my season (recap)

[matchset]

my season started off with a bang! late in the month of july, i got permission on a great piece of property and i planned to hunt it the entire season to try to figure it out!

after two scouting missions, i hung my first set.

ON opening day of Minnesota's archery season, i was locked, loaded and ready to FILM! i was fortunate to have my super supportive girlfriend with me; and opening weekend was dedicated to her. I was trying to help her harvest her first archery deer. the sun broke the horizon and she was the first to spot movement; three does. a great start indeed. all in all we saw 17 deer that day in September, but nothing within her range. she left that Sunday, heading back to her house nearly 5 hours from mine.

i hunted hard every chance i got for the next two weeks. finally on Oct 2nd (moose opener), i was fortunate enough to harvest my first antlerless deer.

as many of you know, my dad and i got draw this fall to hunt moose. we elected to begin our hunt on October 8th, hoping for cooler temps. that decision paid dividends, we harvested our bull on our third morning hunting.

back to whitetails. the rut was quickly approaching and the buck sign was phenomenal in my area. i was blessed to see a number of "up and coming" bucks, but elected to pass on them.

in mid October, i harvested my second antlerless deer. this was a memorable hunt for me. the deer had come towards my stand, but had stopped to bed down before i could shoot. nearly an hour past before it stood up and noticed my doe decoy. its curiosity peaked and i sent a rage thru doe number 2 on the season.

November baby! my dad and i were perched high on opening morning of gun season with Bows in hand. the Rut was beginning to crank and bucks were on the move. i was filming him that day, and before i could set the rattling antlers down we had a buck moving in on us quick. we quickly decided he was a mature deer, but he never stopped. a successful hunt nonetheless.

fast forward two weeks and mix in rain, freezing rain and sleet and you've got a recipe for spectacular rutting movement. doe number three of the season took a dirt nap the week before thanksgiving. i saw ten bucks that morning, and one was 160 class. but my arrow fell short, and i missed him. what a day

now, its the week of DECEMBER 1st, and i still have not filled my buck tag. Wednesday morning i had a wonderful stand set up perched on a snow covered hillside. the air was cold, and the snow flurries were relentless. the wind shifted no less than 5 times that day. a few small bucks and yearling past by but nothing mature. at 9:30am my fourth antlerless deer tag was punched.

i crawled off stand to grab a bite to eat, but being that this was my only day off in 14 i elected to climb right back up on stand within the hour.

then.... i saw him. the buck i call "the man" i've seen him twice before and he's quite unforgettable. a double throat patch gives him character, not to mention his 19+ plus points i've counted while looking thru my Bino's in mid October.

a 2 1/2 year old ten point was with him and they were in thick brush browsing ever so slowly. but something wasn't right. I Wasn't nervous. i wasn't shaking, quivering or even trembling. i was calm, even though the man was approaching my stand.

20 min pass and i have the small ten within spitting distance, (which is close) because i'm hunting super super thick bedding area type cover. both deer were milling about with ease, but i still had a feeling something was wrong. a buck like that is easily recognizable, but i still had not gotten a clear view of his head gear yet.

(2nd shed buck i saw... on December 1st)

he stepped out, ten yards broadside as i came to full draw. and i nearly filled my 5th antlerless tag on a 5 1/2 year old Shed buck.

as i let down, he looked up but never spooked. the buck i had seen early in the season was now within range but had already shed his antlers. His pedicels were black, which tells me its been a few days since he dropped. both bucks fed off, and will live to see another year.

as for me, maybe i'm heart broken but i don't think i am a totally upset. i had a wonderful season. and just as time was running out for me to capture my dreams, so did the calcium that secured his magnificent rack to his head.

what a season. i've passed on more bucks this fall than any sane person should be allowed to do. but i don't regret any of it. in fact i'd do it all over again. yes, i'll probably be eating a tag sandwhich in a few weeks when the season runs out....unless antlerless deer walks by my stand at last light on December 31st

[DHost21]

Awesome season matchset!! Sounds like a dream season to me!! Thanks for the story!

[luckey]

I've been out with the muzzle loader this past week. Now I'm wondering if all those "does" I saw were really does? Great season you had there.

[musky hunter]

Nice recap to a great season. I dind't know bucks shed so early, I'd have thought it was more into January before they dropped. I really wanted to see a pic of the big boy with you grinnning over him, the one that roughed up that tree. You had a fine season nonethless.

[HNTNBUX]

As one who has eaten a tag sandwich a few times I would recommend a bagel with a slice of pepper jack cheese to make it go down better. Sounds like a great season.

[sticknstring]

What a great season - some of the best memories are the ones which the arrow remains on the string.