Yesterday was a heck of a day in the deer woods. I setup in a lone wolf stand on the edge of a doe bedding area and sure enough at first light had some does enter the mill around for awhile before bedding. I could see them bedded from my stand. Then an hour later two crossgun hunters come through on my right. I was between the bedded does and these two guys. They were talking and laughing and the. Decided to build a ground blind. They never knew I was in a tree forty yards away from them and that the deer were bedded under 100 yards from them. I was beyond frustrated but it was interesting to see how the deer reacted. They could hear them but were not budging from their bedding area.
Eventually the guys left and as soon as they were gone the does all got up and began milling around before bedding again.
Movement to my right revealed a buck with one half of his rack broken off. He looked to be a three year old. I wished I could see the buck that broke him off and I got my wish later in the day! The half rack moved off without ever finding the does.
After thinking about the situation I realized I needed to move. I figured if a buck came in and started harassing the does that there was little chance the does would lead him to me after all the disturbance from the crossgunners. I decided to try to take my stand and sticks down as quietly as possible to avoid blowing the does out and move around to the other side of the bedding area on a slightly off wind. There is a creek crossing over there leading to a good funnel.
I managed to get over there and get setup without blowing out the nearby bedded does. At around five o'clock I saw movement in the funnel and was shocked to see a giant buck scent checking. He was a main frame 5x5 that would go in the upper 160's plus a bunch of stickers.
Sometimes in whitetail hunting things happen that are almost too much to believe. From where he was standing in the funnel I would have bet everything that he was gonna walk right to me. When he went to cross the creek instead of using the easy creek crossing right in front of me he chose to go down a super steep twenty foot bank and he fell in the creek! He made his way into the doe bedding area and got the does on their feet and started harassing them. Eventually they moved off and I figured he was out of my life!
Next a doe came from another direction. She offered me a 15 yard broadside shot. Since I figured the big guy was long gone and I need the meat I took the shot and got a deflection! I don't know if I've ever used the deflection excuse but my arrow never touched her. By now my nerves were shot. The doe trotted off a little ways and I heard footsteps coming from my right. It was the big one making a bee line for the doe I just shot at! I was losing it. I felt I was going to get a shot at him but I did not know if I could keep it together because I was a frazzled mess! He moved toward the doe and stopped thirty five yards broadside and began fiercely rubbing a tree and then snapped it in half! The top half of the tree was stuck in his antlers and he became irate trying to get it out! He threw the branch and then furiously dug a scrape so deep I thought he was digging a grave. Now all of a sudden I hear another deer coming. It was the half rack buck I saw in the morning. I knew I was gonna get a show. The big buck wheezed at him and then immediately attacked him. It was the most violent buck fight I have ever seen and for a second or two I thought the big one would surely kill the half rack. The half rack made it out alive but he was bleeding badly and his eye on the side he was missing an antler was now punctured! The big one continued to rub and scrape and then walked off after the doe until I could no longer see him. I had him at thirty five yards twice!
Good luck to the next encounter with him.
Wow Jon! Incredibly cool. I need to take you up on your hunt offer one if these days! I hope u get that big boy soon!
YIKES! I would have messed my pants!
Wild Kingdom! Sounds like a great hunt you will never forget.
Wow! Sounds like you're in the right area. Persistence willl likely get you another chance at him. Good luck!
Great memory Jon.
That would have made for some awesome video.
Keep at it Jon! Good Luck. I will send some pics from KS next week.
Stay on`m. I look forward to some pics of dead deer.RC
Stay with that big boy. This thread needs to end with you holding those antlers.
When you kill this dude jon what are you going to call him ??? How bout " Gravedigger " ??? Bout spit my sweet tea across the room when you said he "dug a scrape as deep as a grave "... :laughing:
>>instead of using the easy creek crossing right in front of me he chose to go down a super steep twenty foot bank and he fell in the creek<<
The big boys don't do anything predictable. I guess that's how they get to be big boys. :)
Just spotting a big deer keeps me motivated when things get slow.
NoCams that is perfect! Think I'll call him Gravedigger!
Cool story! Looks like you are into some decent deer again this year!
Great stuff.
CK
Thanks for sharing! Only in archery season!
Now you have a goal. Go get him...
God Bless,
Nathan
Good luck Jon,I hope to see some pics of you with that bruiser!
Man this story had me pumped up just reading about him...Reminds me of what "Romney did to Obama on the first debate" Gravedigger is a good name for him or Brutus! Sounds like he kicked butt on "Mr. crippled buck"... :deadhorse:
That had to be a real show!!! :jumper: :jumper:
That sounds like an awesome hunt.Just seeing a 160 class deer in CT would be cause for celebration.Good Luck
Wow,thats sumpthin you dream about but very rarely get to see. You were blessed dude. Maybe next time a great shot senerio will follow. Good luck. Thanks for sharing. :thumbsup:
now thats deer huntin! :thumbsup:
Thanks for sharing that great story
WOW, what an awesome experience Jon!!! Thanks for sharing it. Look forward to seing the pictures and hearing the stories when you put your tag on Gravedigger!
Jon, that sounds like a cool day in the woods. I hope you get the big one before the season is over!
Nice, good luck getting him. You are right, you never know what some deer will do.
Wow, what an awesome day in the woods. If you hadn't moved your stand, you would have missed that show. The rut is just cranking up, and I have a hunch you'll have another encounter with him!
Bernie Bjorklund
NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin
Sounds boring!!
Jon, good luck! What an encouter! It is the Whitetail's unpredictability that keeps us all going back out into the Deer woods each year!
It really was a great night. One of my best days in the deer woods. Lots of action/buck behavior that you often read about but very rarely get to see! I'm plotting and scheming now. I'll be back after him tomorrow.
Good luck!! He won't leave those does you found the 2 AM club!
Cool story, thanks for sharing and good luck with him in future hunts
Pretty neat stuff! I've seen bucks spar and get a little rowdy before, but never seen two big ones lock up and go full-on like that. That must have been a sight. I did have a bruiser come by me once, on the trail of a hot doe with a small 6 point in tow. The big guy suddenly stopped spun around with the hair bristled on his neck, and gave him a loud snort-wheeze. The little guy didn't want any part of that and took off like a scalded cat. First time I had experienced a snort- wheeze.
Go get him Jon! Or send him over to my part of Illinois.
Cool story, thanks for sharing and good luck with him in future hunts
Good luck!!
Jon thats what is so neat about the rut you never know what will happen from one minute to the next, you had a great day and thats what its really all about, good luck and keep the faith my brother of the bow, it will happen.
Can't wait to see the pix of him when you get him!
What a blessing to just see a deer that big.
chris <><
That's a great day in the whitetail woods! It's been a while since I've seen a fight from the treestand...what a cool thing to witness!
That was an intense story!! I'm headin to Ill tomorrow for 5 days of hunting . Thanks for getting me pumped.