This year's deer hunt started off with great optimism, since for several weeks prior to opener, I was getting on average 400 pics per day on my two trail cameras. There was countless numbers of does and fawns, several small bucks and 3 big bucks. And of course few non-target species showed their faces as well. With several tags to fill this year, I was fairly confident we could have a good year.
A few nuissance animals
The bucks I'm after.
The season started off great with 2 deer taken on the first night. A doe and a small 4 point buck. Satisfied with having some great meat for the freezer, I decided that from that point on, I would hold off for the big bucks. This decision made this one of the most interesting and exciting hunts of my life.
Throughout the rest of the week, I passed on over a dozen deer, both does and bucks. I learned so much about how they react to each other, to the environment, and also how they react to my calls. Most of the time, I had deer within 10-20 yards all around me. To stay undetected felt amazing. I really made an effort to conceal my scent this year, and I think it really paid off.
Here is one of many deer that I passed on waiting for the big buck. I was surprised I could get the camera out and snap some pictures without alerting her at all.
This is where I spent my week.
Late in the week one morning, while checking our trail cams we cam upon big buck tracks and a massive scrape. The big one was back in the area!! With all the does around, I was surprised he had even left. I knew that seeing this buck during the day was going to be a tough task. So that afternoon I decided to try a new tactic. I had bought antler rattles in a bag last year, but never used them. It was time to put them to the test.
I got to the stand with the hope of luring in the big one, and after my first short rattle session, I though I scared everything within a 2 km radius away. lol But within minutes I hear sticks breaking and leaves crunching. Then, out comes this little 4 pointer. Trots right up to my stand with what looks like no worries in the world. He circles around the area for a while, eats a few apples then was on his way. I continued my rattling sessions for about 30 seconds at about every 30 minutes. I'd also throw in a few grunts mixed in. The rest of the afternoon was too quiet, I though that maybe the rattling wasnt such a good idea. But with about half hour of daylight left, I gave it one last shot. Then once again, I hear a deer coming in, and coming in fast. I though for sure that it was that 4 pointer again, but raised my gun anyways. The next thing I saw were antlers coming through the brush. Without hesitation, the buck that I had waited for all week came straight for me. He must have got a whiff of me cause at about 30 yards he stopped dead, put his nose as high as we could. I didnt hesitate and took him right there. The shot couldnt have been place better; the only piece of wasted meat was the heart.
My father looks happier than me in this one.
All in all I had a great time. Hunting and fishing are one of the few things I do with my father, so it was great to be able to spend the week doing what we love.
I also though I'd share a bit of advice regarding safety. My cousin had setup a ground blind to hunt out of and this year we have a couple windy days. One morning when getting to his blind, this is what he found. A large tree nearly flattened his blind. Could have been closer, could have been in it... So always lookout for these hazards when setting up.
Good luck and stay safe!
