10.21.07 Deer Hunting Video Encounter

I only sat once this past weekend. It was Sunday morning down at the Honey Hole. The day started as the alarm went off @ 3:15 am. I got all the Pheasant and Deer gear loaded up the night previous so al I had to do is wake up through the dog in the truck and start my scent free morning ritual. I left the house right at 4 am and made my way down to the Honey Hole at 6:05 am as I left Rufus to sleep in while I got dressed and headed out to the stand.

I called both my brother and Stacie’s brother and they were both busy as I wanted another hunter so I could cover both locations we have stands set up on. Thus covering more ground looking for the buck I have been searching for. They were both busy so I had to make the stand decision as I got dressed. As I felt a stiff North wind that felt very chilly, but a good wind to hunt the same stand I had some great encounters last weekend. This stand is a spot on a spot for deer as two ridges come together right on the edge of woods, CRP, and this year a cornfield. Last weekend I saw good movement and had some good encounters, so this is where I chose to sit again.

I got settled in with plenty of time, as I took a quick cat nap. The action started fast as right at first light I had a doe and fawn come through my shooting lanes. About 15 minutes later I heard footsteps again. This time from the same way the does vacaeted the area. I could see him coming up the draw from the right. Yep, I said HIM. The buck had caught my attention as I picked a glimpse of some decent horns in the low light from the overcast conditions. He came through the same shooting lanes as the does @17 yards. With the help of my Nikons I was able to see he was a 5×5 that I might have trial cam pictures of. This was not the buck I was looking for. He now was skirting the wood edge going away form me until making a hard left and coming out into the CRP where he passed by again. This time he came through my shooting lane @ 28 yards. He still had my attention as I was excited about the encounter, but knew that I had to pass on him. As he was headed away from me, I hit the Grunt tube 2times. He stopped looked back and gingerly spun around and moseyed his way towards my stand. However he stopped to work a tree over. At this point I put down my bow and picked up my camera. I actually took about 3 minutes of video of him but due to the low light conditions of the overcast sky, my little digital camera lense size and light gathering ability, much of it was real poor and grainy. I have edited the footage down to 2 videos due to video host’s ability to hold only so much MB. After he worked the tree over good he came to my stand. I mean right to my stand, within spitting distance. He stopped and was looking hard for the buck that grunted at him and finally moved again to the other side of the tree and stopped again. He caught my movement and looked right at me from point blank and could not figure me out. He then began to look again for the buck that had trash talked to him. It was a great encounter, that I was lucky enough to get some video footage of. I just wish Stacie would have been with me as she would have taken a poke at that buck. I guessed him @ 2.5 years old. He is a 5×5 barely as both G4’s are just round and inch or so. He has decent width and nice main beams. I guessed him to gross right around 110-115” or so. I had one more encounter that morning with a doe and 2 fawns that worked their way through the bottom of the draw below me. Click on the links below to see some of the footage of the buck that morning.

Click Here for 1st Half of Buck Encounter

Click Here for 2nd Half of Buck Encounter

I just hope he visits that tree often this Fall so Stacie can get a crack at him, or that he make it to next year as he could be pushing 140“es next year. Like I said in previous reports. This farm just seems to get better with time and I can not wait for next year and just hope Stacie and I can sneak away for a day down there during the RUT and just prior to the Slug season. As I have a date with Mr. Big down there. I figure I need to get down there before SLUG season, because he is a marked man down there and I know many will be doing whatever they can to get a shot at him. So hope I can drop the hammer first. Well I’m off the rest of the week from bow hunting as this weekend Stacie, Rufus and I will be heading to SD for a Rooster hunt. I will be back in action on hopefully Monday for some Pre Rut activities. Good Luck to everyone as the Rut fast approached the big boys will be up and searching in a matter of no time.