Game Day

Four days ago, I headed down to Sharpsburg to put out some corn and apples on the the property I'm hunting. After putting out my bait, I shimmed up a big hickory tree in my climber to see what I could see. I didn't really expect to see anything, since this was my first time checking things out on the property, plus it would take time for what deer, if any, on the property to find my newly created bait pile.

Around 5Pm, after battling a demon horde of mosquitos from the depths of hell, a good sized coyote came out of the river bed to my right and started making circles around my tree. He never knew I was there, and I came close to putting a broad head through his pump house, but after some thought I decided against it. The economy is in the toilet and arrows are expensive- I dern sure didn't want to waste one on some smelly coyote. After about an hour, he finally made his rounds and lopped off up the trail. After spreading his scent all over the place, I felt fairly confident I wasn't going to see any deer that evening.

Boy was I wrong, just before dark, a large doe came out of the river bed and began nibbling on sweet gum samplings just 20 yards from my stand. She caught me off guard, and I wasn't ready to shoot, and I couldn't move in fear she'd see me, so all I could do was sit there. Unfortunately, that's when the big boy decided to come out.

I heard the characteristic heavy footsteps that I've heard so many times in my hunting career coming from behind me. As the footsteps got closer a large dark shape came into my field of vision. It was nice buck, at least a 8 pointer. Not a huge rack, but definitely a shooter.

The thing was, I was still in a sitting position, due to the fact that both he and the doe would see any movement I made. So I just had the sit there anxiously biding my time, while this buck walked within 20 yards of me, stood broad-sided and proceeded to take a leak. I couldn't believe it.

Eventually he turned his back on me and I finally managed to stand and turn my body enough to fire a shot. But by now, the buck had walked a good 30 yards away from me and into the deep creek bed. He was well out of my range and there was no way to get off a shot.

I just had to stand there and watch him eat his fill of acorns until he eventually moseyed off up the opposite side of the creek .

But I can't complain- my first night in my new stand and I saw a good sized buck. It really got the adrenaline pumping and it was great way to cap off the weekend.

However, come first light tomorrow, I'm going to be back in my stand, ready to go. I'm laying out of work tomorrow and I'll be hunting from dawn til dusk. I haven't pressured the deer for the past three days, and I'm hoping by now they've discovered my bait pile.

So tomorrow, if Mr. 8 pointer comes in for a early breakfast, me and Fred Bear will be there to greet him.