But what a beautiful night to be out in the woods.
Night started out funky anyway, I knew where I wanted to go, but maybe 1/2 way there I could hear dear milling about in the woods not more than 30 yards for me, so I hastily made up a ground blind, and had to listen as they moved through the woods and on by me out of sight, listening to the blue jays and squirrels chatter at them as they disappeared to the West and gone.
Not long after a couple more worked their way through the same path and on by, and I listened to what happened before. They were all going by where I WANTED to be, but no way to get there, I apparently was stuck where I was for the night, which was really a good spot anyway, I've sat there before, nice trail coming by, which I'd hoped someone besides me would use but to no avail.
After about 30 minutes of quiet, I decided the heck with it, and took out my rattling horns, It's a little early yet for them to normally work, but what the heck, luck isn't on my side anyway, and the wind which was supposed to be from the South East, is blowing at my back from the West??? Not what equals a good night for what I was set up for.
First light rattling attempt gathered a chorus of blue jays and a squirrel. Whooppee. I waited another 15 minutes and gave it another whirl, was about 6:15 pm. This time I didn't even get a chance to put down the rattlers when I saw a real nice 8 point coming running around a corner of some trees to my East full tilt and stopped about 70 yards away, Probably a 3.5 year old buck by body size, really high 8 point, but only maybe 15 inch spread, very white rack, just glowed on him.
But moving on, I carefully sat down my rattling horns, and calming gathered my bow, the buck is looking all over heck for the cause of rattling, left right, straight ahead. nothing I guess, and turned to leave,, ummm WAIT NO!!! LOL. So, I did what they call a snort wheeze at him, And that turned him right around, but no movement my way, and less I forget, the stupid wind is blowing right at him, to which I'll find out didn't do well for me. Anyhow, he turned to leave AGAIN. So, I wheezed at him again, he just slightly turned, and pfft not interested and started to walk away, So, I did a light grunt at him, well that was enough for him!! He took off running away from me like a shot. During the deer rutting time,they'll come into that, done it many times, but apparently he doesn't want that right now.
He at least never raised his flag, so he didn't appear spooked by a man anyway, more like, "that deer sounds bigger than me, I'm out of here".
Well, I snuck down to where I last saw him, and where he was there is two deer trails beaten down to the mud and two fresh rubs on the trees. That's where deer rub their antlers and it removes the bark. I figured why not, winds good at least here for me, so I sat back in the weeds by those two trails and waited until season was over. But I didn't make it that far. I made the mistake of texting step brother Josh about the previous buck at the same time a deer apparently decided to USE the trail I was within 10 yards of.
I never heard a thing, it was just suddenly there. All I saw was a flash of it's white tail as it spooked off into the distance. That was enough for me for the night, I left early, nothing was going my way, even on this beautiful night in the woods.
So, I'm out if here for the night.
Lance
