On November 1st, I got a picture of a really nice 8 point at a scrape. These scrapes have been worked and reworked each year for at least two years now. So this year, I decided to place a camera there. So far, so good. This buck posed on the 1st (Monday morning) at around 8:30 am - well into good shooting light. He didn't stick around long but one picture was good enough to see that he knew where that scrape was. I got a NW wind like I was hoping yesterday (4th) morning, so I drove up there and walked upwind to the scrape. As I got about 100 yards from it, I took my time testing the wind to see which side of this trail I should get off on. I was going to sit on the ground on a stool and I wanted to hunt this main trail going to and from the scrape. Seemed too easy.
Sure enough at about 7:30 I heard a twig snap - and then another. All of a sudden a huge commotion erupted as I heard a deer chasing another one and all at once he belches this huge growl at the doe. I was facing pretty much straight north and they were to my left or to the west of me, headed slightly behind me. I think the doe caught my wind and began to blow three or four times. I got nervous and saw the buck leap two times or so away and to the north. I reached in my pocket and grabbed the Primos Can Call and flipped it quickly. The buck snort-wheezed at me and then slowly worked his way up to the scrape. He came into the scrape from the west side and through the low light I saw my flash go off through the willows. So close! I got three pictures of him. I got into position assuming he was going to now take the trail I was set up on to get back with his doe. Nope. He went back around to my west and eventually I heard nothing. Silence. I sat there after hearing nothing for another half hour. I got up quietly and kept my arrow nocked and walked up to the scrape to see the pictures of what buck this was. I thought it might be one of a few bucks, with the possibility of an unknown buck. Sure enough it was this big 8 I got the one picture of on the 1st. He gave me three nice photos to try to piece the puzzle together. Unfortunately, this is a puzzle that I won't be attempting to solve until after rifle season... if he survives.
I walked back to my truck and was packing up my stuff when I looked to the south and there on the shoulder of the road was a big bodied deer. I scrambled for my binoculars but as I got them in my hands he darted down the ditch to the east. Gone. A little more the puzzle.
Afterwards, I checked some cameras, moved some cameras, and moved a stand. I should be fairly well-situated for the opening of rifle season tomorrow morning. It's crazy that it's here already. Bow hunting was awesome this year. We got to see lots of good bucks and even have some close encounters while in tree. If I get the opportunity, I will be shooting something in the 120 and up range. I need the deer to be four years old. That is my personal management strategy. I also need to buy a bonus tag and shoot a doe. Done and done.
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