Had a really fun hunt last Sunday! I sat in a 2 man ground shooting house that sits on the edge of a good size hayfield that is surrounded by hardwoods. I had planned to take Mrs. Bamaeyedoc but she opted out wanting to go this upcoming weekend instead. The wind was blowing pretty stout and I decided to chance it even though it wasn’t perfect. This stand really needs a N or NE wind but it was more NNW. My plan was to hopefully see them and get off a shot before they cut my scent. Or at least, if they winded me, they would be confused from exactly where it was coming from.

I call this field Little Roundtop. It is a big plateaued field that drops off pretty dramatically on the edges. Especially on the east side at about 125 yards away (this is important for later). A deer can take 6 steps and completely drop out of sight. So the first deer I see is a doe coming from the south. She comes toward me and literally gets 10 yards from me just feeding around. And of course, being so close she gets a whiff of something but and stares down the blind but then gets distracted. She’s looking back from where she came and I see another deer in the field. He starts heading my way following her trail. Turns out he’s a high 4pt. He comes right by m as well. I get him on camera chasing her around and it wasn’t until I got home and played it back that I could hear him grunting! That was pretty cool! He runs her off but she must not be ready because she comes back but he’s not with her.

I spend the rest of the day watching about 7-8 more does and they finally get wise and catch a little too much scent for comfort and ease away. They are alert and definitely know something is amiss. So they disappear over the hill to the east but every now and then I can glimpse a head pop up or the top of a deer’s back. So a few of them are still hanging around.

About 520 or so I notice one of the does is staring back to the woods on the east so I get my binos up and start watching them. Then I see another doe looking in the same direction. I’m thinking that 4pt has come back now and checking the new herd of does. Boy was I mistaken!! One of the does starts coming back over the rise sort of heading my way. Then…omg!! I see the tips of this rack slowly come into view over the rise. Ever so methodically he steps up, pauses, steps again, and pauses. I can see his whole head and rack now and he is cautiously surveying the entire field. All I can see at this point is his head and a tall rack! The thing that sticks out immediately is his brow tines! No doubt they were longer than any deer I’d ever seen live!

So I put the binos down get Featherweight up and get him in the scope. By now he’s topped the rise and I can see his whole body. He’s facing me and just need him to turn and follow the doe. He slowly starts to turn but he’s slick. She looks toward me and he looks my way too. Then he lightly stomps his foot. Ohhhh boy. He’s not liking something. He’s hard quartered to me with his left shoulder exposed and I know can slip a shot in there. Only about a minute or two has passed since I first saw him but it seems like ten! So by now I’m getting the shakes!! Watching a good buck like that is such a thrill but also very nerve wracking!!! He’s out at about 130 yards so I rest the gun against the window opening, put the crosshairs just ever so behind the left shoulder and touch it off!

At the shot, he drops immediately and I see belly hair on the ground but he somehow gets his legs under himself and gets up and disappears over the rise from where he came. I jack another shell in and keep looking where he went but it all quiet now. Ohhhhh man! Then the adrenaline kicks in and I really start to shake!! By now it’s about 530 and I’m losing light fast. I gather my stuff and start making my way to where I last saw him. I knew he was hit really hard and just couldn’t imagine him getting far. Turns out I was right! As I start to approach where the terrain starts to drop and I see his rack and his body there!!! Turns out he went about 5 yards, just enough to drop out of my sight below the lip of the field. Man was I pumped!! So then the coughing and dry heaves start! Happens every time!! After about 5-10 minutes of this going on, I finally could take it all in and really begin to appreciate how good a buck he really was. I knew he was a good buck when I shot but he was even more impressive when I got to him! I was thanking God for the blessing of being able to hunt and take this fine buck.

Pics of him in velvet 1/2 mile away from where I shot him. I have not gotten him on camera since August.




Post harvest pics


Featherweight does the job again!

At Pine Level Processors!

Great buck and good story. Thanks for sharing

cool story and fine deer- way to write the last chapter with a good ending.

Cool story and thanks for posting pics

Awesome story!!! Congrats on a beautiful buck!!!

Mighty fine one! Congratulations Doc!

Great buck! Congrats Doc!

Great read. Congratulations!

Congrats Doc!

Always enjoy the write ups Doc. Great buck!

Great buck!! Bet he gave those other bucks a hard way to go with those daggers for eye-guards. Congrats

Congrats

I like that Winchester more than the deer and I like the deer pretty good.

Great deer with that “billboard” rack! Love that Featherweight!

Great story, no pipe pictures?

Congratulations buddy! Great looking buck!

Great Story and Buck. Congratulations

Very nice congratulations