I left the woods about 11am today, grabbed some lunch and was back in the woods at 1:30pm. I saw buck rubs in the morning, but I was somehow missing the deer that was making them. I decided to make a circle around the downwind side of my hunting area just to see if the deer had changed patterns from the last few seasons. I saw some rubs, but nothing significant. I eventually wandered to my 2-man stand that I haven't sat in since the first couple days of bow season.
It had been uncommonly dull in the woods. Squirrels were their usual pains in the butt. I crawled up in the stand about 2:45pm and got settled in for another long sit. At 3pm I caught movement back to my right. As soon as I glanced around I could tell it was a deer. A buck! He as was about 60 yards away walking right toward me. He stopped at one point and looked in my general direction. I froze, with my muzzleloader just out of reach. After a few seconds he continued on walking my way. As he stepped behind a tree I quickly grabbed the Optima Pro and swiveled around to my right in one quick move. As he went behind another tree I cocked, shouldered and took aim. He stepped out into a clearing about 40 yards away and turned almost broad side. I let the 250grain Shockwave fly pushed by 115grains of Blackhorn 209. I could tell it was instant hit. I could also feel the serious recoil from the awkward shot angle. The buck tore out in my direction passing about 15 yards behind my stand spewing a trail of blood that would make any archer proud. He went about 30 yards total coming to rest in bow range of my stand.
He was a decent sized 8-pt. He didn't have much for G3s, but each brow tine has an outward bend to it. I've been needing a nice cape for an older set of horns and this boy will suit just fine. He definitely had a swollen neck.
DuckHunt
