He's alive!

[zdmiller]

Out for the first time this season last night. Headed to some private/public just outside the north suburbs here. First time it's been touch this year I believe. Ton of trails, no real great sign, didn't see any rubs or scrapes on my way to the stand. The corn on the adjoining property is still in, and tall. I have a sneeking feeling they may be bedding in it. Anyways to the point!

I get on stand around 4, forgot my grunt, or too lazy to grab it i quite remember, so I just hang out, about 5 a basket six too his dismay about runs into my tree and he snorts and take off flag up and all. I would have taken him had I seen him, but he came up directly behind me tryin to cross my little island in the cattails and away he went the same direction before I had turned around. Figuring the gig was up I waited another half hour talkin to the squirrels. I got out of my stand determined to check out the corn and see what was goin on there before they really started moving. I saw some pretty good sign, they are in there. I jogged around to a cut field around a small pond and kicked up a dozen turkeys. I got back to my truck and decided to set up on a small debris pile over looking a fence line they like to run when threatened bordering the cattail slough. I no long get there and look around and i hear a thud thudthud thud coming up from behind me! It was the 6X7 i had seen last year twice, ( once at the opener of bow, he came out along that same fence line about 200 yards down from me put his nose to the air and walked back in, and the last day of muzzleloader he ran that fence on me from that same pile, itwas just dark enough when I put the beed on him I just couldn't make him out so I had to watch him run.) He was running straight at me, I didn't have the sense of mind to uncase my bow and take a crack at him until he had about passed me, when he got about 20 feet from me he just jaunted about 20 feet about 90 degrees arount my mound and ran that fencline again! By the time I was ready to go he was jumping the fence into the cats and all I could see was his rack bouncing along in the tails away from me. I was happy though just to see him around. Hes not as tall this year but hes a little wider it looks. He sure smelled as he ran pass though! Someone kicked him up out of a pine grove next to the abandoned farm house up by the road I think. I hope I see him at a more opportune moment this weekend.