elknut
New member
I had just about given up on filling my buck tag this year when it dawned on me......ask Santa for a buck for Christmas!
It was Christmas Eve and I found myself walking to my stand just as I have for the last 10 years. Since I live a few hours away from this property my buddy, who lives 5 miles away from the property, does alot of scouting and setting stands for me (it's a blessing having good friends). He had moved a stand after Thanksgiving to an area we had discussed at length about earlier in the the year. As I climbed up in the stand I knew this location was a good one. I had only been standing there for 1/2 an hour when I heard the soft crunching of hooves on frosted snow. I strained my eyes trying to see the deer through the brush that I knew was coming my way. Finally it materialized and I could see that it was a fawn. The young buck walked by on the east side of the tree on one of the trails at 6 yards. Less than a minute after hanging my bow back up I again heard the crunching of hooves only this time it was more hooves and moving a bit faster. I grabbed my bow just in time to see 2 bucks coming my way on the same trail that the fawn had taken. I should add that this trail, as it comes out of the brush, forks just on the south side of the tree and goes on the east and west sides of the tree at about 6 or 7 yards. A smart man would have assumed that these bucks were going to take the same trail as the fawn and positioned himself accordingly. Nope, I was facing west and watched the lead buck walk the trail right up to the south side of the tree and then take the east trail! Fortunately for me the buck hesitated and gave me the 2 or 3 precious seconds I needed to turn around, clip my release and draw my bow. Just as I drew he started moving again so I gave a quick and aggressive grunt and he slammed on the brakes. It took only a fraction of a second to send the arrow. At 6 yards I did not catch the flight of the arrow and as I watched him run away from me and into the brush I started to wonder if I had hit him at all. I glassed the trail and could not see my arrow and was really starting to worry until I heard a loud crash in the brush where he had disappeared. I did also eventually find my arrow with the binos. The vains had been ripped off so the blood-soaked black arrow blended in quite well with the low brush and weeds.
I climbed down, put the arrow back in the quiver and started following the blood trail which could have been followed at a dead run. 70 yards later I put my hands on him.
Moral of the story......make your list, check it twice and make sure you're nice.
It was Christmas Eve and I found myself walking to my stand just as I have for the last 10 years. Since I live a few hours away from this property my buddy, who lives 5 miles away from the property, does alot of scouting and setting stands for me (it's a blessing having good friends). He had moved a stand after Thanksgiving to an area we had discussed at length about earlier in the the year. As I climbed up in the stand I knew this location was a good one. I had only been standing there for 1/2 an hour when I heard the soft crunching of hooves on frosted snow. I strained my eyes trying to see the deer through the brush that I knew was coming my way. Finally it materialized and I could see that it was a fawn. The young buck walked by on the east side of the tree on one of the trails at 6 yards. Less than a minute after hanging my bow back up I again heard the crunching of hooves only this time it was more hooves and moving a bit faster. I grabbed my bow just in time to see 2 bucks coming my way on the same trail that the fawn had taken. I should add that this trail, as it comes out of the brush, forks just on the south side of the tree and goes on the east and west sides of the tree at about 6 or 7 yards. A smart man would have assumed that these bucks were going to take the same trail as the fawn and positioned himself accordingly. Nope, I was facing west and watched the lead buck walk the trail right up to the south side of the tree and then take the east trail! Fortunately for me the buck hesitated and gave me the 2 or 3 precious seconds I needed to turn around, clip my release and draw my bow. Just as I drew he started moving again so I gave a quick and aggressive grunt and he slammed on the brakes. It took only a fraction of a second to send the arrow. At 6 yards I did not catch the flight of the arrow and as I watched him run away from me and into the brush I started to wonder if I had hit him at all. I glassed the trail and could not see my arrow and was really starting to worry until I heard a loud crash in the brush where he had disappeared. I did also eventually find my arrow with the binos. The vains had been ripped off so the blood-soaked black arrow blended in quite well with the low brush and weeds.
I climbed down, put the arrow back in the quiver and started following the blood trail which could have been followed at a dead run. 70 yards later I put my hands on him.
Moral of the story......make your list, check it twice and make sure you're nice.
