EAGLE EYE 444
King Casanova
I spent time in the woods on Friday putting out some feed here and there on my property. I went hunting Saturday morning and nothing had been touched.
I went back yesterday morning and likewise, nothing had been touched. "Rut-Ro", something must be wrong because the last time that I put out any feed, within 12-18 hours, it was pretty much ALL gone. I hunted Saturday morning but arrived about an hour late. Nothing was moving so I switched to another stand location on the back part of the property to hunt Saturday afternoon. However, nothing was seen at all Saturday and I was teed off that nothing was happening. I killed my last deer back three years ago and have actually hunted very little since then.
I went back really early yesterday and slipped into my stand before daybreak. I was glad to have one spike buck walking around my stand area for about 15 minutes or so. Nothing else though. I finally got down at 9 AM and walked about 1/2 mile to the back area that included heavy frost and I decided to sit down on my cushion on the ground just inside the wood-line of my pasture area that is grown over with 4-5 feet tall broom sage this year. I have only hunted on this ground location twice before over the years as the pasture was always bush-hogged just 15 feet from this on-the-ground location but was not cut this year as usual.
I had just put down a heavy-duty black piece of plastic and then my 4" thick cushion and had sat down in position leaning against two trees with my feet braced perfectly against another tree in front as I was facing a feeding area about 50-60 yards from me. I hadn't been sitting down but about 1 MINUTE as the biggest deer in my area comes out of the pasture of 4-5 feet tall broom-sage and comes walking really fast at an angle quartering toward me as he appeared to have a hot-doe on its mind. I had squirted some Tink's 69 "Doe in Heat" lure on my boots earlier and this is what this buck was obviously seeking. I immediately pulled my rifle up and unfortunately I rushed the shot which was ONLY about 25 yards. I was expecting this buck to hit the ground BUT I apparently completely missed and this huge buck turned around and ran back the way that it had just come from. I was sitting right inside the tree line and the deer ran back into the 4 feet tall broom-sage. I quickly jumped up and tried to run out into the open area as the buck ran across the pasture area. Somehow, I caught my foot on a large limb about 8 feet away that was lying on the ground and before I knew it, I had taken a hard fall and was lying face down on the ground with my rifle lying underneath my chest and shoulder area as it dang nearly knocked the breath out of me. I ultimately looked for the buck in the thick broom-sage and also down in the creek bed and then called a close friend that also came and helped me look again all over the area to find the buck.
Unfortunately, I just missed the rushed shot as I had the scope turned up to 7 power as I was viewing a spike buck while I had hunted from my previous stand location yesterday morning. It turned out to be a blur of the deer in the scope BUT I quickly tried for center mass of the front legs with possibly a double lung hit. Stupid me, I never once thought about using the "see-through" open sight underneath the scope instead. Looking back, I really think that I most probably shot over this buck's neck and shoulder area in this hasty shot.
Later yesterday afternoon, by the time that I had driven home, my right knee and leg was swollen somewhat and I am getting around very slowly .... especially this morning. I look more like the 120 year old version of Grandpa McCoy this morning.
Hopefully, I might get a NEXT time soon as I only average getting about one buck every 3-4 years.
I went back yesterday morning and likewise, nothing had been touched. "Rut-Ro", something must be wrong because the last time that I put out any feed, within 12-18 hours, it was pretty much ALL gone. I hunted Saturday morning but arrived about an hour late. Nothing was moving so I switched to another stand location on the back part of the property to hunt Saturday afternoon. However, nothing was seen at all Saturday and I was teed off that nothing was happening. I killed my last deer back three years ago and have actually hunted very little since then.
I went back really early yesterday and slipped into my stand before daybreak. I was glad to have one spike buck walking around my stand area for about 15 minutes or so. Nothing else though. I finally got down at 9 AM and walked about 1/2 mile to the back area that included heavy frost and I decided to sit down on my cushion on the ground just inside the wood-line of my pasture area that is grown over with 4-5 feet tall broom sage this year. I have only hunted on this ground location twice before over the years as the pasture was always bush-hogged just 15 feet from this on-the-ground location but was not cut this year as usual.
I had just put down a heavy-duty black piece of plastic and then my 4" thick cushion and had sat down in position leaning against two trees with my feet braced perfectly against another tree in front as I was facing a feeding area about 50-60 yards from me. I hadn't been sitting down but about 1 MINUTE as the biggest deer in my area comes out of the pasture of 4-5 feet tall broom-sage and comes walking really fast at an angle quartering toward me as he appeared to have a hot-doe on its mind. I had squirted some Tink's 69 "Doe in Heat" lure on my boots earlier and this is what this buck was obviously seeking. I immediately pulled my rifle up and unfortunately I rushed the shot which was ONLY about 25 yards. I was expecting this buck to hit the ground BUT I apparently completely missed and this huge buck turned around and ran back the way that it had just come from. I was sitting right inside the tree line and the deer ran back into the 4 feet tall broom-sage. I quickly jumped up and tried to run out into the open area as the buck ran across the pasture area. Somehow, I caught my foot on a large limb about 8 feet away that was lying on the ground and before I knew it, I had taken a hard fall and was lying face down on the ground with my rifle lying underneath my chest and shoulder area as it dang nearly knocked the breath out of me. I ultimately looked for the buck in the thick broom-sage and also down in the creek bed and then called a close friend that also came and helped me look again all over the area to find the buck.
Unfortunately, I just missed the rushed shot as I had the scope turned up to 7 power as I was viewing a spike buck while I had hunted from my previous stand location yesterday morning. It turned out to be a blur of the deer in the scope BUT I quickly tried for center mass of the front legs with possibly a double lung hit. Stupid me, I never once thought about using the "see-through" open sight underneath the scope instead. Looking back, I really think that I most probably shot over this buck's neck and shoulder area in this hasty shot.
Later yesterday afternoon, by the time that I had driven home, my right knee and leg was swollen somewhat and I am getting around very slowly .... especially this morning. I look more like the 120 year old version of Grandpa McCoy this morning.
Hopefully, I might get a NEXT time soon as I only average getting about one buck every 3-4 years.
