RipperIII
Senior Member
This morning was amazing,...probably my best in the 14 years that i've fed my addiction.
I was sitting on the ground, behind a tree looking down the south bank of a creek across the north bank into an area clustered with scrapes and rubs. This is a riparian area that transitions into thinned planted pine engulfed with head high grass reminiscent of South Ga. upland.
The thick canopy challenges the eye which frantically searches in the early dawn light for openings in which to spot movement. Splotches of sunlight dapple the ground in a truly splendid masterpiece of nature, ever shifting, evolving, revealing terrain previously unobserved.
From the vantage point to my left I could see down a tight channel roughly 100-130 yds in length running from the north bank of the creek through the hardwood and into the high grass and thinned pine. Multiple smaller openings lay adjacent to this channel offer quick glimpses of any activity that may happen by.
To my right, I had a similar channel view running a shorter distance of about 50yds but covering a pinch point at the head of a ditch and the area filled with scrapes and rubs.
Straight ahead i could see nothing but the trunk of the moderately sized tree behind which i was hiding.
7:50 a.m. a fairly large black boar hog races through the wood and into the pines roughly 100yds away to my left...probably the same hog that grunted and snorted at me as walked through the dark woods on my approach pre-dawn.
8:05 a.m. a large deer, nose to the ground emerges from the tall grass to my left, crossing the open channel, disappearing and reappearing a few times before silently disappearing for good.
8:55 a.m. A dark bodied chocolate racked basket 8 ambles into view, again from my left but this time at about 60yds...nose to the ground. I hit my bleat, no discernable reaction so i hit a couple of short grunts, he moves just a bit. then a subtle change of direction brings him in another 15-20 yds where he promptly tends or starts a scrape. i glass him, he's a pretty good deer but not quite a 120" buck...which is our club's minimum requirement. He enthusiastically paws away the leaves and rises to nibble a bit of the overhanging branch. I am enjoying the show but decide to get involved, so i bleat once...he drops to all fours and walks forward with intent. He gets to the steep north bank of the creek, and with only a slight calculating pause, grunts and drops down into the creek, across and now proceeds up the south bank directly to my tree. He's a good looking buck, but i'm not gonna take him. Just a few strides and he is standing directly in front of me, we are 6ft apart and literally staring eye to eye.
He gives a quick snort, spins into a 180 and heds about 10yds away where he mills about for a few minutes before eventually, gradually disappearing into the thicket behind me.
One bleat from about 40yds and he made a B-line to my exact spot. Amazing.
9:45 a.m. Another Buck emerges into view again along my left, through the channel.
He is a bit larger, crowned with a wide, thick white 6pt rack.
I bleat to him, again about 60yds distant.
He continues along his way, carefully, slowly meandering along the creek alternately in and out of view.
I hit the bleat and the grunt again...no observable reaction. A few minutes go by and he has closed the distance a bit and is headed in the right general direction...so I hit the bleat again...this time he notices, but only subtly.
He works his way behind cover directly in front of me and i keep a close eye on both channel openings to my left and to my right from behind my tree slowly, very slowly peering out to the right or to the left...he is with in 35yds at this point, but the sun is at my back and into his eyes.
Mysteriously he manages to get past the pinch point to my right unseen and several minutes later comes back from my right pointed in the opposite direction...he's an older, wiser, more patient buck.
I do not call again,,,but down into the creek he goes, utilizing a less steep path and up he comes just like the buck before and passes in front of my tree on almost the same path...6ft in front of me. heading in the opposite direction.
he ambles by as easily as if he were on a Sunday stroll. I tried to get his pic but he was so close...i eventually did get his pic as he cruised into the thicket, calm as a mortician.
I watched him for a few minutes as he made his way down the creek and out of sight.
20 minutes later my cell cam picked him up as he recrossed the creek on his journey to wherever.
Amazing day!
I LOVE sitting on the ground.
The 2 personalities of these two bucks, they're appearance, their actions so different, unique. Great to observe.
I was sitting on the ground, behind a tree looking down the south bank of a creek across the north bank into an area clustered with scrapes and rubs. This is a riparian area that transitions into thinned planted pine engulfed with head high grass reminiscent of South Ga. upland.
The thick canopy challenges the eye which frantically searches in the early dawn light for openings in which to spot movement. Splotches of sunlight dapple the ground in a truly splendid masterpiece of nature, ever shifting, evolving, revealing terrain previously unobserved.
From the vantage point to my left I could see down a tight channel roughly 100-130 yds in length running from the north bank of the creek through the hardwood and into the high grass and thinned pine. Multiple smaller openings lay adjacent to this channel offer quick glimpses of any activity that may happen by.
To my right, I had a similar channel view running a shorter distance of about 50yds but covering a pinch point at the head of a ditch and the area filled with scrapes and rubs.
Straight ahead i could see nothing but the trunk of the moderately sized tree behind which i was hiding.
7:50 a.m. a fairly large black boar hog races through the wood and into the pines roughly 100yds away to my left...probably the same hog that grunted and snorted at me as walked through the dark woods on my approach pre-dawn.
8:05 a.m. a large deer, nose to the ground emerges from the tall grass to my left, crossing the open channel, disappearing and reappearing a few times before silently disappearing for good.
8:55 a.m. A dark bodied chocolate racked basket 8 ambles into view, again from my left but this time at about 60yds...nose to the ground. I hit my bleat, no discernable reaction so i hit a couple of short grunts, he moves just a bit. then a subtle change of direction brings him in another 15-20 yds where he promptly tends or starts a scrape. i glass him, he's a pretty good deer but not quite a 120" buck...which is our club's minimum requirement. He enthusiastically paws away the leaves and rises to nibble a bit of the overhanging branch. I am enjoying the show but decide to get involved, so i bleat once...he drops to all fours and walks forward with intent. He gets to the steep north bank of the creek, and with only a slight calculating pause, grunts and drops down into the creek, across and now proceeds up the south bank directly to my tree. He's a good looking buck, but i'm not gonna take him. Just a few strides and he is standing directly in front of me, we are 6ft apart and literally staring eye to eye.
He gives a quick snort, spins into a 180 and heds about 10yds away where he mills about for a few minutes before eventually, gradually disappearing into the thicket behind me.
One bleat from about 40yds and he made a B-line to my exact spot. Amazing.
9:45 a.m. Another Buck emerges into view again along my left, through the channel.
He is a bit larger, crowned with a wide, thick white 6pt rack.
I bleat to him, again about 60yds distant.
He continues along his way, carefully, slowly meandering along the creek alternately in and out of view.
I hit the bleat and the grunt again...no observable reaction. A few minutes go by and he has closed the distance a bit and is headed in the right general direction...so I hit the bleat again...this time he notices, but only subtly.
He works his way behind cover directly in front of me and i keep a close eye on both channel openings to my left and to my right from behind my tree slowly, very slowly peering out to the right or to the left...he is with in 35yds at this point, but the sun is at my back and into his eyes.
Mysteriously he manages to get past the pinch point to my right unseen and several minutes later comes back from my right pointed in the opposite direction...he's an older, wiser, more patient buck.
I do not call again,,,but down into the creek he goes, utilizing a less steep path and up he comes just like the buck before and passes in front of my tree on almost the same path...6ft in front of me. heading in the opposite direction.
he ambles by as easily as if he were on a Sunday stroll. I tried to get his pic but he was so close...i eventually did get his pic as he cruised into the thicket, calm as a mortician.
I watched him for a few minutes as he made his way down the creek and out of sight.
20 minutes later my cell cam picked him up as he recrossed the creek on his journey to wherever.
Amazing day!
I LOVE sitting on the ground.
The 2 personalities of these two bucks, they're appearance, their actions so different, unique. Great to observe.
