Halloween Treat For Me

Last weekend’s break from hunting was much needed for both Phillip and I. So I was ready to put my game face on for a very chilly Halloween weekend. I packed on the CLOTHES thick!! We pulled out from the house at Saturday morning at 5:45am. Had about a 30-45 minute drive. I was getting things ready in my backpack as we drove down the interstate to Twiggs County. I suddenly realized that I didn’t grab my snake boots and Phillip didn’t pick them up either. I know I probably didn’t need them with this cold weather, but last time I “almost didn’t wear” them was in 2008 when I had a personal encounter with a 5ft Timber Rattler. AND not to mention it happened on the way to the same stand I was gonna hunt that morning! I figured I would be ok in my rubber boots for a cold morning hunt. Another 5 minutes goes by and realize I left my cell phone at the house too! The morning was NOT starting off right at all! We finally got to the huntin club. I sure was craving some hot, yummy coffee…but we all know what will happen if I drink that! So I had to pass on the fluids for the morning. Phillip let me borrow his cell phone and he used his work phone. We geared up and pinned in our spots on the map. Phillip went to the stand he killed his big 9pt buck out of last year and I went back to the INFAMOUS “P” stand! (“P”= pee….don’t ask! LOL) This is the stand I hunted religiously last year. But also the same stand I mentioned above where I killed my snake in ’08; the same stand I had a granddaddy long leg crawl down my face; a squirrel almost land in my lap; a funky spike walk right underneath me; , and many more great moments I won’t have time to mention. The stand is in a great spot! It’s right in the middle of white oaks; clear cut to the left; pines to the right. It’s a really long walk from camp, but it’s always worth it.

I haven’t hunted this stand this year yet, but I was ready to get back to a familiar place. I made really good timing getting to the stand. Phillip hunted it the night before and told me he had a young 8 point buck sneak up behind him. The buck came in and was smelling the CODE BLUE scent lure that Phillip dragged in. But Phillip let him walk because he looked a little too young for him to shoot. Not to mention our club rule: “You shoot him, you mount him!” So I remembered his story about the buck as I climbed up the tree. I took my time getting in a secured position. I felt like I was in an astronaut suite! It was cold and I didn’t want to rush myself. I strapped my safety harness to the tree, hung my back pack up, and took a deep breath as I sat down and lowered the shooting rail over my head. I took my buck grunt out and maneuvered it over the clothes on my left arm. This was my only choice since this grunt didn’t come with a neck string. I didn’t know what to do with it and I knew I would need it. The elastic band came in handy. I then placed my gun in my lap and propped the barrel on the rail for a quick and easy aim. I got everything settled in. I took a deep breath and slipped my neck gator up over my mouth. I was very warm and was looking forward to a great morning. I rest my head back and gazed up at the stars. I see an airplane and watch its lights flicker. It was beautiful. The stars are prettier than diamonds. But day was breaking.

About 10 minutes after daylight, I lost patience. I picked up my left arm and blew in the buck grunt a few times. I really wanted to see if I could draw in that 8 point that Phillip saw the night before. I laid my arm back down in my lap and waited. The squirrels were rustling in the leaves and birds were looking for breakfast. I was really hoping nothing would sneak in behind me. I guess it was about 20 minutes later when I hear something in the pines to my right. It was about my one o’clock position. I watched intently. Something is walking in the pine straw and some limbs popped. I focus harder. Then…I see brown fur through the trees!! I slowly rest my arms down off the rail and put my hands on my gun. I watch and wait. It takes a few more steps but I couldn’t see anything. It was making its way in the pines and getting closer. I waited some more. I see brown fur step out from the pines and cross the foot path (still at my one o’clock). I saw something white! And NO not his tail….yep --- antlers! I didn’t even see how many. I just KNEW this was that 8 point buck Phillip saw. The buck sniffs on some bushes where Phillip had that CODE BLUE. I am now shaking and breathing heavier….I gripped my gun tighter and kept my eye on him hard. I slowly lifted my gun up to get ready. He would stop and look in my direction…but I think he was looking past me on ground level. He sniffed some more and was looking around. He was behind several bushes and a big oak tree. I lifted my gun up some more to get it level. He is now at my twelve o’clock. His head peeps out behind the tree. I see antlers. I don’t know how many! I didn’t care! He was a big deer and I wanted him! He looked up again to scope the area. He looks my way again and I froze! I was shaking worse and I could NOT get any air in my lungs! I kept taking deep breaths but I swear I couldn’t breathe! I stayed still….he looked my way again. He finally lowered his head. He decided what he wanted wasn’t there and turned around. My heart sank as he started to walk back the way he came. But I wasn’t giving up! My IMMEDIATE thought was “Nuh-uh! You aint getting away from me!” I picked my left arm up and blew in the grunt twice. My hand quickly found my gun as I watched him slowly walk around some bushes and a few trees. I placed my gun on the rail and secured it in my right shoulder. I lowered my head and made sure I wasn’t too close to the scope. I look up again and I now have a clear view of his head and body. I rest my cheek on the stock and keep both eyes open to watch him. He stops and lowers his head behind a tree….leaving enough left shoulder and the rest of his body for me to shoot. I’m shaking and my heart beat is the loudest thing I could hear. As soon as he stopped behind that tree, I didn’t hesitate. My cheek was already on the stock and I closed my left eye. I put the crosshairs on him. I squeezed the trigger and let him have a bullet from my .270! He kicks his back legs and white tail goes up! He runs off! I tried to reload but my gun was stuck. I look up and listen. I heard him running, then it got quiet. THEN, I heard a loud crash! I squeezed my fists and looked up and said “THANK YOU JESUS! Lord I hope I didn’t miss him!” And I almost cried of excitement! I knew I had him! But I was nervous I missed. So I sat there in disbelief for a minute or two. I txt Phillip’s work phone: “I shot him! God I hope I didn’t miss!” Our texts continued for the next 5 minutes. It was 7:45am when I shot him. I called my mom and woke her up in the bed and whispered “HEY! I just shot a buck!” We talked for a few minutes and I told her the story! I hung up with her and Phillip wanted me to get down and look for blood. It had been 20-30 minutes, so I figured it would be safe to go look. I left my back pack in the tree, reloaded my gun, and climbed down. I was so excited! My feet touched the ground and I was pumped! I walked down to where I thought I shot him. I couldn’t find any blood! There’s a creek that wraps around and my heart sunk again. I sure hope he didn’t cross that creek ditch. I kept walking back around the edge of white oaks and pine trees. There was an evident path to the right. I kept my eyes peeled. I was feeling sick to my stomach. No blood. I walked 40 yards. I looked up and there were some briars right in front of me. I had a feeling. That wasn’t the path I needed to take. So I stepped to the right to go around it. I looked down as I watched my step……BLOOD! We got blood! I text Phillip to let him know. I followed a decent trail of blood drops that led me into the pines. I walked another 20 yards. I look up and find this small green bush splattered with blood! My eyes got as big as pancakes! I stared at it forever! I think I even squealed! I stopped and went back the way I came. Phillip said he was on the way and wanted me to meet him. So I went back to my stand and got my back pack down. I took off some layers and set everything, but my gun, there by a pine tree. I took my camera out of my back pack and had it ready. I walked back towards camp and met Phillip. We walked back down the trail to my stand as I told him my story! He kept asking questions and I was just too excited to answer! We got to the stand and I re-enacted everything for him. I handed him the camera to hold. I had another bullet chambered just in case we jumped in. I took Phillip back to where I found blood and showed him what it led me too. After he saw the splattered blood on the bush, he noticed a blanket of pine straw right behind it that was kicked up and turned over. It led us to more blood. We walked another 10 yards. Phillip was in front of me looking on the ground. We followed the blood through the pines. It was gorgeous in there! Phillip was watching the ground. So I looked up and took a quick survey around us. I see him! I whispered a shout “PHILLIP! PHILLIP! THERE HE IS!” I point to the left another 5 yards away! There he was lying on the ground! Phillip turned around and we hugged with excitement! SMOOCHES and HUGS! We practically ran to him and I had no idea he was as big as he was. He was HUGE to me! We high-fived as I grabbed a set of 9 points! He was beautiful! He had a big neck and body! He weighed about 200lbs. We were both tickled pink! We snapped a couple of pictures right there where I found him! We were stunned! Phillip confirmed that this buck is NOT the 8 point buck he saw the night before. It was definitely two different deer and I shot the bigger one! The entry wound was further back than where I wanted it. It’s in his mid section. It blew through his ribs, blew out a lung, and came out right in front of his right shoulder! The bullet didn’t get any guts! So the shot was better than we thought! Our celebration began as we headed back to camp for the four-wheeler. We watched the taxidermist (Travis) cape him out and clean everything out of him. I was in amazement and was right there next to him while he was cleaning him up. I touched his wind pipe and his heart. Saw his blown up lung. And got more educated about deer parts as Travis cut away. I was so intrigued (and HAPPY)!!! He will be shoulder mounted and proudly displayed in our living room with Phillip’s buck! I can’t wait! It was a great morning and I thank God for these moments and for allowing us to enjoy the time in the woods. Hard hunting pays off and makes up for all the bad days! Last time I shot a buck was a small 6 point back in 2007. I KNEW I would see something better sooner or later out of my “P” stand! What a great Halloween treat!!!

Pickin Up The Rifles

It was a tough weekend for me. Rifle season opened up and lots of outta-town club members showed up to hunt. I took my bow Saturday morning and hunted a food plot. Didn't see nothing. I have no idea why I hunted a food plot. I should've been in some oaks somewhere, although the acorns haven't started dropping hard yet. But the deer are moving through there. It was quiet Saturday morning where I was. I did hear a few gun shots off in the distance so somebody got to take home some deer!

Saturday night I sat in a BIG, comfy condo stand! Lots of room to spread out and be comfortable! It was a nice change from those lock-on stands I've been sitting in. I had plenty of room for my STUFF! The stand was amongst a jungle of brush and white oaks. About 150-200 yards out in front of me is a food plot. I could see a little bit of green. But not much. We need some rain bad!  Well I didn't see anything that night either.


Sunday night I went to a BEAUTIFUL oak bottom that is downhill on the property side...nobody has hunted down there yet. I was excited....until I got in this stand. I probably shouldn't be posting this, b/c this is NOT safe hunting! Treestand safety says not to sit in any homemade stands. Well....I sat in one. It was only about 13 feet high. Very small platform with an old office swivel chair that was screwed down securely into the stand. I hated not being higher up in the tree...but worse than that- my feet were half on and half off the platform. It was a small space. At least I had arm rests to prop on.  But I felt like I was leaning forward the entire evening! I was very uncomfortable. But I toughed it out and sat patiently.  I checked out SEVERAL of the trees in there and I'll be going back with my climber! Had a frisky squirrel jump in my tree and I heard him coming down towards me. I could tell he was running closer and closer down towards me. He got so close I could hear him purring. It freaked me out! So I moved a little bit to scare him off.  LOL I just don't want to risk a squirrel jumping on me in the stand! LOL I never did see any deer that night (wonder why!).  I didn't realize it was dark when it was! I figured I would get down b/c it was too dark in the oak bottom for me to see. It looked like it was still daylight above the pines behind me. So I stook up to get my gear together and something bright and shiney was gleaming down on me and the rest of the trees. I looked up.....the moon! Dawg-gone-it!  Moon played tricks on me again! So I laughed and made my journey back up the steep hill that helped make up my lack of exercise that week! It was a beast to go up!

We had a couple of other guys shoot some deer that weekend. One guy shot a BIG 8 pointer with his bow. A 17year old outta town club member shot a 7 pointer! He and his dad were tickled pink! And we were all excited for them! They were giggling like girls the rest of the night! It was awesome for them to share that together this past weekend down here in Georgia!

Well I might take this next weekend off. I need a break. And rut will be kicking in soon! Things will be getting wild out there! Sure can't wait!

Columbus Weekend Update

Saturday morning I sat in a stand that I haven't yet hunted this year.  I've sat in it the past two years, but never saw much out of it.  But my hubby always did.  Anyhow, I didn't see nothing that morning. Only heard one walking through the pines at daybreak. It stopped and pee'd. Then later on I heard one blowing in the
distance. She was raising cain. Probably blowing at a coyote or something.  She wasn't close enough to see me. It is pretty thick back off behind me where she was.  So I figured she was blowing at another animal.

Saturday evening I went back to the tall 30ft lock on I've been hunting on the property line. I keep seeing small deer out of this stand. This is the stand that I spooked a turkey out of the other weekend.  As I was walking to the stand, I had about 100 yards to go. I topped the path and took one last look before I went downhill into the bottom. I glazed over the clear cut and what little bit of the food plot I could see. There was a deer standing there in the food plot end closest to my stand. I froze and slowly squatted down. I didn't know what to do. My release was in my backpack which was on my back. My bow was in a bow-sling over my neck and shoulder. I was trying to figure out what in the world to do. I looked back up. The deer was looking off in the woods. I figured I could probably get my stuff off somehow or another. I tried reaching around to slowly get my bow sling off first. It just wouldn't come off. I looked back up and the deer was gone! I looked around again to double check. I slowly stood up. Didn't see nothing in the food plot. Wasn't sure where it went. Then I heard something in the clear cut to the left of me. the clear cut runs down to the edge of the food plot. It is thicker than caro syrup! I heard something and was looking -- sure enough! A deer was in the bushes eating like they always do! I slowly squatted down again. I took took a step back and got myself closer to the edge of the path I was on to hide myself some more. I just could NOT get my stuff off my shoulder and back. I have no idea why. LOL I peaked back up - the deer was only 15 yards away. This would've been SOOOO easy. I think it was a doe. Wasn't sure yet. But I was having a tough time deciding whether or not to take my bow off, take the bow sling off, get an arrow out, then unzip my back pack to get my release out. I was worried that by the time I did all that the deer would be in my lap! So I took a deep breath and thought "I'm gonna be mad at myself, but what do I do?" So I slowly stood up but kept crouched down and walked slowly down the path and to my stand. It had to have seen me. It didn't blow at me and it didn't appear to have run off.  But it could have and I just didn't hear it as I climbed my stand. I was hurrying to get up in the stand.

Finally got in my stand and got set up.  Didn't see anything until 6:55pm. A small doe had come out into the food plot to eat. She was EXTREMELY skiddish. She went back into the woods after 10 minutes. Finally another doe came out of the clear cut and into the food plot. Then another deer. So I was watching 2 deer come towards my end of the food plot. I put my release on the loop and scooted to the edge of my seat. I was ready.  Time was at stake b/c it was ALMOST too dark to shoot. They kept getting closer. After another 5 minutes, she was finally in range.  I checked my pin site and kept watcing her.  I waited until she got quartered away from me so I knew I would get lungs and hopefully heart!  Well.....*sigh*....I didn't take a shot. It was too dark and I didn't want to risk it. I was aggravated. But that's huntin. 

Didn't go Sunday.

Monday - that's a whole other animal. I almost got shot at by some idiot at our other honey hole we go to. This man lets us hunt is 15 acres behind his house in another county. Phillip and I were putting up a 2 seater
stand and clearing out small trees and limbs for a shooting lanes. We had been working for an hour or so.  Well we swapped so that I was on the ground and Phillip was in the stand telling me what to cut. All of a
sudden, a small 22 rang out. We froze. We heard the bullets hitting the leaves  and woods towards the end of our food plot.  Sounded like the man shot something small. Sounded like we heard a small yelp or squeal. Maybe he shot a coyote or racoon (racoons aint in season yet!).  It didn't seem far off. Heard the bullets through the leaves. We waited a good minute or so. We figured he stopped. So I walked on down into the food plot and up into the woods where the trail camera was. Phillip wanted to have a clear shot from the stand into the woods where they come from.  So as I wave my arms to show him where I was, the shots rang out again! I ducked down...the bullets were coming through. Phillip hollars at him to stop. That people were over here in the woods and that his bullets were coming through the woods. Guess he got mad and he deliberately started shooting like crazy again! The bullets were whizzing through the woods to my right....They were hitting leaves and limbs a few yards from me. I ducked behind a tree!! He wouldn't stop and I screamed "STOP SHOOTING!!" b/c those bullets were getting close! He finally stopped long enough for me to come out. We got on the 4 wheeler and went back to the truck and waited. Called the land owner. Ended up trying to go back 3 times and everytime we got back there on the 4wheeler and shut it off, he would start shooting again. We ended up calling the deputy up the road. She came out and we explained what happened. We just wanted someone there to help us.  The deputy went to his house. He says he wasn't shooting. So he denied it. He was the only one home and the other neighbor wasn't home.  That was enough for us to leave and not come back. Deputy came back to us and talked with us while we loaded up the truck.  We got all our stuff up and left. We'll go back another day and get the stand. We won't be going back. We can't risk getting shot!!

That night we went to the hunting club. I sat in my climber in an oak bottom. Didn't see or hear a thing. It was boring. Tough weekend. Next weekend should be better -- the moon phase will be changing and hopefully giving us better chances at some deer. 

More to come.........