Echo
Gone But Not Forgotten
November 8th is now my favorite day to hunt the piedmont rut.
My truck thermometer read 36 and I was greeted with the welcome sight of scattered frost across the 60 acre clear cut that is home to my primary stand.
Despite visions of big bucks wrecklessly chasing does out in the semi-open I saw no movement at all early on which was unusual for this stand.
In fact I had just finished texting a hunting buddy over in Morgan county to kill a little time and see what conditions were like on his place. Imagine my surprise when right after I tucked my phone away I glanced down to my right to see a great buck working over a tree just 35 yards away! I had know idea he was even in the world let alone standing broadside right in my wheelhouse.
Quickly bringing the Model 70 to shoulder I took a brief glance at his rack before settling just behind the left shoulder and squeezing. At the shot he ran as though he might have been unscathed. That always adds a little excitement to the hunt but I much prefer they'd drop on the spot.
After descending the very quiet sweetgum I immediately went to the spot. Hair. Lots of white hair and no blood where he stood at the shot. I didn't like the looks of that.
However, as soon as I took one step on his trail - blood! It wasn't hard to follow either and I found him piled up some 30 yards a way with the shot having hit exactly where aimed.
When I shot, I thought I was shooting a 12 pointer that I had on camera on and off since September but this wasn't him. Little in the way of disappointment though with him being a good typical 10 with a nice kicker off a G-3.
My truck thermometer read 36 and I was greeted with the welcome sight of scattered frost across the 60 acre clear cut that is home to my primary stand.
Despite visions of big bucks wrecklessly chasing does out in the semi-open I saw no movement at all early on which was unusual for this stand.
In fact I had just finished texting a hunting buddy over in Morgan county to kill a little time and see what conditions were like on his place. Imagine my surprise when right after I tucked my phone away I glanced down to my right to see a great buck working over a tree just 35 yards away! I had know idea he was even in the world let alone standing broadside right in my wheelhouse.
Quickly bringing the Model 70 to shoulder I took a brief glance at his rack before settling just behind the left shoulder and squeezing. At the shot he ran as though he might have been unscathed. That always adds a little excitement to the hunt but I much prefer they'd drop on the spot.
After descending the very quiet sweetgum I immediately went to the spot. Hair. Lots of white hair and no blood where he stood at the shot. I didn't like the looks of that.
However, as soon as I took one step on his trail - blood! It wasn't hard to follow either and I found him piled up some 30 yards a way with the shot having hit exactly where aimed.
When I shot, I thought I was shooting a 12 pointer that I had on camera on and off since September but this wasn't him. Little in the way of disappointment though with him being a good typical 10 with a nice kicker off a G-3.
