So we got to the ranch in plenty of time Saturday morning but it was cold and real windy so my expectations were not so high. We dropped off my son at the box blind and headed to the “Indian village” - a clearing in the woods where lots of arrowheads have been found. Charles backed up the (warm) truck up against some tall bushes and we waited for sunrise. I had my binoculars and he had his camera. Right before sun up, I could see an image of a deer in front of us – it’s a buck! I grabbed my binoculars and he grabbed his camera. The buck looked up, saw us moving in the truck and trotted off. I looked to the right and saw does in the woods. They were moving.
I decided to get out of the truck, get my gun out and walk up the road to the open field. I was in full camo head to toe and tried to be as tactical as possible. As I came to the open field, I got off the road and tried to hide behind a small Yaupon tree. Just then, a small doe crossed the road and started feeding about 20 feet from me. I froze and thought she was going to see me, start snorting and barking to alert the other deer but she looked passed me then trotted off unalarmed. I slowly turned around to my left to see two does staring at me. BUSTED! They didn’t sound the alarm either but just turned and walked into the woods.
Thinking I was busted, I sat down up against a tall tree facing the open field and settled down back up against the tree, legs straight out, gun in lap, and gear bag and camera next to me. I sprayed some “Buck Bomb dominant buck” spray about 5 feet in front of me. I thought I would have to sit there for an hour or so to let things settle down. I could see the does deep in the woods to my left and watched them move around. After about 5 minutes, I heard heavy hoof beats from my right trotting at a good pace. I thought, damn here come the cows. When I looked to my right, HOLY CRAP! - Here comes a big heavy 8 point (I think) about 5 feet in front of me headed straight for the does in the woods to my left. There was nothing between him and me but he didn’t even look at me. He stopped dead in this tracks right where I sprayed the Buck Bomb and looked right at me. I couldn’t move but my pants got real warm about then. I clicked the safety knowing he would snort, go about 10 more feet, then turn around to look and see what spooked him. He did just that but when he turned around, I was still trying to get my gun steady on the shooting stick. He snorted again and trotted off into the woods towards the does.
This never works on a big spooked buck but I got my rattling horns and grunt call and tried to entice him back. After about 3 minutes of grunting and rattling, I gave up and started thinking about my plan to hunt him for the evening hunt as it was evident the rut was in full force. So I turned to look to my right and about 15 feet away behind a small tree, there he was looking at me trying to figure out where all the grunting and rattling was coming from and how to get past me to the does before the other buck gets them. He turned and walked behind a dead fall so I made my move. He peaked up from the dead fall and BOOM! (Well, bang! It was a .243). I saw another big buck Saturday night and another big 8 point Sunday morning. But taking this buck was way more exciting!
