Missed Again

[gstoneberg]

I should be posting a success picture, but I didn't do a good enough job brushing in the ground blind that I put up.



I was going after the big 11 pointer and he did come in, but it was still too dark.  Not sure why, but the trail cam never took a picture of him in the dark.  I watched him feed in the moonlight for awhile - not knowing if it was him.  It gradually got light but instead of shooting him before I was sure it was him I got fixated on watching for horns.  About the time I caught the glint of antler he spotted the ground blind.  As soon as he turned to face me I could see it was him.  From that point on he never turned broadside but did the deer bob and weave before running off, then coming back only to stand about 40 yards out and stare.  A set of does came in without fawns and they seemed to ignore the ground blind for the most part, but something spooked them and they bolted.  They weren't 20 yards out when another buck came in.  He also was spooky and turned to leave immediately.  I got a quick shot off, but as is my custom out of pop-up blinds, I shot over him.  I'm as bad out of pop-ups as I am out of a tree stand.   It was just as well as he had jumped forward and it would have been an ugly hit.  The trail cam captured him, but the picture quality is poor with the sun just over the trees behind him.  Not sure why we put the trail cam on that side?



It was a great morning of hunting.  If I'd put up the ground blind 2 weeks ago, the last time I hunted, so the deer would have had time to get acclimated the outcome might have been different.  Even if I'd spent another 30 minutes cutting more cedar and mesquite and brushed it in better things might've been different.  The question in my mind of how well a flint head would go through shoot-through netting is now answered...no problem.  One of the other lease guys will hunt that spot next weekend with a wheelie bow.  Maybe his boy will get that big one.  Sure will be a beautiful trophy.  Here's the last good picture I got of him off the trail cam.
 


George

[youngbowyer]

At least you got a shot out George! those are some nice bucks. I had a 6 ptr come in yesterday but no shot. Sat in the stand all day and didn't see anything except for one doe 60 yards away. You got some big bucks on your lease!

[Cameroo]

Sounds like a successful hunt to me George   

[JW_Halverson]

Check out the headlamps on that raccoon!  They light up everything around the feeder!

Nice buck, George.  Glad you let him go so he will be bigger next year.   

[crooketarrow]

  Just being that close to a mature bucks is awesome a thing very few people know the filling.
  If you leave that blind in place they'll get use to it. I use to guide and but by blinds right out in the open. Never though mature bucks would walk by one but they do. I've glassed dozzens of mature bucks walk right by tractors or wagons etc.
   THE TRICK IS TIME

[gstoneberg]

You're right CA, I've hunted this buck for 3 years and it is the first and only time I've seen him in person.  If history repeats, I won't see him again.  I had legal light and could have shot him before I could make out the rack and knew it was him, but I'd hunted him so long I wanted to actually be sure...and it cost me.  It's silly too, as I would shoot any deer with the selfbow.  I don't know if this buck will get any bigger.  I've watched him for 3 years and he was an 11pt the first time I saw him.  He's as least 5.5 this year but could be even older.  His g4s are actually shorter this year than last.  He does have more mass this season and the g2s and g3s are taller so perhaps there's more antler in him if he goes another year.  Wouldn't bother me at all if his seed was spread again this fall.  We have an 9pt with the same extra point between the left g1 and g2 that I'm sure is related. 

It was a great hunt.  Truth be told I'm not very sad I missed the younger buck, would have rather ventilated one of the does since I didn't get a shot at the big guy.  As always, they were just a step from me launching an arrow when they bolted.  Still don't know what spooked them, I was a statue inside the ground blind and downwind.

Tom, hope you get a good shot real soon.

George

[crooketarrow]

  He looks at least 5 1/2 and he is nice. That other buck looks like he's only 2,he'll be a brute also in a couple years. I always pass on  untill there 3 1/2 here. I know it's hard to do when likely you'll never see him again. But when I see pic's or glass bucks like your buck. You just have to keep tell ing yourself It could happen.
  Use'lly to someoe else in my cases.

[gstoneberg]

When I have archery gear in hand, everything's a trophy.  While I'd rather shoot a doe than a young buck, I pretty much take what comes.  I used to fancy myself a trophy hunter, but no more.  Takes the fun out of it for me.  If I were hunting alone on a property it might be different.

George