mparks
10-02-2006, 05:22 AM
Made it up to my parent's place in Huron County for opening morning yesterday. Went to my choice stand and saw that a large popple had fallen up against it. Didn't want to hack around on the branches or fight them and make noise on the way up so I went to stand #2.
Had a 6pt come down the trail to my right at about 8:30. Because of the thick brush I didn't see him until he was right on me. Probably 10 yards and closing in quick on the only shooting hole. I thought I was pretty slow and quiet making my move to try and turn to shoot but I guess not! He bolted a few bounds and was gone.
About 9:30 the prettiest little 8 point came down the trail to my left. If he'd kept coming down that trial I would've had a nice 18 yard shot. I had time to stand up and get positioned so I was just waiting for him to hit the opening.
The buck had other ideas and started right straight toward my stand and didn't stop until he was about 2 yards from the base of the ladder. He stood there forever until he got a whiff where I had walked to enter the stand. Then he jumped a little and slowly walked back the same way he came.
I went from knowing I would get a good chance to thinking I wasn't going to get a shot in about 60 seconds. Then the buck turned to his right and started to quarter away. I had the bow up and was hoping he would stop in a hole in the brush. In the last possible opening he stopped and offered a perfect quartering away shot at 15 yards. Since I'd made this shot about 1000 times over the summer I was a little miffed that I put an arrow right over his back! The shot felt OK. I picked a spot, hit anchor, followed through. I know I was just hurrying a little because I knew he wasn't going to stand in that last possible shooting lane long. Twisted my mind a lot going from calming myself down for a possible 3 yard shot in no hurry to a 15 yard shot with time running out. Just have to remember to slow down next time.
He was not a large racked deer at all but man what pretty antlers! Perfect little 8, dark antlers, big corn-fed body. Good thing it's only Oct 1. He'll make a mistake again sometime between now and Jan 1 or maybe he'll make it until next year and be a real bruiser.
Pretty encouraging opening day all in all. I also saw a few deer at home too which is no small thing on our place.
Had a 6pt come down the trail to my right at about 8:30. Because of the thick brush I didn't see him until he was right on me. Probably 10 yards and closing in quick on the only shooting hole. I thought I was pretty slow and quiet making my move to try and turn to shoot but I guess not! He bolted a few bounds and was gone.
About 9:30 the prettiest little 8 point came down the trail to my left. If he'd kept coming down that trial I would've had a nice 18 yard shot. I had time to stand up and get positioned so I was just waiting for him to hit the opening.
The buck had other ideas and started right straight toward my stand and didn't stop until he was about 2 yards from the base of the ladder. He stood there forever until he got a whiff where I had walked to enter the stand. Then he jumped a little and slowly walked back the same way he came.
I went from knowing I would get a good chance to thinking I wasn't going to get a shot in about 60 seconds. Then the buck turned to his right and started to quarter away. I had the bow up and was hoping he would stop in a hole in the brush. In the last possible opening he stopped and offered a perfect quartering away shot at 15 yards. Since I'd made this shot about 1000 times over the summer I was a little miffed that I put an arrow right over his back! The shot felt OK. I picked a spot, hit anchor, followed through. I know I was just hurrying a little because I knew he wasn't going to stand in that last possible shooting lane long. Twisted my mind a lot going from calming myself down for a possible 3 yard shot in no hurry to a 15 yard shot with time running out. Just have to remember to slow down next time.
He was not a large racked deer at all but man what pretty antlers! Perfect little 8, dark antlers, big corn-fed body. Good thing it's only Oct 1. He'll make a mistake again sometime between now and Jan 1 or maybe he'll make it until next year and be a real bruiser.
Pretty encouraging opening day all in all. I also saw a few deer at home too which is no small thing on our place.