvet is still on his antlers this late.

 

Well done!    

[Rusty]

Nice funky buck HH, congratulations!    

[BowhunterNJ]

Cool buck and great shot! Heck of a story too! Congrats!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Nomad]

That didn't take long.  Congrats

[Sig220]

Congrats, hope you get your bear that easy!

[Rusty]

 I know this buck.  I've seen him for the past three years.   He's the "Y" antler buck with only two on each side.  Crappy genetics and a deer that's been annoying me and taunting me for the past two seasons.  

 

That's why I'm not a fan of ARs.  Bucks like these are protected while the ones we want to do the breeding are shot young.  

Edited October 1, 2016 by Rusty

[Kype]

cool   great hunt. nice weird rack on that one. enjoy the meat!

[hemlock]

Congrats on a fast hunt.

[browning44]

Great job. Congrats!

[3Blade]

Congrats! Love the funky racks!

[BowTechExperience]

Congrats nice buck

[Merkel]

Good story; congratulations!