So I was on the X today. Haven’t hunted this shooting house but once and it was an afternoon sit. The wind dictated that I sit here so I went with it. Im watching a powerline plot and can see into the hardwoods on my right and on my left, a little road that winds through the woods and leads to a pond. As soon as I got settled and eased the curtains up, I could see a deer in the plot so that was a good start.

At dawn I could hear some turkeys gobbling in the distance and a small doe in the plot. Throughout the morning deer filtered through so the action was fairly steady. About 845 I looked down the little road to my left and caught a buck trotting away from me. I could see he was just outside the ears but he got in the woods before I could get on him. I could see him moving in the woods but no shot presented itself. He finally moved off with a doe. A few minutes later another basket 6pt comes up the same little road and starts following the the same trail as the other deer and disappeared over a hill.

After a good while, I caught movement and the basket rack was back in the woods nosing around and finally just bedded down on a hillside about 50 yards from my stand. About 930 I see a big doe step out of the woods directly in front of me between my stand and the plot. Then right behind her steps out the wide rack I had seen earlier. I could tell he was mature even if he didn’t have a ton of points. Without too much hesitation I put the crosshairs on him and the Ruger M77 did it’s job!

At the shot, he bolted and took off toward the woods. I could tell he was hit hard and was hoping he wouldn’t run off into one of the steep hollers. I saw him disappear over a ridge and heard him crash. Then the shakes started!!

After about 10 minutes, I started getting my stuff together and happen to look to the left. That small 6 was still bedded down!! He never moved even when I shot and was still there when I eased down from the stand. Crazy!

So I made my way toward where I last saw him and when I looked over the hill, I saw him! And sure enough he died at the base of the ridge. Now when I say steep, I mean like 60 degree slope steep. So I field dress him (using a Skullworks knife) and head to the truck to get the atv.

No way I can pull him up that hill by myself so I come up with a plan. If I can drag him to the base of the hill, maybe I can park the atv on the flat edge and winch him up the hill. So I park and unspool rope from the winch, grab another 15 feet of rope and a attach it to his hind legs, and hit the switch. Holy smokes it worked!! Pulled that dude right up the hill!! I got him to a flat spot, untied him and loaded him up! It was a lot of work but it was a great morning!!
Here he is on another plot about 400 yards away early that morning.

Success!!

Getting him out!

Heck yeah looks like a brother to the one I shot

Congrats!

Awesome man

Congrats! That doe probably has another one on her tail, nothing like live bait. Go get another one while she's hot.

Nice

I seen one that looked just like him in Greenville last weekend...

Congratulations

Congrats

Congrats eyedoc!

He’s a good one!

Thanks for sharing, congrats on a good buck.....

Well done and congratulations

Where's the pipe? Congrats Doc.

Nice 6. Congrats!

Congrats Doc!

Fantastic hunt, congrats!

Great hunt - congrats

I felt like you were telling me that story in person standing by a bonfire at hunting camp. Congrats on the buck.