Late season buck, still rutting

[lokidog]

So I went out this morning, had a neighbor walking his dog scoot a deer under my treestand at 7:06, too dark to tell if it was a buck.  Sat two more hours and nothing.

Went out at 3, put a few apples in two spots near my stand, had a face off at 30 yards with a doe and fawn but they just crossed the road and pretty much ignored me.  Set up my stand, moved my seat position and waited.  I was in a 22" diameter fir that was definitely swaying in the wind, luckily no rain.  At about ten to four, the aforementioned doe and fawn came in from the road, ate one bunch of apples, wandered through the thick stuff about 10 yards away, saw that the fawn was a nubbin buck.  They proceeded to the main trail I was watching and ate my other "ya better stop here" apples.  Kept on her with the scope picking spots to shoot (if I was going to) that would try to drop her in her tracks (I hate chasing deer).  She wandered back into the woods and ended up two feet away from my ladder and proceeded to sniff around and look right up at me (I'm thinking, I should have had my facemask) but I don't move.  She looks away and wanders off behind me.  By now, it's starting to get kind of dark in the trees, though still forty minutes of shooting time left.  Out of nowhere, there is a deer at 15 yards, woohoo, I see nice sized antlers (we pretty much only get forks here).  Get the gun up but he is in the brush and moving away from me.  I can tell he will cross my shooting lane if he continues on but then he turns a little sideways, wish I had lowered the magnification all the way to three instead of 5....  He stopped, I'm no longer thinking about best angle to drop him in his tracks, just want to get a shot, get on shoulder, boom!  He drops in his tracks!   4:21 

Wait a couple of minutes, lower the gun, check on him, cool, he's nice, go to get my wife for pics and to help get him in the truck.  Come back about 15 minutes later, take some pics... hey honey, "look behind you you, the doe came back."  Oh, it's a buck, "try to get a photo."  It's only 5 yards away in the bushes.  It circles around us, not too concerned until the third flash.  He starts to scoot, I grab the camera, move toward him and bleet, he stops for just long enough to get a pic of his head.

Fun evening, think I can talk my wife into gutting him for me?  I guess I'd better get out there.  Hey, I can try my Butt Out tool that a buddy got me last year....

I know where I'll have a stand next year!   Hopefully I can get permission again as I just got access this year two days ago. Maybe I'll let my wife archery hunt it, if she's really nice to me. Oh yeah, she's always nice to me!   

[runamuk]

very nice...... now you better get to gutting

[Snowman]

Nice little buck congrats!

[Woodchuck]

very nice, good luck with getting the wife to gut him 

[weathergirl]

Not tonight, dear.  I have a headache. 

[Track-er]

Nice story and a good job getting your deer.


                                  Mike

[jason4429]

Congrats.I went out with the wife today and didn't see anything ,maybe tommorow

[Schmalzfam]

Nice job:) Sounds like a fun day!

[Buckmark]

 

[Wacenturion]

Congratulations.

[lokidog]

Thanks to all, could not get her to gut it, she did help me hang it though....