I suppose this hunt really began several years ago when I was in the 6 foot square (interior dimensions) blind we call “the shooting hut” on the hill behind the barn. I don't remember now why I was in the blind except that I know I wasn't deer hunting at the time. Looking to the south edge of the field I saw a very large 9-10 point buck (eastern count - 5 points on the right side) working along inside the edge of the woods. I could easily see he was a “shooter” buck but due the the trees I couldn't get a clear view of his antlers. When he got due south of me he came out of the woods in to a more open area but he was screened by a couple of white pine trees that had grown up in the field between the shooting hut and the edge of the field. Over the next two years, I cut the lower branches off the two pine trees so that if I was ever deer hunting there again and a buck presented himself I would have a clear shot. And that, my friends, was a critical element of this hunt.
Our regular gun season began on Saturday, 11/15/14, and I hunted over on “the other hill” in the 20 foot high 6' x 6' platform in a tree. It has a “shooting chair” in it that works like a gunners turret in that the chair rotates and the rifle rest elevates and lowers. It is my favorite hunting stand. I was out from dawn to dusk that first day and was rewarded with seeing 20-22 does/fawns and a one antlered buck which I saw twice. I passed on all of the shooting opportunities that day, hoping to see one of the large bucks I had pictures of from my trail camera.
A southerly wind neutralizes the effectiveness of the the big platform stand on “the other hill”. So, due to a southerly wind on Sunday morning, I elected to hunt out of the “shooting hut” on the hill behind the barn. I got up early, left the house early and got to the blind early. It was still full dark.
I zipped up, buttoned up, layered up, and loaded the rifle, a Rem. 700 North American Custom in .270 Win, before I got in the blind. I had just nicely settled down and relaxed when the wind rattled the door. I realized I had not hooked it closed when I got in. In the process of trying to latch the door left-handed while leaning out of the chair I managed to make some noice and I saw a movement outside the blind. I peered into the dark field and thought I saw the shape of a deer. I looked through the binoculars and sure enough there was a deer there. No large antlers were visible, but the day was starting out on a positive note. The deer had “made” me and with his/her tail stiffened out straight behind, it carefully moved off into some cover and disappeared.
After it had been daylight for a little while I saw a doe out in the field to the NNE. She was just east enough that she wasn't catching my scent. Interestingly, I saw her squat and urinate multiple times. I thought maybe I had a “hot” doe in front of me and that made me hopeful. After a half hour or so a button buck joined her and they grazed together for about an hour. The button approached the doe once, but she very quickly drove him off. I was concerned that I was spending too much time watching the doe and button buck and not keeping track of what was happening all around me like I should. My concerns were validated when I caught just a glimpse of a small buck dropping out of the west end of the field down into the woods. I had missed him crossing the west end of the field.
Eventually, the doe worked her way out of the field to SE. Then I started paying more attention to the south and immediately saw some movement in the woods. It was a spike. He was just across the line fence generally moving east to west. He stoped and looked back to the east. I look to where he is looking and see another deer moving in the woods. I look through the binoculars and see that it is another small buck – a 4 point. He goes out of my view and when I look back at the spike he is staring straight at me. He had seen my movements when I was trying to look at the 4 point. So, the spike and I end up in a staring contest to see who will move first. I guess I won that contest because he broke his stare and looked back to the east again.
The "shooting hut" seen from the spike's perspective.
I followed his gaze and saw a deer moving east to west through the woods. I looked through the binoculars and identified it has the 4 point buck I had seen earlier. He comes out of the woods into the open right where I had trimmed the limbs off the white pine trees. I decide it is a good time to practice getting my rifle out the window, finding the best way to rest the rifle, and checking how steady I can be. I able to take a good aim on the 4 point with spooking either him or the spike.
Now I am thinking that I just seen one unattended “hot” doe, and two small bucks together, but not with the “hot” doe. I figure there must be another “hot” doe and a large buck tending her in the immediate area. The two smaller bucks are locked in on the “other” hot doe but keeping a safe distance from the bigger buck. My hopes were soaring that a good opporunity would present itself. I just have to keep from spooking the two smaller bucks just 100 yards away.
By now it is 9:30 AM and I have to relieve myself. There is no way I am going to exit the hut with the two small bucks standing right there. I remember that I had stowed away a “P” jar in the hut for just such an emergency. I find it under the table and make ready to use it. In moving around, I end up with a “charley horse” cramp in my left leg. The only thing I can do is to stand up in the blind, which I do. The cramp loosens up and I relax. Then I take care of business with the “P” jar and stow that away. When I settle back down I see a third deer just going out of my sight in the woods behind the two smaller bucks. I grab up my binoculars and see a large wide-racked “shooter” buck disappearing behind the trees. He heads up the hill where I know my neighbor has a hunting stand.
“Darn”, I think. The big boy came through at an in-opportune time. I look and the spike is staring at me again. He had seen me moving around inside the blind again. So, we go into another stare down. He breaks the stalemate to watch the 4 point slowly walk over and bed down right in one of my shooting lanes.
Finally things are quiet for a few minutes. The spike has taken his eyes off the blind and the 4 pt. is chewing his cud and dosing. I decide it is a great time for some hot coffee. We all know the best way to get some action going when you are hunting is to get a cup of hot coffee in your hands. But, that didn't happen. I was able to enjoy drinking the coffee and watching the bucks 100 yards away.
I had no more than finished the coffee when the 4 point, who had been looking up the hill, jumps up and runs away. I figure another hunter, a bear, or a coyote is coming through the woods. I observe that the spike is also watching in the same direction that the 4 point was and I expect him to run away also, but he doesn't. Instead he looks back to the east again and stares at something in that direction. I look over that way and see some deer legs coming through the woods. Pretty soon six does/fawns come out of the woods into the open in front of me and start feeding.
Two of the fawns start chasing each other and running all around. I get concerned because they run almost down wind of me. But, they were just west of my scent and kept chasing. They run out of sight and I turn back to watch the other does and spike. I saw the fawns run back up the west end of the field and into the woods to the south, near where I had last seen the 4 point buck.
I was looking at the does again and saw them watching to the west. All of a sudden, the two fawns came running back into the group and right on their heels was a wide-racked “shooter” buck. The big buck runs right though the group of does and stops due south of me with his shoulder behind some trees. However, I have a clear view of his neck.
Following my earlier rehearsal, I easily get the rifle out the widow and settle the crossheads on his neck. Now, I am not a fan of neck shots. I have heard horror stories of neck shot deer getting back up and running off when the unawares shooter approached the “dead” deer. But, this was the shot I had – a standing shot with clear view of the neck, and a steady rest for the rifle.
I squeezed the trigger and the big buck dropped right there. For an instant I saw his head thrashing around and I jacked another round into the chamber. Then I saw his hind legs stiffen out and his tail wring like a head shot woodchuck. I relaxed and waited for a few minutes with the rifle at the ready. When I was sure he was down for good I exited the hut, walked over, and was surpised to find a larger buck than I expected. Then I started shaking......... It was two phone calls and a half hour latter before I dared to get a knife out.
This is where the buck was. His neck was right where my orange vest on my chest is. Note that if the lower limbs on the pine tree hadn't been cut a few years ago, I would not have had the shot.
Our regular gun season began on Saturday, 11/15/14, and I hunted over on “the other hill” in the 20 foot high 6' x 6' platform in a tree. It has a “shooting chair” in it that works like a gunners turret in that the chair rotates and the rifle rest elevates and lowers. It is my favorite hunting stand. I was out from dawn to dusk that first day and was rewarded with seeing 20-22 does/fawns and a one antlered buck which I saw twice. I passed on all of the shooting opportunities that day, hoping to see one of the large bucks I had pictures of from my trail camera.
A southerly wind neutralizes the effectiveness of the the big platform stand on “the other hill”. So, due to a southerly wind on Sunday morning, I elected to hunt out of the “shooting hut” on the hill behind the barn. I got up early, left the house early and got to the blind early. It was still full dark.
I zipped up, buttoned up, layered up, and loaded the rifle, a Rem. 700 North American Custom in .270 Win, before I got in the blind. I had just nicely settled down and relaxed when the wind rattled the door. I realized I had not hooked it closed when I got in. In the process of trying to latch the door left-handed while leaning out of the chair I managed to make some noice and I saw a movement outside the blind. I peered into the dark field and thought I saw the shape of a deer. I looked through the binoculars and sure enough there was a deer there. No large antlers were visible, but the day was starting out on a positive note. The deer had “made” me and with his/her tail stiffened out straight behind, it carefully moved off into some cover and disappeared.
After it had been daylight for a little while I saw a doe out in the field to the NNE. She was just east enough that she wasn't catching my scent. Interestingly, I saw her squat and urinate multiple times. I thought maybe I had a “hot” doe in front of me and that made me hopeful. After a half hour or so a button buck joined her and they grazed together for about an hour. The button approached the doe once, but she very quickly drove him off. I was concerned that I was spending too much time watching the doe and button buck and not keeping track of what was happening all around me like I should. My concerns were validated when I caught just a glimpse of a small buck dropping out of the west end of the field down into the woods. I had missed him crossing the west end of the field.
Eventually, the doe worked her way out of the field to SE. Then I started paying more attention to the south and immediately saw some movement in the woods. It was a spike. He was just across the line fence generally moving east to west. He stoped and looked back to the east. I look to where he is looking and see another deer moving in the woods. I look through the binoculars and see that it is another small buck – a 4 point. He goes out of my view and when I look back at the spike he is staring straight at me. He had seen my movements when I was trying to look at the 4 point. So, the spike and I end up in a staring contest to see who will move first. I guess I won that contest because he broke his stare and looked back to the east again.
The "shooting hut" seen from the spike's perspective.
I followed his gaze and saw a deer moving east to west through the woods. I looked through the binoculars and identified it has the 4 point buck I had seen earlier. He comes out of the woods into the open right where I had trimmed the limbs off the white pine trees. I decide it is a good time to practice getting my rifle out the window, finding the best way to rest the rifle, and checking how steady I can be. I able to take a good aim on the 4 point with spooking either him or the spike.
Now I am thinking that I just seen one unattended “hot” doe, and two small bucks together, but not with the “hot” doe. I figure there must be another “hot” doe and a large buck tending her in the immediate area. The two smaller bucks are locked in on the “other” hot doe but keeping a safe distance from the bigger buck. My hopes were soaring that a good opporunity would present itself. I just have to keep from spooking the two smaller bucks just 100 yards away.
By now it is 9:30 AM and I have to relieve myself. There is no way I am going to exit the hut with the two small bucks standing right there. I remember that I had stowed away a “P” jar in the hut for just such an emergency. I find it under the table and make ready to use it. In moving around, I end up with a “charley horse” cramp in my left leg. The only thing I can do is to stand up in the blind, which I do. The cramp loosens up and I relax. Then I take care of business with the “P” jar and stow that away. When I settle back down I see a third deer just going out of my sight in the woods behind the two smaller bucks. I grab up my binoculars and see a large wide-racked “shooter” buck disappearing behind the trees. He heads up the hill where I know my neighbor has a hunting stand.
“Darn”, I think. The big boy came through at an in-opportune time. I look and the spike is staring at me again. He had seen me moving around inside the blind again. So, we go into another stare down. He breaks the stalemate to watch the 4 point slowly walk over and bed down right in one of my shooting lanes.
Finally things are quiet for a few minutes. The spike has taken his eyes off the blind and the 4 pt. is chewing his cud and dosing. I decide it is a great time for some hot coffee. We all know the best way to get some action going when you are hunting is to get a cup of hot coffee in your hands. But, that didn't happen. I was able to enjoy drinking the coffee and watching the bucks 100 yards away.
I had no more than finished the coffee when the 4 point, who had been looking up the hill, jumps up and runs away. I figure another hunter, a bear, or a coyote is coming through the woods. I observe that the spike is also watching in the same direction that the 4 point was and I expect him to run away also, but he doesn't. Instead he looks back to the east again and stares at something in that direction. I look over that way and see some deer legs coming through the woods. Pretty soon six does/fawns come out of the woods into the open in front of me and start feeding.
Two of the fawns start chasing each other and running all around. I get concerned because they run almost down wind of me. But, they were just west of my scent and kept chasing. They run out of sight and I turn back to watch the other does and spike. I saw the fawns run back up the west end of the field and into the woods to the south, near where I had last seen the 4 point buck.
I was looking at the does again and saw them watching to the west. All of a sudden, the two fawns came running back into the group and right on their heels was a wide-racked “shooter” buck. The big buck runs right though the group of does and stops due south of me with his shoulder behind some trees. However, I have a clear view of his neck.
Following my earlier rehearsal, I easily get the rifle out the widow and settle the crossheads on his neck. Now, I am not a fan of neck shots. I have heard horror stories of neck shot deer getting back up and running off when the unawares shooter approached the “dead” deer. But, this was the shot I had – a standing shot with clear view of the neck, and a steady rest for the rifle.
I squeezed the trigger and the big buck dropped right there. For an instant I saw his head thrashing around and I jacked another round into the chamber. Then I saw his hind legs stiffen out and his tail wring like a head shot woodchuck. I relaxed and waited for a few minutes with the rifle at the ready. When I was sure he was down for good I exited the hut, walked over, and was surpised to find a larger buck than I expected. Then I started shaking......... It was two phone calls and a half hour latter before I dared to get a knife out.
This is where the buck was. His neck was right where my orange vest on my chest is. Note that if the lower limbs on the pine tree hadn't been cut a few years ago, I would not have had the shot.
