Vacation...it is what I dream about. No palm trees or cool drinks in the shade, but a week off to hunt whitetails around home. I pine for it every year and most years I get at least a 4 or 5 day stretch to get after rutted up midwest bucks.
So, finishing up my week at work was torturous. Getting reports from my buddy Dave was tough as he was doing some major sits and seeing some bucks on their feet. All I could do was keep my head down and check the Weather Channel hourly.
Finally Friday hit and it was on. I had a couple of farms with permission granted and my own modest spread. The sign had picked up in the form of big rubs, aggressive ones in travel corridors. I personally believe this is a great sign that their levels are up and can be bartered with if you say the right things.
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/imagejpg2-22.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/imagejpg2-22.jpg.html)
*Agression
This is going to be good..
:campfire:
This isn't just a post is it? What happened?
Keep after 'em Mike!
Nisch
I'm in , good luck brother...
,,,Sam,,
So Friday afternoon I get to the woods...work troubles behind. I do a hang and sit in a tree that is such a solid producer during November it gets a name of "The Oak Flat". I have killed a couple of P&Y bucks out of it as well as a few does for the freezer in the late season. My Lone Wolf was up and I was in the saddle by 2:00.
At 4 pm I hear raking and know it is the unmistakable sound of a buck taking out his frustrations on the world. This set is a NW wind set and he was upwind and apparently darn close. I couldn't have thought up a better situation than a buck upwind, by himself and frustrated. This time of year, when I think there is major breeding and tending, I hug as close as I can to bedding cover and doe family groups. I don't hunt scrapes, although a hot scrape as the breeding is dying down can be magic and other than rubs telling me testosterone levels are way up, I ignore them. Bedding, does, Mid-November...always. Sorta.
So back to our buck: he is rubbing and I hear him pawing leaves for a scrape somewhere in there. It's on. After a few minutes of me peering into the abyss of thick honeysuckle I cry uncle and give him a couple of soft grunts. Nothing. Silence, except for a blue Jay that tells me something is there. Finally I see a rack then a body...yeah, he'll do. Standing at 50 yards or so across the creek I see his body language and it is indifferent. He scratches his ear, looks my way, starts to cross the creek then changes his mind. He is frozen for 10 minutes and I am going mad.
:bigsmyl: :bigsmyl: :bigsmyl:
The buck was a great deer that I did not know, and while he is torturing me I thought about that a bit. I have trail cameras going year round on this place and others. My buddy Sheltoncreeker does a far better job of that than me and has an encyclopedic knowledge of the bucks we have between his farm, my farm, and the farms we have permission to hunt. He shares that information with me like a brother would, and I couldn't remember this buck. Wide and tall, standing there with a double throat patch as an added delight not coming and not going. Clever.
With my bow in hand, feet set and wind in my face I gave him the next move. Almost on cue he loses interest and starts to walk away. Almost out of site I snort wheeze and he stops and turns around. This is it...until a quick wind change. I feel it and can't believe it. From my face to my neck in a quick blast and just like that he bolts for safer seas, leaving me cursing the wind and the luck. I text Dave and tell him. "Sucks man." Yep, sucks indeed.
The rest of the night I felt the NW wind never waver and I told myself it wasn't meant to be. I apologized to the wind and to God for losing it with both of them, and thought about tomorrow. Total change in wind direction. East winds. Yuk. We have predominant NW winds,in November, especially with a cold front. All of my ladder and lone wolf hooks are set for either straight south, straight west or NW winds. I rarely figure in East it is so rare. I'd better start thinking about that. Oh well, tomorrow is another day...
No it wasn't. It wasn't any other day as I sit and type this, and it wasn't when I planned the hunt as I laid down to sleep. I didn't know it then but a wind change would force me to think outside the box a little, get after it some, and realize a dream along the way :campfire:
A Master Storyteller at work. :thumbsup:
Agreed Joe.....looking forward to each post!
Bring it home Mike D!
Up early with more than a few things on my mind, I consulted the great oracle that is the hourly wind directions from the Weather Channel. That site should be outlawed. It's addiction for the bowhunter is like a stimulant. Still East, but starting out SouthEast. I had one set that fit it and I had a guest here to think about. One of my oldest friends and mentors, an ER doc 25 years my senior (like saying that) and all around good guy trusts me to put him on whitetails here and I trust him on his home turf of Kentucky. We swap hunts, swap lies and partake in a little brown libation when we succeed as a ritual. My friend Mike and another Jack Paluh spend 5 days with me every fall. This fall Jack tore his biceps tendon a week before our time together, and I missed him a great deal. So this am it was Mikes stand and I knew it was a good place. He hunts with an alternate weapon and other than saying it was the right call as he found success, I'll leave it there.
I myself had a spot in mind, but it was iffy. I'd have to either hunt from a stand I'd have to hang or hunt from the ground. I know walking all the way back to the backside of the farm would be tough, potentially busting out all of my opportunities, so I elect to go for broke and ground pound it. Well, not really. I had an ambush in mind as I had been there before. Last October in this same ambush I had missed a whopper of an 8 point starting a cascade of confidence loss, a change to a lefty stance and back. It had been a long road since I last tried this spot, but the demons had been cast and I had killed a great buck on Thanksgiving last year. Having found myself since then on turkeys, a few coyotes and a doe the first day of November, It felt good to slip into the darkness with a steady Southeast wind in my face.
Arriving at the spot I turned my red headlamp on to organize my gear: Waldrop packseat down, leaning on a gum tree with a downed tree to my left as an obstacle to approaching deer so that they'd have to walk upwind from me to enter the field. I had dressed light for the walk in and had brought the Heater Body Suit. This was an all-day sit and I wanted no excuses. Heck I purposely ate light the night before and had no coffee this am so I wouldn't need to see a man about a horse :)
Honeysuckle around me as a back drop, I could look to the field edge, back down into a thicket of native grass and to my left a bottom of thick saplings. A pond nearby as a potential draw and the not so perfect wind to help. I like "almost wrong" winds when hunting on the ground. I believe it was Uncle Barry in his book "Once Upon a Tine" that said he'd rather hunt an almost wrong wind as a right wind because of the confidence it gives a buck traveling. For me on the ground I like almost wrong with some type of obstacle: a creek, a downed tree, a pond bank, etc giving me something else for them to have to walk around to stay out of my wind but remain confident, especially if I am trying to call them to me.
I zipped up my Ghilli and put my facemask on then zipped up the body suit. It reminds me of the jackets you see in pro football that covers pads when it is cold. The Frozen Tundra...no, this is So. Illinois and although a chilly 22 degrees it was overkill. I still stayed in it though. Pretty dang toasty!
Enjoying the read!
:campfire:
:bigsmyl:
:coffee:
So at first light I hear running from the east. It is too dark to even think about shooting so I set up to look. It's coming right for me on a dead run. Holy crap it's going to run into me here in this seat! I come out of the pillow of warmth, sit forward and actually wave my arms to get from being blindsided by a rutted up middle-linebacker. I snicker out loud when a large coyote puts on the breaks at 8 feet with a look on it's face that it has screwed up royally! It bounds off after a half-hearted "wuff". My heart rate returns to normal and I zip back up. Guess my setup is good...now if a buck would work that well.
At 7:00 a doe and a rag horn come through: she annoyed and he aroused. A steady stream of grunts as they neared right to the end of the log at 12 yards and into the field. No attention to me as I sat with bow in hand and ready. It was a test I was glad to pass. It's working!
At 7:20 I get a text from Mike, success on a buck both Dave and I knew well. Bittersweet. That's honest and real. Proud for him but know that Sheltoncreeker and I both hunted that deer hard. Meant to be...
At 7:45 I am glassing the thicket to the north and BAM there he is! Whipping a tree, tearing into a nearby scrape then nose on the ground walking my way. He is nice, a heavy beamed older 8 point. I KNOW this deer...he and I have been here before. Same deer from last year: an arrow over his back, me asking why, him having another year to get bigger, me having another year to get my feces coagulated. It's on! This is going to happen...
:coffee:
Come on bro, sure would like to get him on the ground before Sunday school! :dunno:
"me having another year to get my feces coagulated."
Thats some good stuff right there! Why am I always sipping coffee when I read these things?
Go on...loving this!
At about the time he was to choose his path I noticed that glazed eye look and realized he was on a doe and not the one that came past me. At 100 yards or so he starts to veer. I grunted at him and as a last ditch effort I tried a little rattling sequence. He treated me like I wasn't there and kept on his course at 50 yards.
Dejected. That's the word here. Almost in horse shoes again. Well it was the rut and I had this here sleeping bag, some water, and a couple of Snickers. It is the rut and I'll be here all week...I wouldn't have to wait long :campfire:
At 8:00 I look into the field and see two younger bucks get after it. The noise they make is unreal! Crack!!!! Sounds like someone hitting ice with a sledgehammer. Who needs my horns? These guys are doing it for me. I dared not fish my phone out to take some pics as they were 50 yards to the east.
Just haphazardly when there was a break in the action from their sparring I glassed into the thicket and watched one of the coolest things ever: A giant whitetail buck work an overhead branch and freshening a scrape that I had forgotten was there. I didn't know what to do. Like most times I probably did a little much. I grunted once, just loud enough to hear. This got him locked on me hard. From 100 yards out he stared a hole in me. Wrong move. The lesson from yesterday didn't pay off. Abraham Lincoln said "it is better to be thought a fool than to open ones mouth and erase all doubt." I am a fool...
Except on cue my buddies in the field cracked horns, just once but enough to distract my friend and send him on a different vector. Away from me but close enough for me. At 50 yards the 6 point wheezed at his friend. He was closer to me and thus my giant friend worked a little closer.
I eased out of my sleeping bag and sat forward in the Waldrop with my bow in my hand. He closed the distance to 25 with some junk in the way. He changed directions again and started walking away. This time I did the right thing and gave him a quick wheeze directed behind me past the gum tree in hopes he would come past me. It worked well...too well.
He gets to the end of the blowdown at 12 yards and I am seeing my shot develop. Right into the field broadside. Nope he turns and walks right at me. 10 yards, 8 yards...
Mike,
Great story telling..!..Can't wait for round two!
It sounds like it's going to be a GREAT week!
Thanks for taking us along. :campfire:
:pray:
:pray:
Ahh man this is Great .... :campfire:
So at 8 yards I decide a frontal is all I have. I'll be honest, I hate this shot but at that range I would have taken it if I could have gotten drawn. Luckily he bailed me out and just turned to the left as I was drawing. I remember telling myself "full draw" as in tight moments I tend to shorten up a bit. I have amnesia in regards to anchor or release but I remember the fletching disappearing tight behind the shoulder!
In a flash he is bolting downhill plowing over saplings and honeysuckle alike. The last 20 that I saw him as he was plowing the earth with his nose. I couldn't believe that just happened!!!
:campfire:
I waited for a bit to take up the trail even though I heard his last cough and a crash. I didn't do a thing for a few minutes but just sit there and shake. I prayed and thanked God for the opportunity to hunt these wonderful critters. I gathered my gear for a few minutes more to stall than anything. Just as I did the two scrappers came over to investigate the ruckus. I eased back down into my chair and just enjoyed these two middleweights circle each other and posture. Pretty cool!
I ease to the impact site at a whopping 8 yards from my seat and find the first evidence:
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/imagejpg1-32.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/imagejpg1-32.jpg.html)
*Frontside shoulder snapped it
I eased the way he came with my gear on my back and panicked a little. I walked a little circle and found a scuff mark. Right beside it was some little fingers pointing the way:
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/imagejpg1-35.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/imagejpg1-35.jpg.html)
*Pointers
After awhile the blood picks up. It turns into a Stevie Wonder...I could have felt my way through this one. At about 50 yards I find this, and the blood starts pouring. Frothy, heavy, oxygenated foam.
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/imagejpg3-15.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/imagejpg3-15.jpg.html)
*Fronthalf Meathead
I knew it wouldn't be long now. I took my time to savor this a bit. How many tough trails have I had. Just this year tracking Sheltoncreekers Big Buck, my friend Donnie's and even my coyotes have been a chore. Not this one, not today. Today we are walking a crimson road, a thing of pure beauty.
YESSS! Great story!
Awesome story brother....cant wait for the pics!!
I neared a small creek and could tell by the sign he crossed it. Looking like maybe he was losing it some as he tried to climb the bank and a wad of froth now frozen to a root shown up from the ground. I peeked over the bank to see him laying there, quite still. I watched for a few seconds then looked to the heavens. I always get emotional like this and for a brief few seconds I just let the heavens know how thankful I was. No shame in that, ever.
I climbed out and became the first human to touch this deer. I thanked him and let him know he is feeding my family. I again took a few minutes to let it soak in. I took an in situ pic and sent it to Dave. "I did it man!" Can you believe it? I put my leg tag on him and just left him. I wanted my wife there and started walking home. I left the kids at home and got to soak it up some with the apple of my eye. She sees how hard this is, appreciates my effort and loves deer meat. Wait until she sees this...more meat than you can can in a day :)
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/imagejpg4-13.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/imagejpg4-13.jpg.html)
*In situ
WOW! So pumped for you Mike.. you deserve everything you're blessed with!! Thanks for taking us along..
What a great story, Mike! He's a massive buck...at least in my neck of the woods! Congratulations!
Kenny :thumbsup: :clapper: :clapper:
Wow, well done Mike! :clapper:
Congrats again my friend! One day I'll make it out to hunt with you, if only to hear your story telling. Well done on all accounts!
Field dressing chores with my wife's help and a drag to where I could get him into the Ranger that she fetched for us. I took some time for a little ritual and washed my hands in the creek.
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/imagejpg1-36.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/imagejpg1-36.jpg.html)
*Handy
We got him back home for the kids to see and took some photos. I donned my Ghilli for the camera as I wanted to remember this...yeah, like I'd forget :)
Here are a few other photos. He is my second best buck ever, a 6 by 6 with a kicker, and the best bow buck of my life. He will adorn a spot in my memory room and my 80 year old great-uncle is coming out of retirement to help me with taxidermy work. Nothing like having a total neophyte (me) and a master taxidermist with 60 years of experience to guide him :) It'll be his mount and me doing the fleshing work...I can't wait!
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/imagejpg1-34.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/imagejpg1-34.jpg.html)
*Lucky sweater
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/imagejpg1-33.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/imagejpg1-33.jpg.html)
* Ghilli
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/imagejpg2-23.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/imagejpg2-23.jpg.html)
*Truck ride
So that's it! I have 5 days off and will be super selective from now on. My wife has a few honey-do's as well.
Finally, equipment. Talltines Dshaped longbow, 64", 57 pounds at 30", Trad Only 300s with a 50 grain brass insert, 190 gr Tuffhead with a 100 gr steel adapter with a total arrow weight of 677 gr. A lot of front loaded power for a passthrough on an animal that live weighs 250 or better.
Thanks for reading my tale. Time to check the wind and think about the evening sit :campfire:
WOW!!! Did you kill that deer from the ground without a blind? Amazing!!!
Congrats again Brother! That is just an incredible deer, and I couldn't be happier for you.
Great story, great shot, great animal. I like the fact that you showed respect to the deer, I feel some people forget to do that. I also like that you shot him from the ground. Having never shot a deer from a tree I know that it may be a bit more difficult but not impossible and it adds to the experience. Thanks for sharing. Dave
Fantastic story, thanks for taking me along the ride!
Getting plans together for an Ohio hunt next year, fueling the fire for sure!
What a great buck, really makes me miss the midwest as the elk arent talking anymore!
Way to go brother....thats a big ol boy!! I really enjoyed the story...and ur pics are awesome. Congrats all the way around!!
Awesome sir! Simply awesome! :notworthy: Oh! That buck is ok too... :clapper:
Mike you are the Man.Good job what a deer. :wavey: :notworthy:
What an awesome buck and fantastic story! Congratulations - you're a great story teller! :clapper:
Bernie
Congrats Mike! What a beautiful buck and a wonderful job storytelling !!!! :bigsmyl:
congrats Mike!
Firstclass story and a Firstclass ending Mike CONGRATS on a Brute of a buck!!!!
Congrats and thanks for sharing!!!
Excellent!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Congrats on a great buck! Great story too.
Great story and great deer!!!
Congrats and God bless,
Rodd
Now that is a toad , I need to get up in y'alls part of the world and chase some of those big body whitetail. Great story , super nice deer , nice bow , Congrats sir you are living right...
,,,,Sam,,,
Excellent :thumbsup
Wow, what a hunt and massive buck. Congrats Mike!
How does that ghilli/Heater Body Suit combo work? I've been loving my Heater sit this fall. Never thought it could work with a ghilli.
How does that ghilli/Heater Body Suit combo work? I've been loving my Heater sit this fall. Never thought it could work with a ghilli.
Wow he's a dandy. Congrats
Great buck !!!
You have received a great gift there and I loved that you showed your appreciation to our maker. I can only dream of bucks like that one. Thank you very much for taking us on such a great adventure.
Great story and a great buck. Congrats :clapper: :
Man you tell it like it is, like I was sitting right next to you watching the whole thing :thumbsup:
:campfire:
Wow! What a great story and awesome buck! Thanks for taking the time to share with us :thumbsup:
Steve
Fantastic story and what a heck of a buck! Congratulations! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :clapper:
Way cool Mike!!!!!!
Michael, that is awesome! Thanks for sharing! I needed a story like this! Great buck and I love your bow!
Congratulations! Thanks for sharing and great storytelling.
Wow what a buck, congrats!!
Outstanding, Mike! Congratulations! Great read, too. Thanks for bringing us along.
Wow!!! Absolutely awesome, awesome buck. Congrats to you.
Great buck and great storytelling, Mike!
So happy for you brother!! Awesome story telling, and an incredible buck!!!
Not a more deserving brother of the bow :notworthy:
That is an awesome buck, Mike!
Great write up too!
Congrats,
Bisch
Way to go Mike!! Wow what a buck! What a hunt off the ground in one of them silly suits!! amazing!
couldn't have happened to a nicer guy!
Fantastic story! Congrats on a great animal!
wow! great buck!
Mike--awesome deer and hunt. Now...come on spring!
what a stud!! Congrats on the kill!
Nice!
D.P.
Thank you everyone! I love hunting the rut...I missed a giant bodied 10 point this morning. Deflection, clean miss thank goodness.
Keep after it guys. Still some good hunting left for a lot of us :campfire:
Congratulations Mike! That's a beauty. I'm sure you'll savor the hunt as much as the meals everytime you have him for dinner.
OH MY! NICE just doesn't say enough, way to go
Congrats Mike a truly awesome buck and appreciate remembering the creator in your endeavors.
Is that a Marc Anthony Grille? DO you wear the pant also or just used the top?
Congrats on such a great buck! :clapper:
What a great animal and read along!! Congrats Brother
WOW, what a story, what a buck! Especially from the ground!
:notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:
A pleasure to read, thanks for taking us along on the hunt. Beautiful buck as well.
Beautiful Buck Mike. I bet you'll stop beating yourself up for shooting a doe in November now...
Man that's just awesome!
:clapper:
-Jay
Mighty fine ... that is a whopper and you are a master story teller.
CONGRATS :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Congrats Again brother.
Awesome man! When I'm catching up on some threads I will look ahead at the deer and then go back and read the story. Your story telling was so engaging... I had started in the middle but actually went back and read from the start before allowing myself the pleasure of the pics... it was worth the wait! Awesome story... Incredible buck! Thanks for taking us along!
great story, great buck, congrats !!
Very nice! :notworthy: :notworthy:
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/imagejpg1-37.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/imagejpg1-37.jpg.html)
Got him caped and had my 12 year old hold it. Time for a special mount as I think I won't be killing another one like this anytime soon.
Next month I will head to Tennessee for my Great-Uncles and we will doing the taxi work together...me fleshing and tanning, him the heavy lifting. Thanks for all the nice comments! Good luck to you guys the rest of the way :campfire:
Wow, great deer and great story, thanks for sharing.
Awesome story awesome buck man
Super nice buck and a great story,Congrats. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
You are one great bowhunter Mike! Congratulations again!
Loved hearing the full version of this hunt. I want to hear it again in bear camp.
good lord what a buck. way to go.
Thank you all again! The guns started going off today for a 3 day stretch and the rut lightbulb is dwindling. I have a 4 day weekend starting Thansgiving...can't wait :campfire:
Mike, I wish I was closer to help you out as well, or just sit back and watch you guys work. Take some pix along the way bud....
Mike you are gifted with two talents that go hand and hand. You are a great hunter and also a great story teller . CONGRATULATIONS!
By the way ! Nice hat! LOL
Thanks for posting
Joe, many thanks. I used your broadheads for the first time this year. The bloodtrails were awesome...if you are keeping score: 4 coyotes, a big 'ol nanny doe and this "thing". I am looking forward to more "blind-man" blood trails :saywhat:
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/imagejpg2-23.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/imagejpg2-23.jpg.html)