I experienced one of the best whitetail hunts of my life this past Saturday. It was one of those where you could have not even killed and still had an absolutely amazing memory.

I’d been rifle hunting a good spot for a couple of weeks and despite getting pics on my cams of some nice bucks, I never lucked into an opportunity at a shooter buck. I knew the rutting activity was about to start, so on the last weekend of rifle season I decided to find a new spot to set up a bow stand in the area I’d gotten pics the past few weeks. I found a large community scrape and two rubs in a large thicket where 6 trails intersected. There was a pine in a perfect location about 20yds from the intersection, 15yds from the scrape, and 5 yards off of one of the large trails, so I placed a ladder stand and avoided cutting any lanes to keep my scent down.

I had to go to DC for work last week, but like any hard core deer hunter I was thinking of my new set-up the entire time I rolled in from the airport Friday night and immediately started loading the truck with my gear just in time to get a few hours sleep and set out for the morning hunt. When I arrived it was only 36 degrees out and calm, so I just grabbed a light jacket and set out for a short 20 min walk to my stand. The first hour was pretty slow with no deer seen. Around 7:30 the wind started blowing pretty hard and after about an hour I was getting too cold to stay. I really didn’t feel they would move in the wind, so decided to slip over to a box blind and get out of the wind for a bit. I was only in the blind for maybe 30 minutes and look up to see a nice 10pt crossing a lane and of course headed straight for the stand I’d just left ? I let the 10 cruise on by and slipped back to my ladder stand. Around 10:15 all kinds of racket erupted in the thicket to my left as several deer came crashing through the brush. The deer ran to within 60-70 yards and a fight broke out. I could tell it wasn’t dinks by the sound of it, so I grabbed my call and let out a snort wheeze followed by a few grunts. After I called there was a brief moment of silence, then footsteps in my direction. I was shaking like a leaf from all the excitement and the cold wind wasn’t helping matters. I spotted movement in the brush, so shouldered my xbow and a little 4pt pops out in the open at a mere 10yards. I knew he wasn’t part of the battle I’d just heard, so I grabbed the call and let out a few more grunts. Another deer starts walking towards me and I start seeing glimpses of a big bodied deer and a nice rack weaving through the brush in my direction. I could tell he was a darn nice 8, a big 250lb warrior, one of those bucks whose neck is nearly as large as his body. This big rascal is heading right for the scrape and only needs to make a few more steps to be in a small opening around 27yds out. He stopped, turned to his right, and rammed a small tree whipping it around like a small twig. He rubbed the tree for a few seconds and started pawing at the ground to make a scrape. I gave him a soft grunt, he looks in my direction, and lowers his head in that battle posture. Come on baby, just a few more steps! About that time a freaking doe blows by behind the big buck and he wheels around to follow. I immediately hit him with a snort wheeze, he stops, puffs up, snort wheezed right back at me, and took off after the doe. Man, it was so close. At this point I’m shaking uncontrollably, a total basket case, and I never even fired and arrow! Around 11:30 my lack of sleep was catching up with me, so I slipped down and eased out for a short nap.

That evening the wind continued to blow hard until sundown. As light faded I could hear footsteps headed my direction and started to catch glimpses of a buck heading for the scrape. When he got near the scrape, he started making a loop around to the downwind side and heading straight for me. I never got a good look at him through the brush until he was darn near under me at around 6-7 yds. I could tell he was a large bodied mature buck and well outside his ears. As he went behind some brush I eased my xbow around and lined up on an opening he was about to enter at a mere 5 yds. He was so close that he heard my jacket when I moved and locked up looking right at me. I was sure it was over with, he had me pegged, but lowered his head and took a couple steps right into the opening I was lined up for. I let her rip and heard the loud pop of the arrow strike. The buck ran about 50yds and just stopped. I’m thinking he’s going to tip over any second, but the big guy just stood there for around 4mins like nothing happened then walked about 25yds and stopped again. This goes on for at least 30mins, light had faded, but I could still hear him walking around in the brush. After hearing him for 30 mins, I’m pretty confident I’d either some how hit a limb I didn’t see, just flat missed, etc etc. Man, there’s just no way, he was mere feet from my ladder, how could I have missed….. I waited a bit and eased down the ladder to inspect my arrow. Sure enough it’s soaked in bright red lung blood, but I still can’t get over his reaction. I just center punched him with a Slick Trick and he didn’t go down for the 30min I could hear him! While I was looking at my arrow I heard a limb break a long ways off in the direction he went, so thought it may be him. I was well covered in the dense brush, so quietly and slowly made my way over to where he stood for a while after the shot. There wasn’t much blood at all, just small splatters on the leaves and you could tell it was coming out both sides. By this time it had been a good while after the shot, so I started following the sparse blood trail. About 100yds from impact I found a small piece of meat and the blood stopped. I’m second guessing myself by this time, thinking I must have held too high yada yada… I marked last blood and made a circle around some brush looking for more blood. I found a few small specs and picked the trail up again, this time alittle better blood, but nothing like it should have been. I followed blood to the neighbors property line about 250yds from where I shot the buck and decided to pull out and get somewhere where I could make some calls. I went to town to grab a bite to eat and called the land owner to get permission. By the time I got back to last blood it was 9pm. I picked up the blood and found him a short 50yds later. He slowly went around 300yds before ever laying down. I smoked him through the meaty parts on the rear of both shoulders, high on entrance and somewhat low on exit. I’ve killed a bunch of deer with archery tackle, but never had one react like that on a good hit. I’ll just chalk it up to a tough buck and small 1” broadhead.

He was a nice mature cull buck weighing in at 225lbs, 18-5/8” inside spread, 23 and 21-1/2” beams. Both brows were broken and his tines were pretty short. Not a high scoring buck, but a fine buck with archery tackle. A great end to an absolutely amazing day in the field.



Ya’ll have a good one,

Reloader

Hey Reloader, Congratulations! GREAT story of a fine Hunt. Sure glad you found him.

tough bugger,way to keep after him.

Nice deer and nice story. I enjoyed it. Congratulations. I hope I never stop getting excited when I see deer or hear a story like yours.

Damn I want a crossbow too. Nice deer.