The Midwest bucks r on their feet during daylight!!! I have seen 2 bucks wandering around at 11 am, crossing busy roads today & yesterday. This morning, this buck snuck in on me & I missed a 20 yd chip shot. 
Then I grunted him back to 25 yds. I thought that the 2nd shot missed but I actually grazed his back. He spun around & smelled either the arrow in the ground or his own hair on the ground. He snorted & starting trotting off. I stopped him w a mouth bleat at 30 yds & finally made a good shot. I saw the arrow in him as he ran off w his tail down. But I didn't hear a crash. Just as I was getting down, here comes a guy on a 4-wheeler to cut wood. He was friendly but insistent on cutting wood. So I headed for the impact site to look for sign. As I was scanning the area for blood etc, I spot the buck bedded but very alertly watching me. So I backed out & asked the woodcutter to wait 20 mins so I could try to get another arrow in the buck. I snuck down the logging road. The buck was only 30 yds off the trail. Just as I drew back to shoot, he bolted. But he was stumbling as he went. So I backed out & called a friend to come help. We decided to come back after lunch to look for the buck. I took a diff trail back to my vehicle to look for sign if the buck crossed that trail. Nothing. As I entered the cut cornfield I scanned it to see if the buck entered the field. Suddenly there he lay 20 ft to my left, just inside the woods, DEAD !!!
Even though its not my biggest, this is a special deer for me. The owner of this property allows open access for hunting & recreation & its just off city limits. Its very crowded & the game is very spooky & sparse. But its 1 mile from home. I mainly goose & turkey hunt the property. Always midweek. This is only the 2nd deer that I taken on this property in 18 yrs.
Then I grunted him back to 25 yds. I thought that the 2nd shot missed but I actually grazed his back. He spun around & smelled either the arrow in the ground or his own hair on the ground. He snorted & starting trotting off. I stopped him w a mouth bleat at 30 yds & finally made a good shot. I saw the arrow in him as he ran off w his tail down. But I didn't hear a crash. Just as I was getting down, here comes a guy on a 4-wheeler to cut wood. He was friendly but insistent on cutting wood. So I headed for the impact site to look for sign. As I was scanning the area for blood etc, I spot the buck bedded but very alertly watching me. So I backed out & asked the woodcutter to wait 20 mins so I could try to get another arrow in the buck. I snuck down the logging road. The buck was only 30 yds off the trail. Just as I drew back to shoot, he bolted. But he was stumbling as he went. So I backed out & called a friend to come help. We decided to come back after lunch to look for the buck. I took a diff trail back to my vehicle to look for sign if the buck crossed that trail. Nothing. As I entered the cut cornfield I scanned it to see if the buck entered the field. Suddenly there he lay 20 ft to my left, just inside the woods, DEAD !!!Even though its not my biggest, this is a special deer for me. The owner of this property allows open access for hunting & recreation & its just off city limits. Its very crowded & the game is very spooky & sparse. But its 1 mile from home. I mainly goose & turkey hunt the property. Always midweek. This is only the 2nd deer that I taken on this property in 18 yrs.
