the 8 foot deer and the story of the best hunter worst killer ever

[vayotehowler]

 I have been hunting hard this year and had some encounters . Have busted several on the way into the stand this year. Had a six point I let pass, had a spike at 20 yards , let pass. I set up above a field facing south with a sw wind  one am with vertigo (world spinning already toldthat story about the 4 does at 40 yds in archery season)get  up this am and shower , go to garage to get camo on and hear the door to Tanners room open and feet cross the floor . thought it was amy going to our room from his . Come up stairs and ther is lottle tanner at the baby gate (hes 2) its 5am. Daddy u going hunting ??? I tell him yes , he wants to go. I say its real early u need to go back to bed , he says ok daddy. grab breakfast and out the door I go. Beautiful moon this am . Get to the mountain . ITs about a 30 min drive . Still before 1st light . Decide to hunt a stand I havent hit all year but have seen deer everytime I get in . Tie a tarsal gland to my boot and im off. walk real slow on the logging to the stand . . See alot of scrapes and the licking branches are like 3-4 ft off the ground.  as i go in I spry some doe P onto the SW wind and am moving to the east . The mist wafts down into several hollows as I go in . Get in and decide to set up beside two fallen logs. take the tarsal off my boot and hang it in a tree. Now at the base of the  of the two fallen trees is a big oak. The light is definitely up when I get settled .  I hear turkeys on the ridge above on roost. About  min after sun up, I hear the fwop fwop and look up to see 15 gobblers flying off roost soaring off the ridge(what sight). Now I dont knwo why but I have it my mind that the deer are going to be coming from E NE direction(to my left) So I have to two trees to my left and gun between me and them.  It now about 8 am been on stand about an hour and I hear a deer but cant quite place him yet . So I wait. suddenly 10-12 ft below me I hear and see him at the oak . He is moving up the ridge with my back to him . NOW COMES THE  8 ft deer . He is 8ft behind me to my back . I am looking over my shoulder and he is looking at me lip curled smelling the doe P, and his head goes down , ddint have time to pick up my gun, I am thinking , Im about to get gored. so I move my head to look at him and he bolts down the hollow about 20yds behind me. Grab the rifle and grunt he stops behind a tree , moves up the ridge thru saplings and can see the neck and part of the shoulder 75 yards , shoot and hit a sapling .

[Carolina Coyote]

Man, A lot of that sounds so familiar, sometimes thing just don't work out, hope you have better luck  next hunt, I guess the sapling is dead .  cc

[John_NY]

Great story.

John

[vayotehowler]

thanks john was an interesting day to say the least , thought it was long but u guys like the details. it was a fun experience . Not easy to hunt from the ground but his year have had deer 20 yds to 8 ft close from the ground so must be doing something right