Buck down despite windy Saturday! (pics)


ChrisSeb53

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Saturday was windy with microbursts that I swear had to be 70 mph at least! However, I was just crazy enough to climb into the stand.I woke up Saturday morning to my buzzer going off and the wind howling outside of my window. Needless to say, I hit the snooze and decided to catch up on some much needed sleep. I had been out two times prior and had not seen anything, so I decided I was going to change my stand location. On my way out of the woods with my summit on my back I ran into another hunter traveling down the road I had my car parked on (private property I was hunting for the first time this year). He had hunted this property for several years now and pretty much has these deer patterned now. We got to talking and I told him that I wanted to kill a doe. "Hop into my truck", he told me, "I will show you where to go." I jumped into his truck and we both drove down the dirt road to a large food plot that sloped to a hilltop. We drove to the top of the plot and he told me I could either use the stand that he already put up there or go to another spot located along the edge of the field about 200 yards away from his stand location with my stand. I elected to hang my stand at the other location along the edge of the field. "I am not just putting you up here to kill a doe, I also think you have a good chance of killing a nice buck I saw up here yesterday evening", he told me. "If you do kill a doe, sit tight and wait until dark, you may see him come out."He dropped me off at my car and i drove up the road and got out of my car and got dressed for the evening hunt. It was now about 3:00 as a grabbed my gear and started to head across the field to my stand. I got to my climber and started up the tree. When I got to the height I wanted to be at i took out my bow hanger and began to screw it into the tree when I fumbled it and dropped it out of the tree. So, I climbed back down and got my hanger and climbed back up the tree and proceeded to screw in my bow hanger. I then went to pull my bow up into the tree when i realized the rope hoist had tangled around my arrows on the first descent to get my hanger. I pulled on the hoist and my arrows popped off of my quiver making me have to climb down the tree again with my stand to put them back onto the quiver and un-tangle my hoist. As I was climbing the tree with my stand the second time I looked out into the field and a doe and two fawns had already been out into the field and feeding towards me about 60 yards away (it was so windy they didn't see or hear me this whole time). So I proceeded to climb the tree as quietly as possible. When I was finally up in the tree for the final time I was soaked in sweat! "Great", I thought, "just my luck."So I sat there, watching more and more deer pile into the field. All of them just out of reach about 60-70 yards away. "Just come a little further this way!" But none of them would.After about 2 hours of swaying in the stand and holding on for dear life during some STRONG micro bursts, 4:50 PM rolled around. I was so keyed in on a group of does in front of me I did not notice the new group of deer that had come into the field behind me. I looked at that group, which like the rest, were just out of range. So I turned my attention once again to the group in front me of. Glancing back one more time I saw him and my eyes got wide! He had appeared out of nowhere! Good tines and spread on a big bodied deer. I knew then that he was an older deer and a shooter! I ranged him once. 50 yards. "That is a little far" I thought to myself. He trotted about 30 yards forward, parallel to my stand. I ranged him again 50 yards. (I am comfortable shooting out to 50 as my max). "Alright", I thought, "if the wind dies down I am going to take him." I drew my bow and realized my Scent-Lok mask was in my way. So I let down and pulled my mask down. I also took this opportunity to calm myself down a little before drawing my bow again. I anchored, centered my peep, looked at my level and aimed. The wind died down to almost non-existent a,d i released. (He was quartering away). WHACK. I heard the arrow connect and he turned and ran. I looked for my hit as he ran. The red spot was high and a little far back but I had angled the arrow up through to the lungs and liver. He ran to the field edge and did the ol' wobble and fell over. I had just killed my first buck with a bow and my biggest buck to date! Then I really got shook up. I called home and the property owner and then got the heck out of that tree!I didn't score him but I would say he is about 3.5 yrs old and may go 115-120. He carries 8 points and i would say he is 17 or 18 inches inside. A good PA buck. As for me, I am still all smiles. :D

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see that's what hunting's supposed to be about; another hunter just wanting to see a fellow hunter shoot a nice buck. i've learned to sort things out and have a system. certain things go in the same pockets every time. when i climb up a tree with my summit i have everything in the same pocket and do everything in steps the same way. all leading up to me sitting down in my stand, ready and waiting. there's no hang ups or forgetting to do something.

...that's a great buck regardless of what it's shot with. Congrats!

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Congrats. There is nothing like a nice clean 8. Also you need to thank that hunter that helped you out.

Yes sir! Thanking Mike (the guy that helped me out) was first on my priority list. I also told him I would be more than willing to go out and help him scout, hang stands, etc. I still think that the good Lord was saying "Now go ahead and take the shot." when the wind died down to practically nothing. What an experience and connection! Also, thanks everyone for the congrats and words of encouragement!

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Don't feel to bad about having to climb up and down the tree several times because your not the only one that has had to do it. I was headed to my climber once, had a long walk and was sweating very bad by the time I got to my tree. I was rifle hunting and realized that I left my rope to pull my gun up in the truck. I went on and put my stand on the tree and started to climb. When I got to the height I wanted to be I sat down to take a breather and cool off. I sat there probably 10 minutes hanging my bag on the tree and getting settled in. Started watching for deer and got to thinking I am missing something lol. Got to looking and realized that I didn't have my gun. I looked down and saw it was leaning against a tree on the ground. So yea I have had to do the climbing up and down before also. Great story and good job.

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