Well the deer are certainly moving.. Rut isn't full tilt yet because the bucks seem to be moving but are more or less following the does not chasing. Bucks are still more interested in eating than in chasing and from recent comments from readers everyone seems to be seeing the same thing. On the flip side of that it could change any minute! So make sure you spend some time in the woods the next week or so!
On to my evening outing.... I will say right off the bat, everyone, no matter how good you are, can have major let down and miss.. Doesn't matter how good you are or how many years you have been hunting.. Now maybe I am trying to cheer myself up, but either way it's the honest truth, anyone can miss. So I went out this evening in hopes that one of those old big boys were out moving, recently our trail cam has been getting pictures of a couple good deer ( pictures coming on our next trail cam update). One of them is a very interesting 11 point buck. He sorta has a second main beam on one side, either way he is a big deer and the coolest deer I have every seen here in central Maryland. Also note the biggest deer I have shot at, certainly not the biggest deer I have seen but for sure the biggest deer I have shot at. I had a 3 point buck walk past me around 5:40 and a little later around 6 4 does came by it was starting to get dark since the sun hasn't been out in days... Well about 10 or 15 minutes later here he came, down the same trail the does had taken just slowly walking along and browsing has he went. I had put some scents out and he stopped and smelled them and started rubbing his antlers on branches around where I had put some. Amazing to watch, also got my heart beating out of my chest, which didn't help me much to say the least. Finally he was 26 yards broadside, perfect shot. But it was 6:23, less than 10 minutes of legal shooting light left and man I could just make out the deer and my pins at the same time. Knowing it was 26 yards I aimed a little high with my 20 yard pin.. Well, when I hit my release and watched my arrow fly I knew I had shot right under him. He trotted about 10 yards and started walking away. Before I could get another arrow ready he was 50+ yards away and I couldn't see him anymore as it was getting too dark. I waited a long time for the rest of the deer to clear out of the area as they all hung around (good sign you missed). I sat still not wanting to spook the deer just in case I had hit him, I didn't want to push him. Finally got down after all but one small spike whom appeared after I shot had cleared the area and started looking for my arrow.
After just a couple short minutes of looking for my arrow and seeing the deer were still only 75 yards away as I had many sets of eyes watching me look for my arrow. I found the arrow with just mud and leaves on it. Clean miss and my worst fear even if I already knew it in my head were true. I simply missed. On the other hand it was the first deer and I had shot at this season and the biggest buck I had ever shot at so I think buck fever got the best of me this time. But a good friend of mine told me one good piece of advice. He said the best news out of the whole thing is it was a clean miss! He is right that is very good news as I don't have a wounded buck out running around, I just simply shot right under his rib cage.
The second side of this is, he didn't really spook off so maybe he will be back again in the next few days! Plan to be in the woods the next couple days morning and night. So even know it makes me sick I missed, I am happy he is still out there for another day and I look forward to the next meeting!
Anyone else make it out today and have the pleasure or seeing or harvesting a deer? Leave us a comment with your photo!
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