Sib
11-21-2005, 11:31 AM
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/3042/2005_10_Point_1_sm.jpg
The buck I waited for, passing many smaller
Nov. 16 was a great day in the woods for me. We woke to a snowy woods and quiet winds compared to the days before. 4:00 am wake up, shower, couple cups of Joe and I was in the woods by 5:00 am. Upon arriving to my blind the wet, heavy snow had the pines branches drooping low and in my way. I shook off the snow and the pine branches sprung up and out of the way giving me an improved view, I don't think I would have seen this deer if I hadn't removed the snow and let the branches spring up to their natural place. :bouncy:
After clearing my view I went and set two scent wicks up wind of my shooting area. In my experience, bucks tend to check scent from a distance and mainly the younger bucks will walk up on a scent, the bigger deer tend to check and gauge from a distance, so I put my scents up wind of the area I'm hunting.
When I settled into my blind for the day after about an hour I caught some movement in the early morning dawn as the deer moved through the dense pines toward the hardwoods. Once the deer made the hardwoods I could see it was a decent buck, but he was moving at a pretty good clip. My window of opportunity was closing, so I let out a loud snort and the buck froze in his tracks as he scoured the area looking for the other deer. He was standing directly behind a tree, so I had to wait for my shot. After about 6 hours, or about 2 minutes, sure did feel like 6 hours :lol: the deer nudged forward and gave me the shot I was waiting on. He dropped in his tracks ending a memorable Hunt. :woohoo1:
I had scouted this deer and had set up for him and everything just seemed to fall into place. I passed on a number of small bucks including a couple decent 6 points. I had the feeling that morning when I woke up and even made a smart aleck comment to the landowner asking him which area of the county I should tell the local paper I shot the deer at, I suggested a location southwest of camp to help keep other hunters from moving in on us. He agreed that would be a good place, humoring my cocky statement, but never thinking I could back it up. I'm not one to prophetize, but I just felt like it I would finally be meeting up with our local 'tree destroyer.' The deer camp table talk got the best of me and hunters that had scouted less were making some bold claims, so I racheted up my rhetoric, too. In the end I'm sure luck played into my success, but being prepared and doing your homework favors you, imo. I felt I had done my homework and put myself in a great position, but yeah, I wasn't sure I could back up that deer camp table talk, either. :lol:
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/3042/10_point_Buck_in_Distance_sm.jpg
Buck in the hardwoods funnel connecting to swamp
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/551/Buck_Rub_Snow.jpg
Evidence from the 'Tree Destroyer"
The buck I waited for, passing many smaller
Nov. 16 was a great day in the woods for me. We woke to a snowy woods and quiet winds compared to the days before. 4:00 am wake up, shower, couple cups of Joe and I was in the woods by 5:00 am. Upon arriving to my blind the wet, heavy snow had the pines branches drooping low and in my way. I shook off the snow and the pine branches sprung up and out of the way giving me an improved view, I don't think I would have seen this deer if I hadn't removed the snow and let the branches spring up to their natural place. :bouncy:
After clearing my view I went and set two scent wicks up wind of my shooting area. In my experience, bucks tend to check scent from a distance and mainly the younger bucks will walk up on a scent, the bigger deer tend to check and gauge from a distance, so I put my scents up wind of the area I'm hunting.
When I settled into my blind for the day after about an hour I caught some movement in the early morning dawn as the deer moved through the dense pines toward the hardwoods. Once the deer made the hardwoods I could see it was a decent buck, but he was moving at a pretty good clip. My window of opportunity was closing, so I let out a loud snort and the buck froze in his tracks as he scoured the area looking for the other deer. He was standing directly behind a tree, so I had to wait for my shot. After about 6 hours, or about 2 minutes, sure did feel like 6 hours :lol: the deer nudged forward and gave me the shot I was waiting on. He dropped in his tracks ending a memorable Hunt. :woohoo1:
I had scouted this deer and had set up for him and everything just seemed to fall into place. I passed on a number of small bucks including a couple decent 6 points. I had the feeling that morning when I woke up and even made a smart aleck comment to the landowner asking him which area of the county I should tell the local paper I shot the deer at, I suggested a location southwest of camp to help keep other hunters from moving in on us. He agreed that would be a good place, humoring my cocky statement, but never thinking I could back it up. I'm not one to prophetize, but I just felt like it I would finally be meeting up with our local 'tree destroyer.' The deer camp table talk got the best of me and hunters that had scouted less were making some bold claims, so I racheted up my rhetoric, too. In the end I'm sure luck played into my success, but being prepared and doing your homework favors you, imo. I felt I had done my homework and put myself in a great position, but yeah, I wasn't sure I could back up that deer camp table talk, either. :lol:
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/3042/10_point_Buck_in_Distance_sm.jpg
Buck in the hardwoods funnel connecting to swamp
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/551/Buck_Rub_Snow.jpg
Evidence from the 'Tree Destroyer"