Tagged Out on Public Land with Two Personal Bests

[Full Draw McGraw]

It’s been a great season for me, but maybe I was due for one of those. Last year was really tough in terms of deer sightings but I wasn’t complaining because at least I got to hunt. I basically missed the entire 2020 season due to an achilles injury. I only went out one time, late season, and my mobility was still pretty limited.

The 22 season started off a little slowly with a couple of deerless sits the first weekend. Then I buggered up an opportunity at a 2.5 year old buck a week or two later. Not a great start but I didn’t give up.

October 8th. I was doing a little mid-day scouting, slowly easing through a creek bottom looking for acorns to set up on when I looked up to saw a deer coming down the hillside 50 or so yards in front of me. That little buck must have heard me or seen movement because he seemed to be coming closer to investigate what I was. I believe he thought I was another deer. He kept looking my way as he fed to about 25 yards and stepped into a nice window in the brush, quartering to, glancing my way one final time. The shot was true and I heard a loud pop, like a snare drum being struck as my arrow took the breath out of him. He wheeled around and took off out of sight but a moment later I thought I heard him crash. Sure enough, I found him piled up 60 yards away. He’s not much but he’s my first antlered bow kill, so my PB. For now.

 

[Full Draw McGraw]

After that my freezer was pretty full and I swore I wouldn’t kill anything else unless it was absolutely worth it. Which takes us to…

November 6th. That afternoon was a sweaty 80 degrees. Not the kind of weather you’re looking for in November to get the bucks up on their feet, but oh well I only get so many days in the woods each year. After a quick lunch I headed out early for the afternoon sit. It was drizzling rain that morning and I wanted to take advantage of the soft conditions to sneak into some hardwoods on the edge of a bedding thicket. It’s a spot that’s kind of a bear to get in and out of, and it’s really easy to get busted if you’re not careful with your approach or the wind direction. I still hunted my way through the creek bottom, glassing as I went. Then I used the topography afforded by a small drainage to slip to within 60 yards of the edge of the thicket, undetected as far as I know.

I set up on the ground, although those woods are pretty open at ground level, there’s a lot of immature trees that would ruin your visibility if you got more than a few feet off the ground. Plus hanging a stand and climbing a tree that close to bedded deer might not benefit you. I think the area offers a bit of a sanctuary to deer in season so I try to disturb it as little as possible whenever I hunt there, no clearing, and only go in when the conditions are right.

I set my three-legged stool up against a fair sized oak with a blow-down just off my right hip to give me at least a little cover. Mostly I just try to be as still as possible to stay hidden from deer. I was about 60 yards from the edge of the thicket, and looking over a little rise. I could see just to the edge of the thick but not really into it much. I needed the deer to come out into the oaks where there were still a lot of acorns falling. If they stayed in the thicket I wouldn’t have a shot, but If I got any closer I would stick out like a sore thumb to any deer that came through the hardwoods.

For more than two hours I sweated, cursed, questioned my life choices, and I waited.

An army of squirrels was working furiously to cut down and gather up every last acorn in the woods, to the point where after a while I began to ignore all sounds, relying mostly on sight. But after some time I became aware of a new sound directly in front of me, just inside the thicket, where no squirrel noise had been coming from.
“That’s just another squirrel, right?” I asked myself while straining my eyes for the source.
I picked up a little motion through some tree branches in the thick and begin to reach down for the binoculars I was wearing harnessed against my chest.

Suddenly at a distance of about 70 yards a buck picks his head up and gives me a quick glimpse of a huge set of gleaming white antlers.

WHOA, BIG BUCK!

Forget the binos, it’s go-time! I raised my rifle, looked through the scope, and saw… nothing. Desperately I switched back and forth looking through the scope and over top of it, trying to get eyes back on the buck I knew was just inside the thick cover. Still nothing. I began sweeping side to side a little. He had to be there somewhere. Finally I saw brown fur a few yards to the left of where I first saw him. I watched through the scope as that deer took a step or two forward, exposing it’s head. No antlers; doe. Makes sense, it was November 6th after all.

I swept back to the right and saw more fur through a tangle of branches. A head moved, a glint of sunlight off antler. There he was! I just needed him to get clear of the thick branches that were screening him.

Right then the doe he was following exploded out of the thicket and ran in a big arc through the hardwoods first angling away from me then curving back towards before stopping only 15 yards to my left front. Too close for comfort. I was on the rifle waiting for the buck to follow her into the open but he didn’t move; not even a step. I cut my eyes back over to the doe but she was oblivious to my presence and thankfully facing back in the direction of the thicket and the buck.

Still, she was close and I was on the ground without good cover. Distance was supposed to be my cover but she had taken that away. I needed to get a shot now before she saw me or the wind swirled and they both ran back into the thicket and out of my life forever.

Back on the scope, I saw fur and bits of antler. Tines that seemed to go up and up forever. He’s big. He’s really big. The buck was slowly moving to my left but he wouldn’t be in the clear for a shot for quite a distance in that direction. 8 yards, maybe 10, and he was barely moving. The doe was big, clearly mature, but wasn’t showing the normal caution of a wise old animal. She seemed totally content eating acorns. Good.

The buck, still right at the edge of the thick cover, turned 180 degrees and started heading back to my right. Moving a bit faster now. Taking steps two at a time. Just a few more yards and he’d be visible in a narrow opening between two tree trunks. After the second tree he’d be in the wide open.

It was about that point I became aware that I was shaking pretty badly and needed to calm myself down. I tried taking a couple deep breaths; quietly. Still shaking, I leaned forward and put my right elbow down on the blow down tree that was just beside me. That was a bit better, it gave me something of a stable rest from which to take the shot. Lucky for me I’m a right handed shooter. The buck entered the first opening. It was narrow, not even half the deers body filled the entire gap. I put the crosshairs on his shoulder and began to apply pressure to the trigger.

I started to shake again, bad. The little physical effort of squeezing the trigger had caused me to totally come unglued. My whole body was shivering like I was sitting on a live wire.

Calm Down Now.

The bucks vitals passed out of view behind the second tree. That’s ok, just two more steps and he’s in the clear. Back on the scope.

One… Two…

Crosshairs, meet shoulder. Shoulder, crosshairs. Hold It Together. Steadily apply pressure, don’t yank it. BANG!

The buck staggered back at the shot. For a moment it looked like he was going down; his hind legs gave out and his butt dropped towards the ground but just before he fell he got his legs back under him and stood up straight. Now he was just standing there. He had staggered back behind the same tangle of branches that I could hardly see him through before. I knew right where he was but I just couldn’t see him. Seconds passed. “Is he still there?” I saw his head move. “Yup, still right there.” But I couldn’t find him in the scope for a follow up shot. More seconds passed, I honestly couldn’t tell you how long. It felt like a whole lifetime contained in an instant.

Then he’s staggering again and this time could not find the strength to resist as the earth itself rose up to meet him; the white of his belly signaling defeat as clearly as any flag waved on the battlefield. He dispensed a few last kicks to the leaves, or maybe to the memory of some old adversary as the light behind his eyes flickered and then went out entirely.

 

[Gator89]

Congratulations on some nice bucks, especially the second one.

 

[Railroader]

Hat Tip to a fine and well told tale of success!!



Thanks for spinning that yarn, man. I enjoyed reading it!

 

[ddavis1120]

Awesome hunt!

 

[sea trout]

yes great success congrats!!!!!!!

 

[rugerfan]

Tagging out on bucks on public land is a special thing. I did it last year and it was a great feeling of accomplishment. Congratulations to you and your success this year. This year has been tough for me, I can't buy an antler as of yet, but the season is not over yet.

 

[charlie81]

Great story and deer!

 

[kmckinnie]

Congrats! Great accomplishment !

 

[Philnlucky]

Congrats on first bow buck and great rifle buck!

 

[JROESEL]

Great deer and even better story, nice work

 

[jaydawg]

Great googly moogly! Great hunts and great deer! You are quite the storyteller, I felt like I was there

 

[antharper]

Man what a hunt !!! I had to stop halfway through the second part and get a dip to calm my nerves ! Congrats on a great season ! With a couple trophies to remember it by

 

[antharper]

Great googly moogly! Great hunts and great deer! You are quite the storyteller, I felt like I was there

Awesome storyteller

 

[Otisman]

Wow! Awesome deer and awesome writing. You should write books.

 

[bfriendly]

Woohoo! Woohoo! Thanks for taking us with you full draw! That was a great read! Some awesome bucks too! Congrats on your success and a full freezer!

 

[DSGB]

Great deer and story! Congrats!

 

[NCHillbilly]

Two fine bucks, and a great story!

 

[Whit90]

Great story and great deer! That second one is a big ol boy!!!

 

[DynamicDennis]

Holy G-2's batman