pointingdogsrule
Well-known member
First of all I am blessed to live in northeast Iowa where the deer are big. I have the opportunity to look over many bucks during the season and pick and choose.
Blackpowder season started last Saturday and lasts for 9 days. This season has been "hit & miss" for me in the past. With the chance of warm and variable winds you never know how deer movement will be.
We had nice northwest winds all week until Friday night (just what I wanted). Every night I was seeing bucks (all came out after 6 pm, with shooting hours ending at about 6:45 pm). Last Saturday one 8 point basket rack. Sunday night (3) 3 point & 4 point scrubs. Sunday morning a small 8 point and that night more 6 points. Monday through Thursday night the racks were getting bigger, however, they were still too small and too young. Friday morning I rattled in a nice 11 point (16 - 17 inch spread) with lots of character, however, it was obvious that he was just to young to shoot. I just smiled as I watched him through the scope at 60 yards & thought "came back next year and visit me when you add 20 -30 inches of rack".
Friday the wind changed to the south. Only one of my stands works well for a south wind. I headed out to the stand behind my house (just because I can not stand sitting at home when I could be sitting in a tree). With a full moon , south wind and 57 degrees I thought that my chances were slim to none. With only three days left in the season I was not giving up, yet.... hoping that one of the big boys would stop being noctural. At 5 pm a spike buck shows up at 80 yards and soon leaves. At 6 pm I look towards the area below my barn where the deer often bed down. I notice this big white patch and recognize it a the neck of a buck at about 350 yards. He is licking a branch and I can make out a rack at that distance. I give him a quick look with the binos and decide he is worth taking a closer look at. I grunt and give a snort/weeze. I get his attention and he stares in my direction for the next five minutes without moving. The tree that I am in has lots of branches so I know that I am well camouflaged. He starts to parallel me by walking the fence line, all the while getting a little closer. I keep an eye on him, however, because his rack blends in with the corn and CRP grass so it is hard to define.
At 150 yards he disappears behind some heavy brush in the valley. I have a path cut, in the CRP grass, from the bottom of the valley past my treestand, that the deer regularly use. It is now 6:30 and I only have 15 minutes of shooting time. Either he shows or I am done for the day. I give a few grunts and tip "the can" over 2 times. I then get set and wait and stare at that path. The wait seems to take forever and the minutes are passing by... will he show. With 5 minutes to go he steps into path at 50 yards and turns broadside. I put him in the scope and decide he "IS NOT WHAT I AM LOOKING FOR". In the fading light, he looks to be an older, medium 8 point. I decide to take one more look.... trying to talk myself into talking the deer. On the second look I see that his tines are taller then I thought and his body is very big (mature deer). With only a few steps until he is in the brush I decide to harvest this buck. The blackpowder goes off and the smoke puffs out of the barrel as does the fire (which looked so cool in the fading light). The buck jumps and goes about 15 yards and ends up behind a pine tree. I can not see him and wait quitely (without re-loading). 5 minutes later I hear a sound an believe that he is only wounded and ran way. I stay put and 5 minutes later while looking in the low light I see a large white spot about 40 yards below my stand. YES, there he lays. I quitely get down from my stand and take the short 200 yard walk back to my barn. 45 minutes later two friends meet me and I drive the John Deere (with bucket) out to the deer. As the lights shine on the buck I am pleased with what I see.... a very large bodied & mature 10 point buck.
18+ inch spread, g2's 9 1/2 inches, g3's 8 1/2 inches.
Now it's time to pick up the bow a go for "the really big boys" as the rut kicks in.
good luck to all
the dog
Blackpowder season started last Saturday and lasts for 9 days. This season has been "hit & miss" for me in the past. With the chance of warm and variable winds you never know how deer movement will be.
We had nice northwest winds all week until Friday night (just what I wanted). Every night I was seeing bucks (all came out after 6 pm, with shooting hours ending at about 6:45 pm). Last Saturday one 8 point basket rack. Sunday night (3) 3 point & 4 point scrubs. Sunday morning a small 8 point and that night more 6 points. Monday through Thursday night the racks were getting bigger, however, they were still too small and too young. Friday morning I rattled in a nice 11 point (16 - 17 inch spread) with lots of character, however, it was obvious that he was just to young to shoot. I just smiled as I watched him through the scope at 60 yards & thought "came back next year and visit me when you add 20 -30 inches of rack".
Friday the wind changed to the south. Only one of my stands works well for a south wind. I headed out to the stand behind my house (just because I can not stand sitting at home when I could be sitting in a tree). With a full moon , south wind and 57 degrees I thought that my chances were slim to none. With only three days left in the season I was not giving up, yet.... hoping that one of the big boys would stop being noctural. At 5 pm a spike buck shows up at 80 yards and soon leaves. At 6 pm I look towards the area below my barn where the deer often bed down. I notice this big white patch and recognize it a the neck of a buck at about 350 yards. He is licking a branch and I can make out a rack at that distance. I give him a quick look with the binos and decide he is worth taking a closer look at. I grunt and give a snort/weeze. I get his attention and he stares in my direction for the next five minutes without moving. The tree that I am in has lots of branches so I know that I am well camouflaged. He starts to parallel me by walking the fence line, all the while getting a little closer. I keep an eye on him, however, because his rack blends in with the corn and CRP grass so it is hard to define.
At 150 yards he disappears behind some heavy brush in the valley. I have a path cut, in the CRP grass, from the bottom of the valley past my treestand, that the deer regularly use. It is now 6:30 and I only have 15 minutes of shooting time. Either he shows or I am done for the day. I give a few grunts and tip "the can" over 2 times. I then get set and wait and stare at that path. The wait seems to take forever and the minutes are passing by... will he show. With 5 minutes to go he steps into path at 50 yards and turns broadside. I put him in the scope and decide he "IS NOT WHAT I AM LOOKING FOR". In the fading light, he looks to be an older, medium 8 point. I decide to take one more look.... trying to talk myself into talking the deer. On the second look I see that his tines are taller then I thought and his body is very big (mature deer). With only a few steps until he is in the brush I decide to harvest this buck. The blackpowder goes off and the smoke puffs out of the barrel as does the fire (which looked so cool in the fading light). The buck jumps and goes about 15 yards and ends up behind a pine tree. I can not see him and wait quitely (without re-loading). 5 minutes later I hear a sound an believe that he is only wounded and ran way. I stay put and 5 minutes later while looking in the low light I see a large white spot about 40 yards below my stand. YES, there he lays. I quitely get down from my stand and take the short 200 yard walk back to my barn. 45 minutes later two friends meet me and I drive the John Deere (with bucket) out to the deer. As the lights shine on the buck I am pleased with what I see.... a very large bodied & mature 10 point buck.
18+ inch spread, g2's 9 1/2 inches, g3's 8 1/2 inches.
Now it's time to pick up the bow a go for "the really big boys" as the rut kicks in.
good luck to all
the dog
