My 7 pointer!!!

When: Friday, October 24, 2008
Where: The recycling center
Weather: Partly cloudy, windy and 50
When: 3:00 - 5:30

I went to the recycling center today. I decided to sit on the hill between the fat-man's stand and stand 2. At around 4:00 I saw a little spike and a six pointer about 40 yards away. I watched for about 10 minutes as they milled around...all of a sudden they ran off like a bat out of hello. Some guy walked in the woods right where the deer were...I whistled so he knew I was there and he set up about 75 yards away from me. At around 5:15 I saw a 7 pointer in around the same spot as the first two deer...he milled around for a bit and he was pretty much in between me and this other guy. All of a sudden this other guy starts to move...I'm thinking, what in the world is he doing...and he starts to get out of his tree. I see the buck starting to tense up so I draw just in case he runs towards me. All of a sudden the buck takes off, right for my stand. Before I can even make a noise to stop him, he stops right under my stand and I put one right through him.

After I saw this guy moving and start to get out of his stand, I shot the buck and couldn't see that guy anymore...I sat for a few minutes and I saw this guy walking towards where my deer ran. I got out of my tree, got my stuff together and started to follow the blood trail. As I'm doing s this guy starts walking towards me, blood all over his hands. He says "there's a seven pointer down there"...I asked if it was the same 7 pointer that I shot...he said that he was lookng for the deer that he shot. I said that I saw him the whole time and I didn't see him shoot. I asked him if he was followng his blood trail...he said he didn't have one...he said he couldn't find his arrow either. My buck had a total pass through and I found my bloody arrow...I told him that i wanted to see the deer...When I saw it, I knew it was the one that I shot and told him that. He said, 'ok, you can have it"...not even a fight...then he told me that he gutted it...I thanked him and I told him that I would help him look for his deer (although I was pretty sure there was no such deer)...but I helped him look. Then he took my picture, helped me drag the deer and then put it in my truck. The guy honestly couldn't have been nicer.

A nice buck behind me....

When: Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Where: Recylcing Center - Second spot
Weather: Very windy, mostly cloudy and 40 degrees

I got in the stand around 2:45. I couldn't decide whether to go to the fat-man's tree or the second spot. I chose the second spot because the last time I was there the deer came to me from that side. I got into the tree and just sat. The feeder was empty so I guess that guy hadn't been back in a while. Around 5:15 ish I turned and looked towards the fat-man's stand and I saw a deer. I stood and kept peeking over the back of me to watch it...I couldn't tell what it was but he worked towards me. I figured that he would come to the left side of my tree towards the feeder and I stood there still. I heard him right behind me and I didn't move...waiting. I caught movement out of my right side and saw a beautiful buck, I think it was a six or an eight walking down the path in the field. I used the call to try and get it to come back to me. He stopped the first time that I blew the call but kept on walking. He was the second deer in line, I don't know if he was following a doe or not but my call didn't entice him to come back...so close!

Cub Scouts,broken bow and a man with a dog!!

When: Friday, October 17, 2008
Where: Behind the community pool
Weather: Sunny, cool and beautiful!
Time: 2:30-7:00

This was the first time that I decided to try behind the community pool. The weather was outstanding. I got there and put my stand up...shimmied up the tree. As I was getting set I nocked an arrow and it felt strange...it wouldn't fit on the rest. I looked and saw that the cable guard had snapped. The arrow wouldn't clear the cable! I sat down, disgusted and tried to figure this out. I decided that I would try my field tipped arrow...it flew semi-straight and decided that I would stay but only shoot at a nice buck and only if he was close. Around 4:00 I heard a noise to my right...I looked over and saw two little kids walking towards me. One chinese boy and one white girl. The girl was holding a bag...apparently they were picking up trash. I sat there and watched and as they got directly under my tree the girl noticed me and said surprised "oh, a man!". I started to chuckle. The boy said, "you huntin?" I said, "yup, you picking up trash?", he said "yup". I told them that they were doing a good job and they walked away. Shortly after they left I heard more of a commotion coming from the same area. I looked over and saw 3 mom's and about 10 kids. As they got closer one of the boys got stuck in the muck beneath my stand. He started to cry saying that he was scared, and one of the mom's tried to coax him out, yelling at him to take off his shoes. As this was going on the other part of the group walked under my stand. One of the mom's looked up and saw me and, as expected, I startled her too. She got the attention of all the kids and said "I don't want you to be afraid but there is a man in that tree over there....watching the woods". She explained to me that they were a cub scout troup. They stood around for a little while cleaning off the kid that was stuck (they finally got him out). While they did, the other kids couldn't stop staring at me...finally, as they were about to leave, one of them said "is Mr. Wilderness real?" The mom said yes and they walked off. Of course, I laughed about that all night. The woods started to finally quiet down, and about 6:15, when it was starting to get dark I saw two deer running from up on the hilltop. Didn't know why, though they had somehow seen me...shortly thereafter a man, smoking, was walking his dog. I watched as the dog walked under my stand, lifted his leg and took a leak and ran off. So much for this night...at least it was interested.

One far, far away...

When: Saturday, October 11, 2008
Where: The club, swamp stand
Weather: Gorgeous, but warm in the sun (around 70)
Time: Evening post

I went to Dani's soccer game and Gianna's softball games in the morning and got to the club by around 2. Tony, Greg and Brad were there so I hung around and talked to them for a while. They apparently had been there all day and were just relaxing. I went to the swamp stand and it's a neat little set up, but I was in the direct sun the whole time and I sweat by butt off! The sun finally went down over the trees and I saw one doe walking near the upper corner of the field. She went back into the brush and I never saw her again. The rest of the guys saw deer...Tony let does walk, Greg had two spikes and some does at 13 (just not close enough) and Brad shot at a deer from 5 and hit a tree.

Can't find her....

When: October 2, 2008
Were: The tennis courts
Weather: Slightly overcast, chilly and windy
Time: 3:00 - 7:00

I got set up in my tree around 3. Almost as soon as I was set up I saw a deer coming from the houses...she stopped at each stand on her way to mine. When she was at the middle stand something spooked her and she took off towards the houses. Around 5:30 a doe came right down to the corn that was left near the second stand...it's a 25 yard shot. I waited...calmed myself and waited for her to turn broadside. I don't know if it was because she was half hidden by a tree or if it was brush or if I suck, but I hit her high and back...away she ran. I got out of my stand and found blood...some of it good. I searched for close to two hours and couldn't find her. I went back the next morning to continue my search...about an hour and a half later and I still couldn't find her. I'm sick over it.