So, this year I have been very torn on what to do with my club that I have managed for the last 3 years.I just don't feel it like I used to and I am moving at least an hour north of my old house which will put the drive at 3 1/2 to 4 hours one way. I told the guys that I was going to turn the lease over to them and back out of it. Really, I think managing a club has become more of a pain than I want to deal with anymore. I had already pulled most of my trail cams and the ones that are still out there I haven't checked. I decided to go down with one of my buddies opening of muzzle loader and had only been in the blind for about 30 minutes when this joker stepped out!
The track was something else! We trailed blood for several hours before backing out and calling a dog. After lunch, the guy with the dog shows and we take them to the spot of the kill. Oddly enough, the dog got on our trail and I ended up finding the deer about 30 yards from where me and my buddy had quit looking.
Opening weekend I went to another lease of mine for a little while Sunday morning. I was in the middle of moving so I didn't stay very long at all. Meanwhile, I'm keeping up with a group text from my guys in Wilkinson and one of our members knocked down his first buck ever! Needless to say, he was beside himself and is now hooked bad. Small racked buck but was definitely a mature deer. He tipped the scales at over 180lbs.
Fast forward to this past weekend. My move was finally complete and now I'm living in a camper above Helen until we find somewhere new to go so I was ready to ride down and unwind with the guys. And unwind I did! But that's another story better kept at camp! We hunted Friday evening and I had already seen 7 deer when I got a group text that 15 minutes more of shooting light and we're calling it. No sooner than I read the text and BOOM! One of my other buddies was hunting with his 10 year old son and had told me earlier that his prayer was for the Good Lord to provide his son with a buck this season. Prayers answered! And then some. This one was another difficult track from a high shoulder shot deer. With a 30-30 at 33 yards. Somehow or another, I just happened to walk down a trail and spotted eyes in my flashlight. Let the celebration begin!!! Did I mention unwinding? I think I still feel it! Anyhow, J Matthews first deer will be a hard accomplishment to beat. I believe he's going to be a 130" deer. It's a real shame that he had let his GON subscription expire!!!
On the next morning, I slept in. I wonder why? The morning was fairly uneventful anyway. After lunch, we started talking about where we were all going to hunt. I have 2 favorite spots on this property, but I left them open to any takers. We don't have "personal areas" at the lease. It's pretty much first come first serve. I decided I was going to sit in a spot that they had moved a tower back to the weekend before after a small clear cut. No cameras had been run in the area so nobody had any idea what was going on in there. I was only in the tower for a little while when deer started pouring out into the opening I was watching. I had already seen 9 deer when a buck stepped out again with about 15 minutes of shooting light left. I glassed him with my binos, and knew he was a heavy body deer compared to the spike that was standing in front of him but couldn't tell how may points. I could make out his main beams really well. But that was it. Back to the fact that I haven't been "feeling it". I have ran cameras for the last 3 years and had trail cam pics of every buck shot off of the property. There was no mystery and it just wasn't much fun anymore. I didn't get tore up watching or shooting deer anymore. Now, with no pics for several months, and this guy steps out, I am all tore up! I tried maxing out my scope bu shook too much so still couldn't make out how many points. Binos, still no good either! Shaking too hard. I felt like a kid again. I knew really good main beams and about 3 times the size of the spike so I settled in high shoulder and it was over! For him anyway. I thought I was going to fall off of the tower ladder I was shaking so hard. He was a 6 point, but one of the best 6 points I've ever seen. All 4 deer killed so far have been close to 200 lbs. I'm having my taxidermist age him but I'm thinking 5.5. After a ride to the processor it was back to camp for a meal that absolutely could not be beat! One thing we do there is eat high on the hog!
Both of my sons have told me I'd be a fool to give up this land. In 3 years, this is buck #17 with only a couple of mistakes. We try to shoot for age. Rules right now are 3.5 years old or older and I only know of 1 that has been shot that was a definite mistake. Now I'm tossed about leaving the place. Running it has costed me a lot of time and even more money. That is something that I need to stop if I do decide to stay. I do know that I think my days of running cams are over though. The mystery of it all made Saturday nights hunt one of my most memorable ones since my Avatar buck. Also took off of this property.
Sorry about the book, but I just wanted to share the years events so far. I just pray for wisdom and peace in my decisions to come about the place. For me, 3 years and 6 bucks! Maybe I just need more of a cooperative down there so I don't break my back or bank account anymore. Thanks for reading!
The track was something else! We trailed blood for several hours before backing out and calling a dog. After lunch, the guy with the dog shows and we take them to the spot of the kill. Oddly enough, the dog got on our trail and I ended up finding the deer about 30 yards from where me and my buddy had quit looking.
Opening weekend I went to another lease of mine for a little while Sunday morning. I was in the middle of moving so I didn't stay very long at all. Meanwhile, I'm keeping up with a group text from my guys in Wilkinson and one of our members knocked down his first buck ever! Needless to say, he was beside himself and is now hooked bad. Small racked buck but was definitely a mature deer. He tipped the scales at over 180lbs.
Fast forward to this past weekend. My move was finally complete and now I'm living in a camper above Helen until we find somewhere new to go so I was ready to ride down and unwind with the guys. And unwind I did! But that's another story better kept at camp! We hunted Friday evening and I had already seen 7 deer when I got a group text that 15 minutes more of shooting light and we're calling it. No sooner than I read the text and BOOM! One of my other buddies was hunting with his 10 year old son and had told me earlier that his prayer was for the Good Lord to provide his son with a buck this season. Prayers answered! And then some. This one was another difficult track from a high shoulder shot deer. With a 30-30 at 33 yards. Somehow or another, I just happened to walk down a trail and spotted eyes in my flashlight. Let the celebration begin!!! Did I mention unwinding? I think I still feel it! Anyhow, J Matthews first deer will be a hard accomplishment to beat. I believe he's going to be a 130" deer. It's a real shame that he had let his GON subscription expire!!!
On the next morning, I slept in. I wonder why? The morning was fairly uneventful anyway. After lunch, we started talking about where we were all going to hunt. I have 2 favorite spots on this property, but I left them open to any takers. We don't have "personal areas" at the lease. It's pretty much first come first serve. I decided I was going to sit in a spot that they had moved a tower back to the weekend before after a small clear cut. No cameras had been run in the area so nobody had any idea what was going on in there. I was only in the tower for a little while when deer started pouring out into the opening I was watching. I had already seen 9 deer when a buck stepped out again with about 15 minutes of shooting light left. I glassed him with my binos, and knew he was a heavy body deer compared to the spike that was standing in front of him but couldn't tell how may points. I could make out his main beams really well. But that was it. Back to the fact that I haven't been "feeling it". I have ran cameras for the last 3 years and had trail cam pics of every buck shot off of the property. There was no mystery and it just wasn't much fun anymore. I didn't get tore up watching or shooting deer anymore. Now, with no pics for several months, and this guy steps out, I am all tore up! I tried maxing out my scope bu shook too much so still couldn't make out how many points. Binos, still no good either! Shaking too hard. I felt like a kid again. I knew really good main beams and about 3 times the size of the spike so I settled in high shoulder and it was over! For him anyway. I thought I was going to fall off of the tower ladder I was shaking so hard. He was a 6 point, but one of the best 6 points I've ever seen. All 4 deer killed so far have been close to 200 lbs. I'm having my taxidermist age him but I'm thinking 5.5. After a ride to the processor it was back to camp for a meal that absolutely could not be beat! One thing we do there is eat high on the hog!
Both of my sons have told me I'd be a fool to give up this land. In 3 years, this is buck #17 with only a couple of mistakes. We try to shoot for age. Rules right now are 3.5 years old or older and I only know of 1 that has been shot that was a definite mistake. Now I'm tossed about leaving the place. Running it has costed me a lot of time and even more money. That is something that I need to stop if I do decide to stay. I do know that I think my days of running cams are over though. The mystery of it all made Saturday nights hunt one of my most memorable ones since my Avatar buck. Also took off of this property.
Sorry about the book, but I just wanted to share the years events so far. I just pray for wisdom and peace in my decisions to come about the place. For me, 3 years and 6 bucks! Maybe I just need more of a cooperative down there so I don't break my back or bank account anymore. Thanks for reading!
