I'd been cutting the track of the ghost I've been hunting the last few years since before season opened, but hadn't actually seen him.
Until yesterday morning.
He's was a secretive, wiley ole man that kept to himself and figuring out his ways put to the test everything I'd leaned over the last 32 years of hunting and was a challange I'll never forget.
I had placed a number of stands in a " M " pattern parralling a long stretch of thick, dry creek bottom that I had found his core area in 2 years ago.
These stands were not to be hunted until the cover of the fields were gone and I kept to the field edge trying to catch him comming out of the corn and hunted that as long as it was up. Never stepped foot in the woods near those stands. The area was clean.
Last week I arrowed a very nice 17 3/4" 8 point comming out of the corn as they were shelling, but, never did see the 'Ole Man.
Ok, fast forward to yesterday. :coolgleam
Beautiful morning ! Hardly any wind and the temps were very mild. I hunted my best ambush stand on the fringe of his core area, figuring that that wiley old buck would not break cover. As daylight came, I could see a small buck trailing a doe to my left and directly downwind of me. Within 20 minutes, there were 4 bucks ( 1 shooter ) and 5 - 7 does milling around and chasing at about 30-45 yards, still downwind. I grunted softly a few times to hopefully keep them in the area and calm.
There were 2 big fox squirrels that had been pestering me since sun up, chasing each other and barking. Having a grand old time they were. And making a helluva racket.
As I was watching the deer to my left, I heard what sounded like someone raking leaves behind me and to my right. I thought damn ! Those squirrels must be fighting now and I turned to see what all the commotion was about.
There he was.
20 yards behind me and working a double scrape the size of a dinner table.
Holy Crap !
Breath.
Breath.
Breath.
Breath.
THINK!
( I always talk myself thru a shot )
Ok, he doesn't see me.
The wind is good.
No shot, brush in the way.
Breath.
Relax. ( Try to........ )
Check the trail he's on and look for the first opening. Look for deflections.
No mistakes. Your not going to get a second chance.
I pulled out my grunt call, but hesitated. He wasn't going anywhere just yet.
Wait and see what he does. He's already close. No need for the call.
Breath.
My mind was racing. Figuring out a million different scenerios that might play out.
STOP IT !
THINK DAMMIT !
Think about your next move before you do something stupid and blow it.
He's right in front of you with no idea that your there.
Don't make it hard.
Clear your mind.
This is the end game.
What you've been waiting for, planning for, Praying for for 5 + years.
Pick your moment.
Stop shaking.
Calm yourself. ( ya, right! ) I did my best to anyway.......
He's kicking up leaves and brush like a bulldozer. He's busy and not paying attention. I get squirreled around and ready.
He lifts his massive head and looks at the other deer.
I'm guessing he was there all the time, but waiting to see what would happen, if anything to those other deer that were screwing around and making sure that it was safe to move. Those deer were still directly down wind of me and never smelled me. I was between them and him.
He finishes making that huge scrape and starts slowly and carefully down the dry creek bed, comming right past me.
As he goes behind a small bush I come to full draw and as he steps clear,
I bleat with my mouth to stop him. He hesitates and turns his head.
This is it.
The 2 second window that you've been hoping and praying for so many seasons.
I found my mark and sent an arrow thru his heart at 12 paces.
He ran 75 yards and piled up.
11 points.
20 " spread.
175 lbs.
HUGE hooves. Big knarly bases, matching tines and lots of mass. Damn near a perfect rack with the exception a 1 small sticker on his left antler. His body was rather small, not as large as I pictured compared to his track and must have been his age catching up to him.
I don't know how long I sat next to him in that creek bottom.
Just him , me and the woods.
Funny. The first thing that came to my mind was that the woods was carrying on as if nothing had just happened. The birds were still singing, and those 2 squirrels weres still playing with each other.
Maybe I thought something would be different, or would happen.
But it didn't.
My Quest was over.
In my minds eye I relived all the happiness and joys, the sorrows, the excitement and countless hours sitting on stand, as well as the countless hours I lay wide awake in my bunk at camp trying to figure out his next move........and what mine would be.
I'm not sure how to feel now. It's a bittersweet feeling.
It's like I lost a friend.
It was a helluva run, that's for sure.
Took pics yesterday and the wife will email them to me from work. I'll gett'em up as soon as she does.
Until yesterday morning.
He's was a secretive, wiley ole man that kept to himself and figuring out his ways put to the test everything I'd leaned over the last 32 years of hunting and was a challange I'll never forget.
I had placed a number of stands in a " M " pattern parralling a long stretch of thick, dry creek bottom that I had found his core area in 2 years ago.
These stands were not to be hunted until the cover of the fields were gone and I kept to the field edge trying to catch him comming out of the corn and hunted that as long as it was up. Never stepped foot in the woods near those stands. The area was clean.
Last week I arrowed a very nice 17 3/4" 8 point comming out of the corn as they were shelling, but, never did see the 'Ole Man.
Ok, fast forward to yesterday. :coolgleam
Beautiful morning ! Hardly any wind and the temps were very mild. I hunted my best ambush stand on the fringe of his core area, figuring that that wiley old buck would not break cover. As daylight came, I could see a small buck trailing a doe to my left and directly downwind of me. Within 20 minutes, there were 4 bucks ( 1 shooter ) and 5 - 7 does milling around and chasing at about 30-45 yards, still downwind. I grunted softly a few times to hopefully keep them in the area and calm.
There were 2 big fox squirrels that had been pestering me since sun up, chasing each other and barking. Having a grand old time they were. And making a helluva racket.
As I was watching the deer to my left, I heard what sounded like someone raking leaves behind me and to my right. I thought damn ! Those squirrels must be fighting now and I turned to see what all the commotion was about.
There he was.
20 yards behind me and working a double scrape the size of a dinner table.
Holy Crap !
Breath.
Breath.
Breath.
Breath.
THINK!
( I always talk myself thru a shot )
Ok, he doesn't see me.
The wind is good.
No shot, brush in the way.
Breath.
Relax. ( Try to........ )
Check the trail he's on and look for the first opening. Look for deflections.
No mistakes. Your not going to get a second chance.
I pulled out my grunt call, but hesitated. He wasn't going anywhere just yet.
Wait and see what he does. He's already close. No need for the call.
Breath.
My mind was racing. Figuring out a million different scenerios that might play out.
STOP IT !
THINK DAMMIT !
Think about your next move before you do something stupid and blow it.
He's right in front of you with no idea that your there.
Don't make it hard.
Clear your mind.
This is the end game.
What you've been waiting for, planning for, Praying for for 5 + years.
Pick your moment.
Stop shaking.
Calm yourself. ( ya, right! ) I did my best to anyway.......
He's kicking up leaves and brush like a bulldozer. He's busy and not paying attention. I get squirreled around and ready.
He lifts his massive head and looks at the other deer.
I'm guessing he was there all the time, but waiting to see what would happen, if anything to those other deer that were screwing around and making sure that it was safe to move. Those deer were still directly down wind of me and never smelled me. I was between them and him.
He finishes making that huge scrape and starts slowly and carefully down the dry creek bed, comming right past me.
As he goes behind a small bush I come to full draw and as he steps clear,
I bleat with my mouth to stop him. He hesitates and turns his head.
This is it.
The 2 second window that you've been hoping and praying for so many seasons.
I found my mark and sent an arrow thru his heart at 12 paces.
He ran 75 yards and piled up.
11 points.
20 " spread.
175 lbs.
HUGE hooves. Big knarly bases, matching tines and lots of mass. Damn near a perfect rack with the exception a 1 small sticker on his left antler. His body was rather small, not as large as I pictured compared to his track and must have been his age catching up to him.
I don't know how long I sat next to him in that creek bottom.
Just him , me and the woods.
Funny. The first thing that came to my mind was that the woods was carrying on as if nothing had just happened. The birds were still singing, and those 2 squirrels weres still playing with each other.
Maybe I thought something would be different, or would happen.
But it didn't.
My Quest was over.
In my minds eye I relived all the happiness and joys, the sorrows, the excitement and countless hours sitting on stand, as well as the countless hours I lay wide awake in my bunk at camp trying to figure out his next move........and what mine would be.
I'm not sure how to feel now. It's a bittersweet feeling.
It's like I lost a friend.
It was a helluva run, that's for sure.
Took pics yesterday and the wife will email them to me from work. I'll gett'em up as soon as she does.
