It took me awhile to figure out how to reduce the file size on these pictures in order to get them uploaded from my computer.
I finished up at work around 2:30 Wednesday and headed for my closest farm I have to hunt. I have only had one shooter on camera there all year, which is surprising for this spot. But it is a spot that could draw deer from a few different areas so I figured it was worth a shot.
I hunt a finger of woods about 70 yards wide that seperates two (picked) corn fields. I recently moved my stand about 100 yards as it seemed most of the deer were using the lower field. I hunted it Sunday morning and lost track of how many deer I saw, but it was a lot. So I settled in around 3:30 and waited about 5 minutes before the action started. Immediately I had a group of 5 does behind me and 7 about 150 yards to my west. Sandwiched between two groups of does, I felt pretty good about my odds if the bucks weren't locked down. A nice little 8 that has got the pass from me on several hunts now came strolling through tempting me again. Bored, I took a picture of him and made a post to this forum - see "view from my stand".
Out of nowhere the 10 point I was after came sprinting through the corn field behind a doe. The way they were running looked like desperate deer on a deer drive so I figured somehow they were spooked. They ran to my west about 200 yards and disappeared into the tree line. It became evident that he was dogging her soon enough because she appeared again sprinting directly back at me. His wide rack smack behind her! They were on a beeline for me but for some reason they popped back in the woods. Thankfully, she appeared in the corn again and came directly under my stand and fell to her knees in exhaustion. The buck was behind me in the woods about 60 yards picking his head up while doing the sneak trying to see/smell her. It was like he was trying to cut her angle of escape off. Pretty neat. When she got up another big buck came down from where my stand previously hung, but he was only a half rack. I figured I'd have to make a quick shot in this chaos so I ranged where I thought he would first give me a shot at 40 yards. That's a longer shot than I'd like but I decided that as soon as he stepped out there I was giving it to him. When he turned the corner and stepped out just behind the tree I ranged I held on his lungs and let it fly. Unfortunately, that happened about the same time he made a move toward the half rack and my arrow hit him a little back. All is well that ends well, fortunately he ran 10 yards (at the half rack) after my arrow passed through and literally collapsed at his feet. I must have hit an artery because that was probably the quickest I'd ever seen a deer die. There wasn't even the normal kicking.
Poor doe, I almost shot her out of sympathy. It was them game on for the half rack and 8 point. I got a video of the 8 point but somehow forgot to press record on my iPhone when the half rack was dogging her under my stand. Would have been a great video.
In any event, here are a couple pictures. I haven't put the tape to him yet, but I bet 135. Not a monster but I couldn't let him pass. His width was pretty impressive from 20 feet up!
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