Over the last four years, I have not been able to hunt for more than one day at a time. It seemed like everything was against my being able to take time to get out. This year, however, I had an opportunity and I took it!
The week before the season, I was able to get out to the farm and set things up. My dad came with me for the first time in a long time. That was good. After we had relocated a stand, trimmed trees and filled the feeders, I decided to drive him around the property. Right at the end of the tour, we spotted a large buck. It was too dark to count tines, but we could see that he had a good spread. I decided to come back and hunt in two weeks.
The hunt was a solo effort. I had camped alone before, but not for three days. It was a new experience. Staying alone in the woods really provides opportunities to test yourself both mentally and physically.
The hunt was a success. Here's the play-by-play:
Day1:
- Arrive at the farm 4:45pm. On the way to stand see 5 young hogs - decide not to take a shot. On stand, hear 2 more hogs behind me grunting and snapping jaws - I never see them.
- 6:15pm: I wonder about the hogs and the quarter mile walk back to camp.
- 7:10pm: set up camp in the dark.
Day 2:
- Up at 5:30am. Wind is relatively calm out of the North - decide to hunt the south stand.
- 6:15am: on stand.
- 7:45 am: I see a large hog at 500+ yards - at first I think it is a calf, but a look through the binos say otherwise - he decides to work away - no shot.
- 7:45am: I see three does come rolling out of the woods at about 400 yards - I watch them through the scope as they also work away - no shot.
- 9:30am: Wind really picking up, I decide to leave this stand.
- 9:50am: On stand at the North side of the property - not ideal, but more protected from the wind, it's 20-25 mph now.
- 10:45am: I finally manage to saw off a large branch blocking my view - 13"+/- dia.
- 12:20pm: Back at camp for some lunch and a nap.
- 2:40pm: Head back to the South stand - wind out of the North 25 gusting to 35mph according to the weather radio
- 3:15pm: On stand, a little nervous as this thing rocks in the wind.
- 5:05pm: I see a large hog working out of the woods at about 450 yards - he's working towards me - I watch through the scope.
- 5:15pm: He's about 175 yards out and changing direction - I take a shot - miss - I hate the wind! Hog starts running.
- 5:16pm: I take another shot - about 225 - 230 yards - miss - hit between his feet - I really scare the crap out of him! He's in high gear back into the woods!
- 7:00pm: Back in camp for dinner - it's really getting cold.
Day 3:
- Up at 5:30am - had to do a little count down to make myself get out of the bag - heavy frost.
- 6:00am: Wind 5-10mph out of the North - I decide to hunt from a dozer parked about 100 yards South of where I saw the does.
- 6:10am: Sitting high and comfortable in the seat of the dozer - coffee on one side and rifle on the other.
- 7:05am: I see a buck sneaking through the trees heading south - I pick him up in the scope - No shot because of the trees. As I follow him, I swing the rifle into the roll cage of the dozer - Dink! - I think he heard me - he stays in the trees.
- 7:12am: I am listening to him working on a scrape - he works it for a while - I watch the spot through the scope, but I cant see him.
- 7:15am: here he comes - finally - he squirts out into the open and I have a shot - about 125 yards - I take it, the deer flinches and starts walking up hill away from me - I jack another round and drop him in his tracks.
- 1:40pm: Deer is quartered and caped, camp is packed and I'm on the way home.
