Early or late season deer

[luckey]

B.R.O. You may be sorry but you ask for the story. It's a little long but I never was one to leave out details. You may change you theory about my hunting ability. As with many hunts, luck can often play a big part in the out come.

November 1, 20009

Being there was a southerly wind Sunday morning, I went to a ladder stand in a tight spot. By 7:30 I had put out three wicks with "golden estrus" gel and was all set up. by that time it was light enough to see fine. About 15 minutes later while I was standing facing west, I heard a deer behind me. I looked over my shoulder and saw the buck at 20 yards walking slowly directly towards me. He was in hazel brush so I had no shot but I took my bow in hand and waited to see where he was headed. When he got to about 15 yards he stopped and looked up directly at me. We had a short stare down after which he simple turned and headed towards the scent wicks. His path took him within 10 yards of my tree but in a position behind the tree my ladder was leaning against. I took this opportunity to get into position for a shot. Then the unthinkable happened, while moving my bow, I accidentally hit the release and "ping" the arrow went about 10 feet and stuck in the ground. I didn't look for the deer (still behind the big tree but I didn't hear him run off). I peeked around the tree and he was around 15 yards away but still in a location I could not shoot. Not that it mattered because I was holding an arrowless bow. I have a quiver attached to my bow so I figured I'd better try to knock another arrow. I couldn't bare to watch the deer so I concentrated on getting another arrow knocked. During this time the buck just hung around near the wicks looking for the "hot" doe. When I was ready, he was standing broad side at 22 yards. I don’t know if it was nerves, excitement, cold, buck fever or just the moment, but on my first attempt I could not draw the bow. Holy [PoorWordUsage], here I sit with this nice buck broad side at 22 yards and I was too weak to draw my bow! Fortunately he was still looking for his girl friend as I made my second attempt, complete with a mighty grunt, and came to full draw. He heard me and probably saw the comotion (for the second time he looked up at me) but was still more interested in locating the "hot doe". I saw the arrow hit a little high and back and he ran straight away from me. Shortly after he was out of sight I was sure I heard him crash. After waiting a while and gathering my things I found my arrow (covered red with blood). I went to a main trail and slowly walked the direction he would have crossed it hoping I would cut a blood trail. Within 20 yards I saw him a short distance off the trail and I was a happy camper.

[Meat-Run]

Great story Luckey!!!!

mr

[FishingWebGuy]

Thanks for sharing Luckey and great story!

[charliepete]

To me it depends what you want to shoot. If you are alright with any adult deer that presents a shot it's hard to beat opening weekend in farm country. Watch a field for a few weeks before season, hang a stand where there coming in and the wind is right and bam. When I first started hunting I took quite a few deer during opening weekend, but most were does.

Late sesaon can also be very good. In December most people are done hunting and deer are more easily patterned especially if there is snow. I had a 6 year streak shooting deer on Christmas Eve until I got married and started having Christmas in the cities.

I'm still interested in shooting bucks, but given the amount of time I spend hunting my dogs my expectations aren't as high as they once were. I spend a few odd days bowhunting early season, and then I give myself a solid 4 days dawn to dusk before the gun season opens up to bowhunt at my place up North. In the last 5 years I've shot 8 deer in that 4 day window before the opener. I like the looks on the gun hunters faces when they roll into camp and I've already got one on the pole.

[B.R.O.]

Wow, great story luckey, thanks. Isn't it funny how "stuff" allays seems to happen like that at the exact worst time I myself know for a fact I would have had a lot less meat in the freezer over the years if "mr. Horny" wasn't so obsessed over the girls

[luckey]

I probably had the best ever deer hunting last fall. In addition to the buck above, I had a number of other encounters and stories. There is a story behind this picture. For the record, it does not end with a buck kill.

[Bear55]

Lets hear it luckey.

[luckey]

Ok, here goes.

Saturday October 10, 2009

I don’t know what to call it, bad luck, bad timing, lucky deer or just hunting. At any rate the big boy got away. At 6:30 Saturday evening, I saw a deer headed towards me. He was in brush and small trees so I didn’t see him until he was about 25 yards from my ladder stand. As he approached I saw antlers, and then BIG antlers. I could see the wide spread massive main beams but never did get around to looking for points. I was at full draw as he cleared the brush and a small tree about 12 yards from my stand. Just as I lined up on his shoulder and hit the release, he turned his head and looked up at me. The events at this point unfolded in what seemed slow motion. The arrow arrived just as his huge main beam crossed his chest. There was a loud “clang”, sparks flew, and the arrow deflected up just over his back and lodged in a log about 6 feet behind him. Needless to say he didn’t hang around for a second shot but I did get a good view of him as he bounded away leaving me with a severely bend arrow and major disappointment.

Yes, the arrow in the picture got that way from contact with his antlers.

[Bear55]

Crazy story lucky! Too bad you didn't at least knock him silly and just maybe got another shot off.

I actually know a guy who got one that way with a rifle, knocked the deer out cold. When they got up to the buck it was still moving a little so he put another round in him. Upon skinning the deer they only found the one hole and later found the bullet mark on the antler.

[Studer]

On that same note, that happened to my Dad. Shot a beauty 11 pointer and to make a long story short, we got to the deer and saw a bullet hole right through the palm of one of his antlers (where they split). What had happened was this deer came running out of the thicket chasing a doe and the grass was so tall all he had to shoot at was his head. So he hit him in the antler and the kill shot went in his head right behind the ear. We had to be very careful dragging him out as to not break the antlers. The taxidermist asked if he wanted it filled and of course he responded with "Why, to cover up the story??" Great looking mount and a great story to go with it when people see the hole in the antlers!!!