As most of you know by now I’m a bit of a deer junkie. My season starts in July with food plots and stand work and keeps on going until the season opens. This year was no different, food plots were in July 22nd. Mother nature put up a bit of a fight, but then she cooperated very nicely with a good mix of rain and sun making some of my best food plots I’ve ever had. Which finally brings us to opening day.
After a nice morning sit with an awesome encounter of a nice 2.5 year old buck, a few pictures were taken but the buck never cleared a cedar tree offering me a shot. So after climbing down, I got out my saw and trimmed the tree out a little better so I could shoot both sides of it ( boy did this move pay off). So with myself being a Sally and whining about the hot weather, I didn’t venture back into the woods for the rest of the weekend. Well actually Sun afternoon we took the truck up and hung a few trail cameras and headed back home to watch the packers. Monday and Tuesday brought days from hell at work. Tuesday evening I made a trip to Joel Nelsons with the water wagon to try to jump start a plot at his place. Wednesday I made another trip to do a little last minute food plotting at Brad’s place (but thats a whole different story in itself I’ll post that sometime over the weekend).
After declining a chance to troll for walleyes on Mille Lacs with Brad on Thursday (also turned out to be a good move) a late night drive for home was made to get a full days work in on Thursday and since Ladyluck had the day off, a plan to hunt Thursday afternoon was made.
After another brutal day at work I got home, hit the shower and headed for the woods. Ladyluck decided to head to the opposite end of the land where we have numerous doe pictures and she hoped to whack one. I picked the same stand up on the ridge that I had sat opening morning. Being as lightly dressed as possible with scent core pants, knee high rubber boots, no shirt, I carried the rest of my clothes to to the top where I would finish dressing (a balmy 78 degrees not quite perfect weather).
The top of the ridge has 2 stands and 2 food plots. I tried to talk Lori into climbing the mountain with me but she opted not too ( bad move of the day). I get to the top, make a quick stop at her plot to check the cudde – 41 pics – sweet! I get dressed and head to my end only 17 pics. Hmmm…. should I go back and hunt her spot? Nope – stick with the plan because I know I have pics of numerous shooter bucks on my end. Turned off the cudde and climbed up into my stand. Wow it’s hot – no breeze – nothing.
Finally the sun started to fall enough to cool things off and it was about 6:30. I slid my savanna scent lok jacket on and waited. Heard a flock of turkeys go by just out of eyesight. As the night went by, I saw a few squirrels as I dodged a few falling acorns. Then all of a sudden… there he is and he’s a shooter! He feeds out into the middle of the biologic maximum plot and now he’s inside of 20 yards quartering at me. I quickly and quietly grab my reezen and click on my release. Come on now…. he just needs to clear the tree… nope… then up comes his head along with his nose in the air (uh oh)…. and he turns to leave. 
I curse the swirling wind and at the same moment I see my chance. I quickly draw, he finally comes clear and at 20 yards stops quartering away. It’s now that I visit the zone… I kind of remember aiming my bow, but the next thing I know my arrow whacks him right in the mid ribs and it exits out the opposite shoulder. I listen to him run down the hill and hear the crash – game over!
I sit down for a few minutes until the shaking stops. Here’s your tip of the day – the easiest way to sit 30 minutes after a shot is to get out your cell phone and call a few (15) friends. 
I head back to the truck where Lori’s waiting for me (this part here is priceless). I set my bow on the tailgate to be greeted by “still have all your arrows I see”. Then it hits 
“that one’s full of blood!” 
“You shot a big buck didn’t you!” 
The search party shows up and we drive up top and followed the blood trail 100 yards to my buck 
. We dragged him down to where we could take some pictures, gutted him (my favorite part) then loaded him in the truck. Since it was so warm, we took him to the registration station then to the locker plant.
I’ll end with this – it is very rewarding to shoot a deer over a food plot that I planted. The hard work will pay off and even if it’s 80 degrees. The deer are still deer and will do what deer do everyday. So even though it’s hot and buggy, you never know when it can happen, so you have to be there. Here are some pics of my buck and me along with the trail camera pics from the week. Thanks everyone for the calls and for the congratulations – just another reason to love this site
Not bad for a “turkey guy” 
What a great buck and a even better story with many lessons learned in it. 
I love it when a plan comes together 
