The Lucky Buck!

BoonDock

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Well, this has been my best season to date with my 2nd buck in the 120's. I got permission to hunt a farm last week, and had checked it out from the road and knew I needed S, SW, or W wind to hunt it. Stayed out of there until I got a SW wind tonight. Got there about 2:30 with climber and rifle in hand, first time I'd had boots on the ground. I started in through a fallow field with 3 large ponds to the South. The ponds dump off into a swamp head that I'm assuming is the bedding area. I decided to find a tree to climb that I could see the pinch point on the back side of the ponds and into the fallow field, and be upwind of the bedding area. Once I found my tree, I trimmed my way up and got settled in. After getting to about 30ft, I was very excited about my spot. I could see a very nice "community" scrape under a holly about 80 yards from me. I call this style scrape a community scrape because in my experience, when there are 4-5 scrapes in a circle around a holly, it's a melting pot of bucks that visit. Fast forward to 5:20 and I haven't seen a deer. Pretty discouraged considering rut in full swing, wind is perfect, and I'm on a farm that hadn't been hunted this year. I do as I always do this time of evening, I get out my binos. I've seen more deer than I can count through binos at dusk that the naked eye would've never seen. As I'm scanning, I catch a glimpse of him easing up out of the swamp head to the South. Coming in upwind, good to go. He was in thick cover, but heading to my holly so I sat still and let him work. It's getting pretty dark at this point and I'm fairly certain I'm going to have to shoot this buck at 80-100 yards with my scope dialed all the way back. He finally makes it to the holly, and I couldn't help but wait for the shot so I could see him throw his horns up and paw the ground. I appreciated the moment, and at last light I shot him quartering to hard. Shot felt good, and I heard him take off. I got down, called several buddies saying it wasn't the best shot situation, but I felt good about it. Took me about 20 minutes to find him, not a spot of blood that I could find. Sometimes, a climber and some good instincts can get it done!

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sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
That's makes you feel like you know what you're doing when you kill a good one the first time you step on the property.
 

FishHunt

Old Mossy Horns
Congrats, that's a good looking buck. I am pretty sure of where the bottom picture was taken. Getting some summer sausage and snack stick made?

<>< Fish
 

BoonDock

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Congrats, that's a good looking buck. I am pretty sure of where the bottom picture was taken. Getting some summer sausage and snack stick made?

<>< Fish

Man, they're the best over there! That summer sausage is out of this world. I didn't have anyone else to hold the phone, so they helped me out!
 

FishHunt

Old Mossy Horns
Man, they're the best over there! That summer sausage is out of this world. I didn't have anyone else to hold the phone, so they helped me out!

Rick & Keith are the best and are super friendly. I don't think I've been down there without learning something.

<>< Fish
 

BoonDock

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Thanks to the guys over at Wildlife Processors! They did an excellent job on my euro mount as well as the meat. Their smoked sausage is some of the best I've ever had. Been a good season!

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