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2004
Deer Hunt - A Bowhunt In Progress
The
2004 Bow Season - December 7
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Equipment
For This Hunt
Dec
7 - Afternoon - The Test
Afternoon: Deer
moved later than usual, the shadows were long when the first doe walked
up out of the draw and into the food plot area.
I took pictures as more joined the clover and oat eaters. A new 8-point
appeared and I got his pic, as well as some of the other bucks. As always,
of late, there was additional activity, rubbing and marking limbs, on the
edge of the wood line.
It Was Bound To Happen (The Test)
As the sun settled into
the trees the Freak buck walked down from the hill along the road. I took
4 pictures as he surveyed the area. Bucks and does moved out of his way.
Some left.
A narrow strip of the mixed
seed (called PlotSpike
Premium MIx) is 10 yards in front of my blind and the Freak walked
right to it. I sat my camera down and got my bow.
This was it...
"Pick a spot", something
in my brain whispered. I picked it.
Two thoughts jammed up my
thinking process. The 12 yard shot in front of me at this unique buck.
And the bomber 9-point that some does had prevented me from getting a shot
at 2 days ago ... in the very same place.
More thoughts "Maybe I should
let him turn just a little and get a more perfect angle on this broadside
shot."
The pictures just don't do
this buck justice, he is much larger and heavier than the other deer in
our area. To me he is every bit the trophy that a world champion buck is.
Our area simply does not have non typical bucks like the Freak. And truthfully
I have never seen a mature freak buck within bow range in my whole bowhunting
life.
He took a step and was the
perfect angle.
But I only have one tag,
I can't do both. The season is short, I might never see either of the bucks
again.
Shoot or Wait?
Some of the deer went on
alert. In the distance I heard a tractor coming, the cattle rancher hauling
hay. That will move everything on this side of the slope into the woods.
They'll be back in a little while, but by then it will be dark.
The mental picture of the
9-point lip curling at the does in front of me kept playing in my mind
as I watched the Freak, 10 yards broadside, now looking toward the road..
Minutes later when the tractor
rumbled by slowly 150 yards away. All the deer were gone.
I must be nuts.
But there are 3 weeks of
season left. I'll just take it one day at a time. LIfe is good.
Food
Plot
With the coming of the killing
frost much of the lush vegetation and huge crop of acorns on the ground
have died or gone bad. My green food plot really stands out now in Early
December. I worked with Mike Massey of PlotSpike
Seed to be sure I planted what would grow well in our area. Mike
suggested PlotSpike Forage Oats and Premium Mix. We planted the oars first
and then made 3 small sections of the Premium Mix. The Premium Mix started
growing in 3 days. The oats, however, didn't come up until we had a real
gully washer rain. Then it leaped out of the ground.
Wild Turkeys covered the
plot from the get go. Deer came intermittently. Until now. The joint is
jumping. Here is the page for the Food Plot plans, planting and progress.
2004 Food Plot Project.
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