Perfect conditions, but came out empty handed. (Story)

[Hillbilly]

You talk about the best conditons to hunt in and coming out empty handed. Lots of does up and moving every morning and not seeing any bucks behind them. Is the Indiana rut already over. I think a lot of the does have been bred already!

November 15th Indiana Gun Season opener.

We got set up right beside where the deer were moving from food plot to bedding area. We had monster rubs and big scrapes about 50 yrds down wind of our position, the morning was long and rainy. It was about 38 degrees the whole time. We finally got to see two does at 11:00am. They came in on one of many trails, then slowly walked toward the bedding area. After the moved off these two twin button bucks which have been seen together all year came in and this is where it got interesting. This particular button buck came in and just walked right to the blind. I cannot believe I got deer fever on a button buck, but I did. He came in checking the wind and looking through our blind window. He would pick up a couple of akerns and then look at us, it took him 15 minutes to pass our blind. He got within 6 yards of our blind when it was all over. The other button buck watched his curious brother and came in very cautious. He didn't know what to do, but he suddenly picked off my cameraman. Gil (cameraman) moved at the wrong time and set the buck off. He slowly put his white flag up and slowly walked off. He never blew or busted us. We sat there another 2 hrs and called it a morning.

November 15th Afternoon/Evening Hunt.

This time we moved the blind to another part of the woods, this place was incredible, we were blended in very well. Like the morning hunt it was late in the hunt when they started to move. Right around 5:30pm a 1 1/2 year old doe came in. She kept looking behind her and bleated a couple times, we heard a loud grunt behind us. I gave a couple of grunts as well. Then we heard the twigs snapping and seen the buck. He was probably a tall rack 9 pointer. He looked really good but didn't get him on video. He stood his ground and never came out to give us a shot. Now the year and half doe came walking our way, yet another encounter with a deer in the Ameristep Outhouse Blind. This doe came within 10 yards and slowly put her tail up and walked behind us. We heard the deer over the hill and the buck was grunting at her. The buck was probably a 3 1/2 year old. Huge body and from little of what I saw he had long brow tines and good mass.

November 16th Morning Hunt.

We kept the blind there and hope that the mature 9pt would come back. We got into the blind this morning and within 5 minutes heard bleating and grunting coming from behind us. I slowly turned to look to my left, Gil looked to his right. Gil said they on his side heading toward the pond. You could hear the grunting and bleating for a little while. We are on a private lease ground and with public land to our north we hear lots of gun shots. We really thought the deer would come our way, but it was a slow morning, had only 4 does come in. I was going to take a doe, but didn't want to mess this place up. This location will produce a big buck this year. To many rubs and scrapes.

I have to go back to work and will not be able to hunt until the first week of December. Hopefully Indiana will get some snow by then, hit the second rut. Like my subject says the conditions was perfect, cold, not lot of wind, but the deer just didn't show up like we though they would. But hey!!! Thats hunting!!

Thanks for reading!!