Post Season Scouting Encounter


Rhino

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A few weeks ago I was in MO loosing stands, pulling some stands, & getting in a little post season scouting in. We had closed on 2 new properties on 12/14 last year totaling ~459 ac. that adjoined the property we already had so I wanted to burn some boot leather on it. I had moved a ladder for my son to bowhunt the beginning of Jan. on this property hunting over several worn out trails through the snow. For obvious reasons I didn't walk out the trails at the time. This was my opportunity to do it. It's ~11:00 now & I was ~50 yards from the stand when a group of ~10 does & fawns busted me across a bottom & they went W. I froze watching them & started scanning the area cathching more movement E of me so I slowly ease up to the shady side of a tree next to me. This buck appears ~40 yards away looking around.

Buck_No_14_Winged_G4_s_10_002_R.jpg

Buck_No_14_Winged_G4_s_10_005_R.jpg

Very cool with the sun shinning off his bone white rack. I was surprised both sides were still intact. He stood there scanning the area for ~15 minutes checking out what the noise was along with some turkeys that were milling around behind him. He decides the coast is clear & proceeds to ease along toward me. 1st chance I had I went to 1 knee when his head went behind a tree. Just inside the 15 yard line he angles toward the SW. Cool! At ~10 yards he notices the lump on the ground by the tree. The stare down begins. ~15 seconds later he does an about face & trots off then stops to check me out again at ~30 yards before easing off. Very cool encounter and very nice to know he'll be around & a year older next season.

BTW...found another great bowstand spot on the new property ~400 yards S of where I got these pics cutting off a hub of trails going to a large crop field. I already have a stand on the spot where I got the pics. I also got pics of another 3 mature bucks there that to the best of my knowledge made it through the season too. Needless to say...looking forward to next year!

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Cool when you have encounters like that Al, and great he will be around for this upcoming season. Look forward to seeing tc pics leading up this season. Never had quite that nice a buck close to me on the ground, but the deer I have had within 5-10 yards while on the ground sure got the ticker going even out of deer season.

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