To say those bucks where worked up this weekend would be a understatement. Dont think I have ever got to witness the bucks so hot on does as this past weekend. This was just north of Mille lacs by about 10 miles.
Started out early opening morning with two does busting me in the stand. The hung out for a few minutes staring me down, stomping their feet and generally giving me the old stink eye before wandering off. 5 minutes later here come the 1st buck charging up following exactly where these does where. No shot and he is gone following the does trail.
Next is another buck coming threw on the doe trail but think he winded me and never came into range. 10 minutes later here come two 6 points threw on the does trail. I blasted the second one with a lung shot.
While watching him off in the distance lay down and die here come a 8 point. He is in full trot, tail up, nose to the doe trail, tongue sticking out and huffing. Have heard of bucks picking up scent on their tongues but this is the first ever seeing it. Very cool. he stops 70′ broad side in front of my stand. Biggest deer I have ever had a chance to shot but had told my son I would not shoot his deer for him. He goes by. two more bucks come by and telling my self I need to get out of here because this is just to much temptation and something is going to get shot.
Have never seen so many bucks come into the presence of two does. Usually its maybe one or two that show up but this was the way the entire weekend went. Sunday I was walking out to the back ridge to sit in my lawn chair and red the paper. Spook up two does and I stop on the trail to see if they will circle back. Nope, but here comes another 8 point nose to the ground right over to where they where bedded. He circles this area for the next 10 minutes 50 yards out, 50 yards back about 6 times before heading into the swamp.
So I hold on this guy hoping he may come back up one more time and he does not. But another buck does right on the tail of a hot doe. Across behind me they go. Circle back down into the swamp and then right back up again. By this time Ive had enough and go chase my son out of the house. It was noon on sunday and he still hadnt left the house. He jumps up in my uncles stand that was right off the trail there. I pick up my stuff and keep on with my plan of sitting in my chair on the back ridge. Im only a 100 yards down the trail and Jonathan lets a single shot loose. Turn around and I can still see him in the stand. That last buck had circled back again looking for his doe with not a care to what was going around there. Jonathan tells me he got to the top of the stand, turned around and shot that deer. One shot threw the heart.
Those bucks where nuts on those does this weekend in this area. Ive hunted a long time and know all the stories about the rut. To get to witness some of this first hand was very neat. For me in the past its usually you might see a single buck wondering in following a doe trail and then move off. This will be a year we talk about for a long time.
Here is Jonathan posing for his mug shot with the pair of 6 points we shot.
