rstallings1979
Senior Member
I tried to handle myself get away from me in Feb of this year on a freshly cut clear cut. It was a hot fire and it scorched a 20 plus acre spot that day. It hopped the dirt road causing me to almost poop my pants as well. After fighting it with some help from the neighbor we got it put out and although I felt like I was hit by a dump truck at the end of the day I knew this was going to be a deer buffet when summer approached. Needless to say it was the best burn I have ever been able to achieve and the prettiest clear cut as a result. The regrowth had been great with plenty of browse for the deer and the trees were replanted this year in March.
The spot is a nice transition between two bedding areas and it has a hardwood bottom that borders the clear cut and one of the bedding areas. We decided to hunt there yesterday morning and it was rocking with several sightings. We have been so busy he hasn't had time to practice shooting so we were really winging it going out for our first sit. He ended up shooting over a decent 8 point around 9am and he was bummed out. I took him out after lunch and let him shoot several times to get back in rhythm. As evening approached my 6 year old wanted to tag along and the most comfortable stand for three is in the same clear cut. Things were slow up until about 30 minutes before last shooting light and then everything came alive again. Multiple bucks were cruising through and a few does were popping out (probably 10-12 different deer) My 9 year old was on me hard about shooting some of the small bucks but I told him to hold off for multiple reasons....number 1...his mother told us it better be a monster due it being a school night and number 2...I am doing my best to explain the benefits of letting the smaller bucks walk. About 10 minutes of shooting light was left I had my oldest mad as fire for not letting him shoot, my youngest was peeing out the window, and I was ready to pack up and go a little early. About two minutes later I saw movement towards the end of the food plot land in the clear cut. I could tell it was a bigger bodied deer and it was heading for the opening. The deer hit the opening and I immediately knew he was a monster. Henry got the gun set and his ear plugs in but he deer didn't stop. I grunted as loud as I could and he stopped. He shot and I could tell the deer was hit. It face planted but then got up and ran. We went to the first bedding spot and backed out immediately. We called in a dog (Drew Anglin in Johnson County) and his dog did the rest. I have one happy boy and hopefully a lifelong lesson about being patient. If deer season ended today it would be a good one.
The spot is a nice transition between two bedding areas and it has a hardwood bottom that borders the clear cut and one of the bedding areas. We decided to hunt there yesterday morning and it was rocking with several sightings. We have been so busy he hasn't had time to practice shooting so we were really winging it going out for our first sit. He ended up shooting over a decent 8 point around 9am and he was bummed out. I took him out after lunch and let him shoot several times to get back in rhythm. As evening approached my 6 year old wanted to tag along and the most comfortable stand for three is in the same clear cut. Things were slow up until about 30 minutes before last shooting light and then everything came alive again. Multiple bucks were cruising through and a few does were popping out (probably 10-12 different deer) My 9 year old was on me hard about shooting some of the small bucks but I told him to hold off for multiple reasons....number 1...his mother told us it better be a monster due it being a school night and number 2...I am doing my best to explain the benefits of letting the smaller bucks walk. About 10 minutes of shooting light was left I had my oldest mad as fire for not letting him shoot, my youngest was peeing out the window, and I was ready to pack up and go a little early. About two minutes later I saw movement towards the end of the food plot land in the clear cut. I could tell it was a bigger bodied deer and it was heading for the opening. The deer hit the opening and I immediately knew he was a monster. Henry got the gun set and his ear plugs in but he deer didn't stop. I grunted as loud as I could and he stopped. He shot and I could tell the deer was hit. It face planted but then got up and ran. We went to the first bedding spot and backed out immediately. We called in a dog (Drew Anglin in Johnson County) and his dog did the rest. I have one happy boy and hopefully a lifelong lesson about being patient. If deer season ended today it would be a good one.
