My wife and went to the lease this weekend. I normally have some paid hunters or I'm getting ready for some hunters. This weekend, I didn't have a lot of chores and had some time to hunt.
I have been on this lease off and on for 15 years. In all that time, I have never shot any deer that were not does or culls. I was always happy to let my kids shoot. I got my pleasure watching them. Both of my boys are now grown. One is working in Dallas and the other is in college in Arkansas. They still like to hunt, but do not have much time.
Anyway, I sat at one of my bow stands Sunday morning and saw all the normal suspects. Nothing that needed attention. I decided to go down by the river and rattle some just for fun. I keep my 22-250 in my Polaris for hogs etc. I rattled 3-4 times in different spots and never even took the rifle with me. Rattled in 6 bucks in those spots. The last spot something told me to take the rifle. I was hoping for a mature deer to make another set of rattling horns.
I set up right on the south side of the bank of the river looking across to the north side. There was a small bluff that led down to the river on that side. After rattling for a few minutes, I catch movement above that bluff. I throw my binoculars up and see tall tines and some mass, but do not get a great view because of the brush. The buck hangs up in the brush. I get my gun a little closer just in case and rattle some more. The buck comes out on a full run straight towards me and slams on the brakes just short of the river. I grab my gun, rest my elbows on my knees and take the shot.
The buck stumbles and goes back up the hill into the brush and disappears, but I never see him come out of the top. The adrenaline is really pumping in me now. I mark my spot with some flagging, gather myself and get back to my Polaris where my dog is waiting. It takes awhile to drive down to a place I can cross the river and get as close as I can to where I shot. I turn the dog loose and she finds him right where he went into the brush.
I love rattling!
I have been on this lease off and on for 15 years. In all that time, I have never shot any deer that were not does or culls. I was always happy to let my kids shoot. I got my pleasure watching them. Both of my boys are now grown. One is working in Dallas and the other is in college in Arkansas. They still like to hunt, but do not have much time.
Anyway, I sat at one of my bow stands Sunday morning and saw all the normal suspects. Nothing that needed attention. I decided to go down by the river and rattle some just for fun. I keep my 22-250 in my Polaris for hogs etc. I rattled 3-4 times in different spots and never even took the rifle with me. Rattled in 6 bucks in those spots. The last spot something told me to take the rifle. I was hoping for a mature deer to make another set of rattling horns.
I set up right on the south side of the bank of the river looking across to the north side. There was a small bluff that led down to the river on that side. After rattling for a few minutes, I catch movement above that bluff. I throw my binoculars up and see tall tines and some mass, but do not get a great view because of the brush. The buck hangs up in the brush. I get my gun a little closer just in case and rattle some more. The buck comes out on a full run straight towards me and slams on the brakes just short of the river. I grab my gun, rest my elbows on my knees and take the shot.
The buck stumbles and goes back up the hill into the brush and disappears, but I never see him come out of the top. The adrenaline is really pumping in me now. I mark my spot with some flagging, gather myself and get back to my Polaris where my dog is waiting. It takes awhile to drive down to a place I can cross the river and get as close as I can to where I shot. I turn the dog loose and she finds him right where he went into the brush.
I love rattling!
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