Two encounters with my #1 buck on the same day (self-filmed)

[Hoytvectrix]

Despite not getting a shot off at him, I still consider this a successful hunt. I'm hoping to run into him again when I am back on the property next week or during the firearm season.

I've now had three encounters with this deer in the last two years. During the rut, he spends almost everyday on our farm and I am FINALLY starting to figure him out. This was recorded on November 1st. I think he caught wind of things he didn't like twice, but never really spooked that much as he slowly walked off each time. Trail cameras in the area picked him up after dark.

 

[BenAllgood]

That was close. I've got a feeling we'll see you behind that beautiful buck soon.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

looks like you need some shooting lanes. That was way to close. Maybe he heard your heart pounding?

 

[35-acre]

Wow! Great job on holding your composure! He's a really nice buck!
I was thinking he's REALLY close, I think that I would have a tough time staying composed at that distance. Sometimes those close ones are harder than 20 or 30 yards away. I had a buck walk under my treestand yesterday morning, literally he was 1 foot from the base of my tree. There is no shot (for me). He came in facing me and left walking directly away. Cool encounter though.

Are you really close to the trail? What's your setup? I would love to know more. I hunt hardwoods so I generally don't have well-defined trails and I wish I had a community scrape ont he lands that I have access to.

Stay after him! Good luck!

 

[Hoytvectrix]

Wow! Great job on holding your composure! He's a really nice buck!
I was thinking he's REALLY close, I think that I would have a tough time staying composed at that distance. Sometimes those close ones are harder than 20 or 30 yards away. I had a buck walk under my treestand yesterday morning, literally he was 1 foot from the base of my tree. There is no shot (for me). He came in facing me and left walking directly away. Cool encounter though.

Are you really close to the trail? What's your setup? I would love to know more. I hunt hardwoods so I generally don't have well-defined trails and I wish I had a community scrape ont he lands that I have access to.

Stay after him! Good luck!

Thanks! Definitely some lessons have been learned. I was really surprised that he and the smaller buck were using that trail. The community scrape to my right is a mock scrape that I put in back in September. It is at the intersection of two trails (the one these bucks are on) and another going from a corn field to bedding. The reason I wasn't anticipating these bucks to be using this trail is that they both would have been coming from upwind to the scrape, which is exactly what they did. Normally I wouldn't put a stand so close the trail, but I genuinely didn't think it was used this time of year.

 

[Bill]

Next time leave the camera home and hold the bow

 

[35-acre]

Thanks! Definitely some lessons have been learned. I was really surprised that he and the smaller buck were using that trail. The community scrape to my right is a mock scrape that I put in back in September. It is at the intersection of two trails (the one these bucks are on) and another going from a corn field to bedding. The reason I wasn't anticipating these bucks to be using this trail is that they both would have been coming from upwind to the scrape, which is exactly what they did. Normally I wouldn't put a stand so close the trail, but I genuinely didn't think it was used this time of year.

That's neat! The only thing my mock scrapes attract are other hunters. Seriously. Some of my neighbors, I swear, are hunting me and my stand setups. Last weekend I made 2 mock scrapes at the end of my shooting lanes (really I just kick the leaves away to get a buck to stop and sniff, hopefully get a shot). Yesterday I hunted the same spot and a stand was 10 yards from the tree that I use. Ha ha ha.

I wonder why they came in upwind? That is odd. Do hey have a another choice to get from their bedding to the corn? Regardless, it looks like you've got the spot dialed in. Within the next week all heck will break loose and they will must be rutting. So you better get out there now and get him while he's a little predictable. Move that stand back a bit and have at it!

GOOD LUCK!

 

[Hoytvectrix]

Next time leave the camera home and hold the bow

Haha, well that is exactly what all my brothers and Dad had told me after seeing the footage. Like I said, lessons were definitely learned. It won't happen again!

 

[Hoytvectrix]

That's neat! The only thing my mock scrapes attract are other hunters. Seriously. Some of my neighbors, I swear, are hunting me and my stand setups. Last weekend I made 2 mock scrapes at the end of my shooting lanes (really I just kick the leaves away to get a buck to stop and sniff, hopefully get a shot). Yesterday I hunted the same spot and a stand was 10 yards from the tree that I use. Ha ha ha.

I wonder why they came in upwind? That is odd. Do hey have a another choice to get from their bedding to the corn? Regardless, it looks like you've got the spot dialed in. Within the next week all heck will break loose and they will must be rutting. So you better get out there now and get him while he's a little predictable. Move that stand back a bit and have at it!

GOOD LUCK!

I think it is just the straightest line between bedding areas and where the main trails are, and they were just trying to "cut" the trails and freshen some scrapes. I may have to break out the saddle if I want to move away from that trail, as there aren't really any other trees I could be in without giving up too much on the wind.

 

[DiSc0Rd]

That made my blood pressure go up just watching it. Does the camera help calm you or make it worse trying to do both. I filmed my daughter's first bow kill and I wasn't very worked up but the 2nd one I didn't film and it was way more stressful

 

[Booner21]

Take some milk weed or cotton balls and see what the wind is really doing there. Good chance that if the wind is swirling he is able smell a big area and he really isn’t walking with the wind at his butt. Wind does some funky things in the woods.


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[pnulty66]

Cool vid, I hope u get him next time he shows!!

 

[chiaj144]

Were they coming in from a higher elevation? In the morning your thermals could be getting pulled up hill right into them.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

I was actually higher elevation than them and there was about a 7-10 mph wind straight into my face both times. I was just too close to the trail and I'm sure they caught ground scent which alerted them.

Unfortunately, the big 10 ended up getting killed about two weeks after the video by a neighbor during the opening weekend of firearm season. It was a new land owner and their first deer in Missouri. I'm happy they were welcomed so well to the area.