I was fortunate enough to take this buck on Tuesday the 21st, but the story actually starts on the day before. I hurried home from work to get changed and get in the woods asap knowing that I only had 4 afternoons and one full day of hunting left in the first season. I had been hunting this buck "Boss Hawg" everyday of the season and have trail cam pics from before (see : Blacktail rut? post). My biggest fear was someone shooting him during firearm season. So I'm on my way to the woods, fully dressed and ready when the gas light on my jeep lights up. ^$&$*! I am already aware that I am way too anal about scent and stopping at the gas station in my gear has pissed me off. Get 5 dollars in gas thinking for some reason that the less gas I get the better.....I know right, and rush to the woods. Upon walking to my tree, I'm pretty sure I hear deer about 40 yrds through the brush in front of my stand. I slowly climb to about 15 feet when I see 2 men and a little boy. WTF! I have been told that I am the only person with permission hunt this 5 acres. One guy explains to me, WHILE HIS BUDDY SPITS DIP AT THE FOOT OF MY TREE
, how he used to live nearby and thought the bank forclosed on the land, I explained it wasn't true and pointed him in the direction of the owner, back through the 10 or so NO HUNTING signs, and stomped my way right back home.
I told myself that I would give it a few days to cool off and sit in my tree all day Friday but after sitting at work all day, plus having to stay late Tuesday, I wanted to be in the woods. Again rushing, This time I carried my gear in a trashbag so I could get dressed by the truck and avoid any unforeseen scent issues. I drive the 15 min to where I'm hunting, get out, get dressed, and ..........wait for it.........NO BOOTS!
The swamp like area I'm hunting is not going to work with these flip flops. Back to the house. By the time I get in the woods, its 615 and I might have an hour and a half of shooting light. With it being "pre rut" I put a cotton ball sprayed with doe estrus on a bush, but the short walk to my jeep is down wind and I know he's not coming from the way I came. I sit in the tree for an hour thinking of everything that's wrong with this situation: the guys, the dip spit, being too late, running to my stand, no wonder I haven't even seen my little doe friend that hangs out with me on most afternoons. But like Grandpa told me "It only takes a sec to go from zero to hero". At 720 the wind changed, it must have taken that estrus right down into where he was waking up getting ready for his nightly food run, cause at 725 I hear movement. I know its a deer but I cant see him. I see a doe or two almost every time I hunt in there and just assumed that's whats coming. I stand and turn around, its so thick the deer can get to about 20 yrds before I see them sometimes. So I get my movement out of the way when I hear em coming. Completely calm I'm waiting for a doe when Boss Hawg takes two steps out into the open, points his head to the air, and looks me right in the eyes. I think the shaking started in my ankles because I remember thinking my knocking knees might blow my cover. He takes a few more steps to the 20 yrd bush where my cotton ball is. I go to full draw and make myself take 2 breaths before taking the shoot. In my head "Calm down, Don't screw this up!" I send it, and at first think I hit a little higher then I would want but its in the wheel house for sure. He bolts but piles up 20 yrds from my stand. He went 40 total. I sat down immediately. I have a hunters safety system but I'm not trying to test it out right now and with the adrenalin that was on its way, this was the best idea I'd had all day. After 15 years of bowhunting I was finally experiencing a moment that I've played in my head a million times and only seen on TV. Had to have a little talk with the man upstairs before trying to text my wife while still shaking like crazy. I waited 45 mins before getting down just to make sure. Walk to the spot, NO BLOOD!, what? Thank goodness I know where he is. I walk to the deer to find that the arrow went in from the top and never came out of the bottom. Didn't hit the shoulder, the broadhead was actually inside of the the heart, i took pics. I am defiantly bumping up to 125 grain from now on. If he would of ran anywhere else, I may of never found him. Not one drop. Anyway my wife came to meet me and constantly repeated that as long as we've been together, she's never seen me smile like that.
