This past year saw the Mrs and me moving from 5 acres to a 100 acre spot much more suited for deer hunting so for the first time in years I started developing low grade buck fever as summer turned to fall. Work kept me from hunting opening weekend and it wasn't until this past Friday I found some stand time. Having noticed a scrape line formed right off the food plot the last week of October, and one being cleared of leaves daily I was excited to get in the stand.
The plot I hunted represented a number of firsts for me... the first ground I ever harrowed by tractor (used hand tiller as a boy for my family's garden) and the first time I hunted an open area, albeit a small one.
), and then go back in so any deer in the area might perceive I just walked around the field and then went back to the house where the noise ended. No sign of anything until about 40 minutes before dark. Three does that have stayed together since the summer silently and warily creeped in and started feeding. Maybe 5 minutes later 3 more does came in with a bit less caution, though REALLY dominant older doe in first group kept running off the new pack best she could. It was fun to watch the differing behavior of each deer. With about 15 minutes of light left, the dominant doe broke off from her group of 3 and slowly walked to the wood's edge seemingly very focused on something. Seconds later I could hear a heavier deer approaching directly behind me. Then the deer coming in behind me stopped and didn't move. Only when the older doe turned back into the field and started walking off separate from her group did the buck move. He must have targeted her because as she walked away I started hearing his call... "grunt... grunt... grunt..." Then he walked through thick brush directly under my stand. Instantly process he's an 8 pointer with a nice rack, but NOT one of the bucks I've been catching on camera in our area over the late summer / early fall. Got me a TRESPASSER!
Go to take my shot as he takes his first step into the clearing and... safety is on... he makes a slight turn back towards me and I'm scared to death if I move a muscle to switch the safety he'll see / hear it, sense danger and bolt.. buck fever running CRAZY high... then he moves on 20 yards or so, pauses center field and looks in the direction of the traveling doe, and his attention is turned BLESSEDLY away from me. Switch the safety, steady crosshairs over the ticker area of his silhouette and pull. Result is a high jump followed by mad sprinting into a DENSE thicket that the deer follow when traveling. He crashes hard enough I'm thinking he's definitely down, but maintaining stand discipline I stay put as it gets dark to be sure I don't jump him prematurely. At least 3 does come back out in the dark as I let 30 minutes or so pass. Call the Mrs and tell her to drive down to spook the does off without me giving up my stand location. She brings a good flashlight BUT I can't find a single drop of blood! I go get an even better flashlight and put my old trusty lab Amos on leash. Even with the super bright flashlight, still finding not a drop of blood. Can't believe it. Amos is scenting deer but pretty much all over the place and doesn't seem blood focused. I guide him toward the thicket and he's still not seemingly finding blood but is raising nose with great interest as if smells a buck. Get scratched up good trying to guide him through the thick stuff on leash, and finally I think to myself, "Why leash him?" At 8 and obese I kind of doubt he's going to run off too far.
Once off leash, took him just a few seconds to find him. 
One or two of the South Carolina deer I killed likely weighed more, but nicest rack I've taken to date. Now just have to find some stand time to see if can find another worthy buck before doing some work to balance our buck to doe ratio later this month. With the prominent BBF sticker placement, hoping I might get some sponsorship $ from Bman.
