2022 Rifle opener 11-19

[wtnhunt]

Catrina took a week of vacation for hunting the week before Thanksgiving and she has hunted pretty hard. She had the week before scheduled, but state surveyors ended up in her nursing home so she had to push her vacation back a week.  It was going to be down in the low 20's for our opener.  She does not tolerate the cold well. Bought her thermacell rechargeable hand and foot warmers. Bought her good base layers and good cabelas bibs and parka and she still does not like to be out when it drops below freezing. I really wanted for her to go this morning, but she said it was going to be too cold.

We did a little late trimming out of the stand I killed my deer from Wednesday, and while I was working my way to the trail, I noticed on the property behind us that they had put a pop up blind less than 10 yards from our property line, and right on the trail. Needless to say Catrina was more irritated by this than I was. She sat Friday afternoon and saw nothing.

We had gotten pics of this big bodied 8. I thought we had gotten pics of the same 8 that I had passed earlier on but turns out it was 2 different bucks.

Catrina told me on Friday night, if you see that deer tomorrow morning shoot him. With already having killed one, I really wanted her to get this deer. But she said shoot him if you see him, dilemma....

As i was putting on my outer layers I hear the people coming in up the road, their trailer was clanking. Legal shooting light at 6:04, my goal was to be in the stand before them, got in at 5:30. Never heard them ride in with side by side or 4 wheeler though.  If anyone went to that blind, they got in very early.

After I got in the stand I have a deer blowing not far from where their blind is at. Didn't think it was me, but I did make a good bit of noise, between the crunchy leaves and trying to get my boot blankets on.

Just before legal light I hear a deer walking towards me, find it in the binoculars and see it is a doe, I lost her as she angled back away from me. A little later she walks though about 30 yards in front of me as it's getting lighter. Then her fawn comes by. They had been out in front of me here.

She gets to a point to my right and blows and stomps and then continues on. Early on I had grunted, and crossed my mind she was looking for the deer that grunted. After a few minutes she comes back around in front of me. She stopped and starts blowing again.

I hear steps back off to my left and see a good sized body. I pick up my binoculars and am pretty sure it is the 8 from the trail cam pics. Get my gun up and the doe looks straight at me and blows again. Buck is still coming and I pick a spot for my shot. Had my gun up and steadied and he steps in. No go, he is not exactly where I expected and some junk in the way. Doe still standing there and fully expecting her to blow out any second, I know she has me pegged. He is still moving towards the doe and her fawn just slow steady walking, so I pick another opening just past a tree and as his vitals clear I squeezed the trigger. He took off hard after kicking and crashed in the sand on his way before I lost sight of him in thick junk. He hadn't gone far, less than 10 yards from where I last saw him, no more than 30 yards total.

Two bucks down from the same stand in less than 3 days.  I have been very blessed this season.

[Ravin R10 man]

AWESOME WILLIAM!!

THATS A NICE BUCK!

[Strut10]

Great buck, William !!!!!

CONGRATS !!!!!!

[fly]

Great looking 8 point! Would this be the biggest 8 you have taken from your property?

[Gator]

Good looking deer there sir!

 

[wtnhunt]

7 hours ago, fly said:

Would this be the biggest 8 you have taken from your property?

No, don't think so. I am sure he falls somewhere in the top 10 looking at score. I had a funeral to go to and I didn't weigh him, but I would guess he was probably in the top 3 body size for 8 points i have killed in the 30 years I have been hunting my property here.