Jim Boyd
Senior Member
Hey Folks!
Well, my annual trip has come and gone again.
As I reflect back, I can see some things that I did correctly but also see that there are so many things I can and should do to become a better hunter.
I arrived on Saturday the 5th of November and immediately got in a stand – not even bothering to change clothes fully. Pulled some fatigue pants over my jeans, jumped in the Lacrosse’s and pulled on a light camo jacket. Immediately, a week’s worth of whitetail nirvana began. Saw a whopper of a 9 point that afternoon (40 yards) and a beautiful mid 120’s ten point (20 yards).
The week became a mind numbing cycle of get up, make the coffee, travel to the farms, hunt 12 hours, travel back to barn… a few beers and something to eat and tumble into bed at 9 pm or so.
Now, the cycle can be tough – but oh my, the deer hunting was off the chart! I was not inundated with the numbers of deer (think I saw 40-45) but about 70% or so were bucks and 12-15 of these were over 125" - some approaching 150". Most of the time, I was in the timber so many of them were at good, close range.
I am older (60 in January) and would hardly be considered much of a threat to the deer herd. I had deer chasing, deer vocalizing, saw a small buck fight, saw deer cruising and was just in amazement almost all week long. The highlight of the week – other than the final day of the hunt – was an encounter with a 140’ish beast that I do believe would have gone 300 lbs. The closest he got was 40 yards – he saw me and jumped down in the creek bank and played peek-a-boo with me for 5 minutes… it was insane. At one point, he stepped up in the bank and stared at me for a full 2 minutes – but facing directly at me and at 50 yards, there was no chance of a shot.
The week culminated the following Saturday. I eased down into the cow pasture well before daylight and placed a buck decoy 20 yards out in the pasture, facing the stand – having never used one before in my life. I only used one antler on the decoy’s head and tied some white ribbons to his tail for a visual effect. I used no deer scents and sprayed him liberally to cover human scent. In the end, I don’t think that last part even mattered. All the info about set up was what I got from reading….so I did not really know what to expect…. Sipping coffee in the pre-dawn darkness was a delight and I was loaded with anticipation.
First batter up – a 4 or 6 point that walked across the pasture and either did not see the decoy or did not pay it any attention.
Second batter up – about an hour later an 8 or 10 pointer was chasing two does across the field – saw the decoy – and stopped mid stride. He studied the decoy for 3-4 seconds, looked at the rapidly departing does – and said “what the heck, I am gonna stay with a sure thing” and off he went with the does.
Third batter up – it is now about 10:30 am, I think…. I look down the pasture and see a buck galloping up the field edge, on a bee line for the decoy. He appears to be heavily antlered and reasonably tall. He makes it to about 15 yards from the decoy and darts into the woods… and slows to a walk. There was a big cedar tree there and a good sized thicket / brush area about 10 yards in diameter. He walked around that tree and the brush and turned to angle so that he was facing directly at the decoy – and paused right on the edge of the pasture. He was not fully in the clear - but I got to see all of this from 20’ up and no more than 20 yards… He was all bristled up and was drooling like crazy. I had a decent opening in the brush and dropped the arrow right in the top of his right lung – he jumped at the shot, ran about 20 yards into the woods… and just stood there for a second. I could immediately see two things – no pass through on the arrow and he was not as big as I thought he was.
He took off and up the holler he went. Out of sight at a pretty good clip and I could see a good 75-80 yards up the holler and over a little ridge. I could also see as he turned that the arrow did not penetrate his left side…. So no exit wound.
Now, the agonizing part begins. The waiting….
I know not to look though the binos for the arrow – he took it with him.
I do use the binos to scour the area of the hit and the area where he paused to see if I see blood on the ground – and I do not.
I let an hour and 15 mins pass and get down and look at both areas - impact and pause area – not a drop of blood. I slow walk up the holler and over the small ridge…. I know which landmarks such as trees and fallen logs he passed by – at least within 80 yards or so of the stand…. Not a drop of blood.
Starting to worry now. I continue into the next ravine and I am now starting to near the western property boundary… at 180 yards, I find the deer tangled in the actual barb wire fence that marks the boundary.
He is a giant body wise but I am still a little bit disappointed in the antlers. I had seen much better bucks that week but was not able to harvest them.
We gutted him and removed the head and he still weighed 185 lbs – our scale only went to 200 – so we are guessing he was in the 250 lb range on the hoof.
Another wonderful year in the Midwest and I am already starting to think about 2017.
My early years in the Midwest were not fruitful and I have now, in the last two years, gone 2 for 2. I attribute this more to the farm than to my limited skills but I am very thankful and humbled nonetheless.
I am also thankful for the love of my wife, the long leash she provides me and the grace that God grants us all.
Best of luck to all hunters.
Jim
Well, my annual trip has come and gone again.
As I reflect back, I can see some things that I did correctly but also see that there are so many things I can and should do to become a better hunter.
I arrived on Saturday the 5th of November and immediately got in a stand – not even bothering to change clothes fully. Pulled some fatigue pants over my jeans, jumped in the Lacrosse’s and pulled on a light camo jacket. Immediately, a week’s worth of whitetail nirvana began. Saw a whopper of a 9 point that afternoon (40 yards) and a beautiful mid 120’s ten point (20 yards).
The week became a mind numbing cycle of get up, make the coffee, travel to the farms, hunt 12 hours, travel back to barn… a few beers and something to eat and tumble into bed at 9 pm or so.
Now, the cycle can be tough – but oh my, the deer hunting was off the chart! I was not inundated with the numbers of deer (think I saw 40-45) but about 70% or so were bucks and 12-15 of these were over 125" - some approaching 150". Most of the time, I was in the timber so many of them were at good, close range.
I am older (60 in January) and would hardly be considered much of a threat to the deer herd. I had deer chasing, deer vocalizing, saw a small buck fight, saw deer cruising and was just in amazement almost all week long. The highlight of the week – other than the final day of the hunt – was an encounter with a 140’ish beast that I do believe would have gone 300 lbs. The closest he got was 40 yards – he saw me and jumped down in the creek bank and played peek-a-boo with me for 5 minutes… it was insane. At one point, he stepped up in the bank and stared at me for a full 2 minutes – but facing directly at me and at 50 yards, there was no chance of a shot.
The week culminated the following Saturday. I eased down into the cow pasture well before daylight and placed a buck decoy 20 yards out in the pasture, facing the stand – having never used one before in my life. I only used one antler on the decoy’s head and tied some white ribbons to his tail for a visual effect. I used no deer scents and sprayed him liberally to cover human scent. In the end, I don’t think that last part even mattered. All the info about set up was what I got from reading….so I did not really know what to expect…. Sipping coffee in the pre-dawn darkness was a delight and I was loaded with anticipation.
First batter up – a 4 or 6 point that walked across the pasture and either did not see the decoy or did not pay it any attention.
Second batter up – about an hour later an 8 or 10 pointer was chasing two does across the field – saw the decoy – and stopped mid stride. He studied the decoy for 3-4 seconds, looked at the rapidly departing does – and said “what the heck, I am gonna stay with a sure thing” and off he went with the does.
Third batter up – it is now about 10:30 am, I think…. I look down the pasture and see a buck galloping up the field edge, on a bee line for the decoy. He appears to be heavily antlered and reasonably tall. He makes it to about 15 yards from the decoy and darts into the woods… and slows to a walk. There was a big cedar tree there and a good sized thicket / brush area about 10 yards in diameter. He walked around that tree and the brush and turned to angle so that he was facing directly at the decoy – and paused right on the edge of the pasture. He was not fully in the clear - but I got to see all of this from 20’ up and no more than 20 yards… He was all bristled up and was drooling like crazy. I had a decent opening in the brush and dropped the arrow right in the top of his right lung – he jumped at the shot, ran about 20 yards into the woods… and just stood there for a second. I could immediately see two things – no pass through on the arrow and he was not as big as I thought he was.
He took off and up the holler he went. Out of sight at a pretty good clip and I could see a good 75-80 yards up the holler and over a little ridge. I could also see as he turned that the arrow did not penetrate his left side…. So no exit wound.
Now, the agonizing part begins. The waiting….
I know not to look though the binos for the arrow – he took it with him.
I do use the binos to scour the area of the hit and the area where he paused to see if I see blood on the ground – and I do not.
I let an hour and 15 mins pass and get down and look at both areas - impact and pause area – not a drop of blood. I slow walk up the holler and over the small ridge…. I know which landmarks such as trees and fallen logs he passed by – at least within 80 yards or so of the stand…. Not a drop of blood.
Starting to worry now. I continue into the next ravine and I am now starting to near the western property boundary… at 180 yards, I find the deer tangled in the actual barb wire fence that marks the boundary.
He is a giant body wise but I am still a little bit disappointed in the antlers. I had seen much better bucks that week but was not able to harvest them.
We gutted him and removed the head and he still weighed 185 lbs – our scale only went to 200 – so we are guessing he was in the 250 lb range on the hoof.
Another wonderful year in the Midwest and I am already starting to think about 2017.
My early years in the Midwest were not fruitful and I have now, in the last two years, gone 2 for 2. I attribute this more to the farm than to my limited skills but I am very thankful and humbled nonetheless.
I am also thankful for the love of my wife, the long leash she provides me and the grace that God grants us all.
Best of luck to all hunters.
Jim
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