The good Lord has blessed my family so much recently. I want to make sure he gets the credit for all things: He created the majesty of nature, He has kept my family safe and healthy, He has allowed our family to prosper. Most importantly, He sent his son Jesus Christ to live a perfect life, to be crucified, then resurrected. Thank you Lord for the gift of eternal life and for your grace and for your mercy. It’s time to spread the “Good News” and along the way we can share a few hunting stories as well.
Here is my little hunting story…. I've had just a handful of pictures of this deer on camera, very, very sporadically, only in the morning time and only one or two pics of him every ten days or so. But, since seeing him for the first time on camera, he immediately became my only focus for this season. Since opening day, I have been trying to figure him out. I tried hunting his scrape line, moving stands around, sneaking in super early, hunting mid-day. Finally, last Saturday morning, I saw him in person at 60yards. He was on the scrape line and I got a great view of him walking away, but after seeing him in person, he passed being my focus and became my obsession.
I had planned a month and a half ago to go with a buddy down to his lease in Freer this past weekend. This is a place I took javelina last year, and a really fun place to take does, hogs, and maybe another javi. But it also was one less morning hunt I would get, plus the gun season was starting and I know it does dramatically change the deer movement and behavior. I was lucky enough to take a doe and a roaster pig down south and was headed back to Burnet by 10am yesterday morning. I got home, spent some time with the girls, weed-eated the yard, then looked at the clock...3:50. If I hurry, I can get to the stand by 4:20. I hopped in shower, threw on some clothes, and drove out to our family land. My brother, who gun hunts and was going out to hunt anyway, asked me if I wanted him to drop me off, I said “absolutely.” Knowing that I was hunting an area where a big deer frequented was exciting, but I also knew that the buck I was after had never been at that feeder in the evenings according to trail cams. The evening would not disappoint.
Feeder threw at 4:55. Within a few minutes, a young 8 and 4 doe slowly head in. I had a strong 9-10mph SSE wind and of course the smart old doe makes her long circle around to check the wind and gets almost to where I think she could smell me. Then she just stops and stands there for a few minutes. A couple of the other doe moved in to eat, but only on the edge of the corn, very noncommittal to the feeder itself. Then after about 10 minutes all five of them leave, on a trot. I had no other activity until about sunset, when 3 does come back from the same direction they had left 30 minutes before. They came straight in and ate. Then a young 7 shows up and starts eating, all are deer extremely unconcerned about anything other than eating corn. I look up and at about 200 yards I see a huge bodied deer with its nose to the ground making rounds trying to pick up scent. As soon as he threw his head up to look around, I knew he was the one I was after. The only question was would the doe he was following come to my feeder. Sure enough the doe was out in front of him by about 75 yards and was heading my way. She got into about 50 yards then the young 7 point started smelling her and heading her way, taking her away from the feeder and any shot opportunity. But as luck would have hit, the old big boy wanted a snack, to fuel up, before his chase and methodically strolled into the corn. I was losing light fast and hoped he would come into my window quickly. He was broadside for a second, so I drew, but he walked directly behind a cedar next to the feeder. I had to let down, but the strong wind helped muffle the sound. The couple of doe feeding around did not hear or see me either. I took a couple deep breaths and tried to calm down. He ate a few bites of corn then reversed course right back into the direction of the open spot. I drew when I saw him take the first move past the cedar and he stopped right in the open turned and looked away. I settled my pin, exhaled, and let an arrow fly…
He took off back the direction he had come with an arrow sticking out of both sides. At about 75 yards, I saw the lumenok and arrow come out. I watched him haul out of sight but knew that it was a good shot and that he wouldn't go far. I was shaking uncontrollably at this point and let my bow down out of the tree, climbed down, and tried to catch my composure. I decided to give at least 30 minutes, just to be sure. So I slowly walk out the back way and head back to my brother's house. I texted him that I wanted to wait a few minutes and get a glass of water to try to calm my nerves. We waited about 30 mins, then drove back down to my feeder, started track at my broken arrow and immediately picked up a good brood trail. After a 150 yard but relatively easy track there he laid. He was a tough critter, and had the will to live. Crazy the spot we found him was within 20 yards of where I found my 22” wide buck a couple of years ago. I got to high five my brother, I tagged him, and we loaded up the beast. He was by far the heaviest deer we have ever taken off of the place. Sorry for the long read.
Here is my little hunting story…. I've had just a handful of pictures of this deer on camera, very, very sporadically, only in the morning time and only one or two pics of him every ten days or so. But, since seeing him for the first time on camera, he immediately became my only focus for this season. Since opening day, I have been trying to figure him out. I tried hunting his scrape line, moving stands around, sneaking in super early, hunting mid-day. Finally, last Saturday morning, I saw him in person at 60yards. He was on the scrape line and I got a great view of him walking away, but after seeing him in person, he passed being my focus and became my obsession.
I had planned a month and a half ago to go with a buddy down to his lease in Freer this past weekend. This is a place I took javelina last year, and a really fun place to take does, hogs, and maybe another javi. But it also was one less morning hunt I would get, plus the gun season was starting and I know it does dramatically change the deer movement and behavior. I was lucky enough to take a doe and a roaster pig down south and was headed back to Burnet by 10am yesterday morning. I got home, spent some time with the girls, weed-eated the yard, then looked at the clock...3:50. If I hurry, I can get to the stand by 4:20. I hopped in shower, threw on some clothes, and drove out to our family land. My brother, who gun hunts and was going out to hunt anyway, asked me if I wanted him to drop me off, I said “absolutely.” Knowing that I was hunting an area where a big deer frequented was exciting, but I also knew that the buck I was after had never been at that feeder in the evenings according to trail cams. The evening would not disappoint.
Feeder threw at 4:55. Within a few minutes, a young 8 and 4 doe slowly head in. I had a strong 9-10mph SSE wind and of course the smart old doe makes her long circle around to check the wind and gets almost to where I think she could smell me. Then she just stops and stands there for a few minutes. A couple of the other doe moved in to eat, but only on the edge of the corn, very noncommittal to the feeder itself. Then after about 10 minutes all five of them leave, on a trot. I had no other activity until about sunset, when 3 does come back from the same direction they had left 30 minutes before. They came straight in and ate. Then a young 7 shows up and starts eating, all are deer extremely unconcerned about anything other than eating corn. I look up and at about 200 yards I see a huge bodied deer with its nose to the ground making rounds trying to pick up scent. As soon as he threw his head up to look around, I knew he was the one I was after. The only question was would the doe he was following come to my feeder. Sure enough the doe was out in front of him by about 75 yards and was heading my way. She got into about 50 yards then the young 7 point started smelling her and heading her way, taking her away from the feeder and any shot opportunity. But as luck would have hit, the old big boy wanted a snack, to fuel up, before his chase and methodically strolled into the corn. I was losing light fast and hoped he would come into my window quickly. He was broadside for a second, so I drew, but he walked directly behind a cedar next to the feeder. I had to let down, but the strong wind helped muffle the sound. The couple of doe feeding around did not hear or see me either. I took a couple deep breaths and tried to calm down. He ate a few bites of corn then reversed course right back into the direction of the open spot. I drew when I saw him take the first move past the cedar and he stopped right in the open turned and looked away. I settled my pin, exhaled, and let an arrow fly…
He took off back the direction he had come with an arrow sticking out of both sides. At about 75 yards, I saw the lumenok and arrow come out. I watched him haul out of sight but knew that it was a good shot and that he wouldn't go far. I was shaking uncontrollably at this point and let my bow down out of the tree, climbed down, and tried to catch my composure. I decided to give at least 30 minutes, just to be sure. So I slowly walk out the back way and head back to my brother's house. I texted him that I wanted to wait a few minutes and get a glass of water to try to calm my nerves. We waited about 30 mins, then drove back down to my feeder, started track at my broken arrow and immediately picked up a good brood trail. After a 150 yard but relatively easy track there he laid. He was a tough critter, and had the will to live. Crazy the spot we found him was within 20 yards of where I found my 22” wide buck a couple of years ago. I got to high five my brother, I tagged him, and we loaded up the beast. He was by far the heaviest deer we have ever taken off of the place. Sorry for the long read.
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