Well... Everyone who steered me towards the private definitely gave the best advice. I ended up seeing more big mature bucks in 2 fulls days of hunting that I have in most of my life deer hunting in MN. I saw tons of small bucks, a handful of 2.5 year old deer, and two real bruisers.
I ended up shooting a smaller buck, and I kind of regretted it but only because I had a full day left to hunt. It was the first buck I've ever killed with a bow so it felt good to get that out the way, and even though I had time left, I really felt a lot of pressure to have ANY kind of success, especially after a few blunders. All in all, it was a good trip. Good confidence booster to know I can run an out of state trip by myself, and get a deer broke down and packed out by myself. Shout out to Randy's animal break down videos for that.
I gotta talk about my blunders tho because I'll feel a little better about myself if I atleast can get a laugh out of someone. Blunder 1 came when I moved in my pop up blind while I was watching a doe hop around in a field, and I shifted in my blind when she wasn't looking. The second I shifted my weight I heard a hoof stomp and looked straight ahead and there was a mature buck looking straight into the blind at 40 yards. Not sure how I was so enthralled with a doe 60 yards away I missed a trophy buck right infront of me, but I did, and it felt bad. Part of my problem is always second guessing myself and getting down on my set up, so I lose discipline and move around when I should be more ready.
Blunder two was when I bumped a giant buck with a doe out of a bed right next to an abandoned farm house while I was holding a pack of baby wipes. After I got done using the baby wipes about 10 minutes later, I went to go see exactly where the buck was laying. I'm standing there with my phone to text a buddy how bad I am at deer hunting and a different buck starts walking right into where the buck and doe were laying. It walked from 30 yards to about 5 yards right at me like a tame deer about to beg for food, all while I'm trying to put my phone away and clip my release into my bow. I got a cool pic of the deer right in front of me, but I would have much rather been drawing my bow instead. Lesson learned: always stay in the fight, even after a screw up.
The buck I ended up killing almost turned into a blunder even. After taking the shot, I sat in my blind for about 30 minutes. I really wasn't that confident with my shot placement, I thought it might have been a little low and back, so I didn't know what kind of blood to expect. I find my arrow covered in blood, and blood pretty much all over the ground. I could see very easily the direction the buck went and just following the trail about 15 yards I had blood smeared all over my boots and pant legs. I assumed it the shot had to fatal based on the amount of blood, but stayed in stealth mode. After about 75 yards of slow creeping I see the buck, laying on side, head on the ground, completely motionless. I assume the buck to be dead at this point. I walk up to the deer and much to my surprise, he starts to get up and run. I tried to draw my bow back as fast as I couldn't get it drew back an aimed. I quick ran about 30 yards to my left to where the cedars opened up hoping to see the deer and he was just standing there looking back at me. I didn't have time to range it so I just put the 40 yard pin on my squeezed off. The second arrow hit him, he jumped, ran about 20 yards and then gave up. I waited an hour before I went up to him at that point and by the time I did he was deader than 4 in the morning.
Anyways... thanks for reading if you got the end of this and I didn’t proof read any of it so I know it wasn’t an easy read. I don't have many friends who hunt to tell these stories too.
