Well it all started last night. I wasn't going to go out this morning as I had a lot to do today. A new hunter asked if I would go with him and I said OK. lets meet at set location at 6-6:15. He said why so early. I told him you need to be out in the field at least an hour before legal to let bush settle.
Had rough sleep the old order Mennonite young folk were out 'til 2:30 running past my place and I was getting up at 4:45.Got up and morning usual and had something to eat and headed for bush. it's a 25 minute drive, get there and get all together and head out. Part way back get a text from young lad"slept in be there in 20" i replyed heading out already. Get to my tree and tried going up with my Summit Viper Classic and the tree was too big round and all i did was slide down. Couldn't grip properly. I start sweating and it is Cold out Yes -5. I look and see another tree 20 feet away and head over there with everything. Much better tree, wiping sweat from my face and feeling it run down my back as I climb I'm thinking "am I really nuts, they'll never come in with that stink".
Well I'm here let's make the best of it. it's now 7:05 and I settle into the climber all cumfy and take in the sunrise over the next hour and a half and all I see is squirrels doing their thing. I grunted on my Primos Grunt Tube
and waited 10 minutes....no reaction. Ok another grunt wait 5 and if nothing go home and set to work. Grunted and waited, out of the corner of my eye I notice 2 does starting to appear, then 3 more . I watched them for about 10 minutes as they got closer and then they stopped and looked back. from watching all those Wild tv hunting shows I thought "the buck is coming" and sure as guns there he was. He started chasing 2 does and the others moved to my left abit.concentrating on the buck and doe he chases another and all three head out of sight, so I watched the others behind me.
Suddenly the three behind look back in the direction of the buck and does so I slowly turn and see the does and then the buck. I slowly lift my Exomax and watch the does coming from the buck getting into range and forgot the three to my left. At a glance I see one of three is staring at me so I FREEZE. I waited for 5 minutes as she looks and can't make me out when suddenly the buck chases a does in front of me 25-30 yards away. The doe blasts through the opening but the buck ,he stops and looks in her direction and pays no attention to me same with the ones behind me so I raise my Exomax he's 1/4ing away and I know I need to aim just in front of the back hantch mid way up( 3D knowledge) and let the GII Lazer with 125 gm Spitfire do its thing. I saw the arrow go in and THWACK.
i sit back and watch the buck for a second and start shaking and text my son and daughter then realized I better watch the buck and see where he drops.Scanning the bush with my Vortex binos I see nothing, the does are all looking in front of me about 75 yards away but I couldn't see at what. They all hung around until I gave the buck 15 minutes before I got down to find arrow. I looked in binos before I got down and all I saw was the nock. Sweet great penitration. I get down look in the area and nothing, I hear something and my son runs into the bush. He gives me the Hi-5 and said I knew you would do it. We looked for the arrow and nothing, not even blood trail, what i thought was nock was dew or frost melting. He had to leave and xbowkidd and another hunting friend came and we again looked. By this time the shaking stopped and I had a clearer head. We do a search and no arrow "xbowkidd said "it might still be in the deer". We kept looking, we walked about 40-50 yards and I look left and there he was. YES there he lay a 7 point non-typical and little blood. I said maybe he died from being scared of the Exomax. We checked him out while gutting and the arrow went in 8 inches down from spine and forward like I planned but in retreiving arrow it looked like it didn't expand but it was dripping from neck area a little and oh was there spray where he lay.
When I hung him and skinned him the expandables did work and it did pock a hole at neck area but didn't exit. Hit a lung and he only went 50 yards. What a day, I will sleep well tonight. For all those still trying this was my 4th year and I have been out with my son every Sunday afternoons and some saturday mornings since opener and it paid off. My son wasn't with me he had other commitments but he did drop it to try and help. Tomorrow aft we are at it again, it's his turn now. Pictures to follow later.
Sorry for the long story.
great dedication 
