A 5 Pines Farm Giant

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

The XX on the map is the location of a large food plot. it consists of clover and beets. All the deer were coming up now from the plot. Finally the buck got nervous as he stood so close and turned 180 degree on the trail but stood staring down hill.

Another buck approached. this too was an 8 point 3 year old. A heavy main beam but very short tines. he had an impressive body. the 2 bucks just stood looking at each other. The first buck gave me so very many opportunities to kill him. But I have Angus on my mind now.
buck #1 turned back around and crossed the logging road and headed up the bluff to bed.

buck # 2 walked to me and stood at a mere 5 yards. He looked up and tilted his head, searching for a scent.  My post passed muster and  he started browsing on the greenleaves of a black berry bush. I have never witnessed a buck get his tongue stuck before on a bush. But twice he turned his head to the left and his tongue came out a long ways but in the other direction. He had latched it to the thorns of the bush. Funny to say the least watching him un hook it!

Finally he crossed the logging road and followed the 1st buck up the hill. I was no longer cold and kept vigil another hour. No sign of the really big guys.

There is a rumor that a buck pushing 200 inches was killed in the next valley while I was out west. I am praying it was not Angus, but no one seems able to verify by sending me a picture. Lets hope it was not him.

more to follow................

[ron w]

Cool stuff......as always.

[Bob Abeln]

Jim,
I hope you get the big boy. He is a true Monarch of the forrest.

[SAM E. STEPHENS]

I hope you get a crack at him , he is a toad...

,,Sam,,

[Homey88]

I hope he is still around on your property. Love following your posts! Best of luck this season!

[rainman]

Great story, and a truly impressive buck.

[huntnmuleys]

 Loving this, minus the part where you got hurt out west, and not get an elk. Keep bringing it!

[wislnwings]

Love following along on your hunts each year.  Best of luck to you.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Keep at it Jim. Good luck, I also hope your leg heals quickly

[MnFn]

Hmmm, same thing happened to me when I went west to hunt elk. Physical therapy took care of it. Well, that and a good shot.  Looking forward to seeing that big buck on the ground. Go get him!

I got out for the first time last night. I saw eight and had a doe and two fawns under my stand for twenty to thirty minutes.  Amazing, some nights they catch you right away.  One deer was like twice the size of the rest, but my view was blocked by brush so not sure what he had for headgear.

[HuronArcher]

Oh my!

[Whip]

What a stud! (I'm talking about the buck Jim).  Sure hope he is still around and isn't in the neighbors freezer already.  Good luck on him - it is going to be an exciting fall for you!

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

We have had some wild temp swings the past 72 hours! On Tuesday the low was 42 and the high 47. Then yesterday, it was 61 at 5am and sprinkling when I awoke. I passed on hunting.  Then it was 85F  in afternoon with gusty winds from the SW. Again I stayed out of the woods.

But during the night last night a cold front came roaring in, and with it , good fortune.


DSCN0869 by jgilmer2010, on Flickr

[Mike Bolin]

OK...you got me! Congrats in advance!!!

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

I'd come close to closing the deal Tuesday.  but darkness and too many noses won out.

Today the wind was gusting out of the NW. I needed find a place sheltered from it and I figured the deer did too.

100418 hunt by jgilmer2010, on Flickr

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

There are 2 ways into the stand, the back way ( yellow) and the quick way (Red). Either way you blow deer out of either beds or food plot. With my knee as bad as it is , I chose the easy way in. I knew I would blow deer out of the big food plot, but I hoped it wouldn't matter.

The blue line is the deer trail I was hunting.

Another worry was wind wrap. The steep bluffs here play games with the wind. That is the main reason I have so manny stands out . Some are just 100 yards apart on the same trails. 100 yards up or down the trail can make all the difference on how the wind acts on the bluff sides.


At 8 am I spotted the body of a big deer moving through the trees behind me about 50 yards away. I never saw it's head and it was moving along a secondary trail just above the trail that I was hunting . I made a few soft grunts to no avail.

Fifteen minutes later I looked back in that direction and a nice doe was standing where the deer trail crosses my mowed hiking trail.

The only bad part of this stand location is that access to the stand involves walking on the actual deer trail for about 40 yards . So I  sprayed my boots extra heavy with scent remover and used my bow to push aside the taller grasses I might brush up against.


I was about to see whether that was enough to fool this deer. A fawn appeared. *&%^. I hate shooting does with fawns with them. but I decided since it was my birthday, that if a shot was offered I would not let it pass.


The fawn went ahead of mom and came walking down the trail. Mom was 15 yards behind and totally relaxed. When she was broadside at 10 yards I let the arrow slip.


Standing where she was at the shot shows the ladder stand.


DSCN0867 by jgilmer2010, on Flickr

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

At impact, the doe exploded forward, turned 90 degrees twice and sped back along the secondary deer trail. She made it only forty yards and fell, then rolled and stopped at the bottom of a small apple tree.

DSCN0871 by jgilmer2010, on Flickr

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

I was shooting my 3 piece Hill Country bob cat with long bow limbs. 44 at 28. Bear Paw Carbon Extreem arrows, with 145 grain single bevel Werewolves. The arrow pierced the left leg, then went through the heart and stopped in the off shoulder. There was unbelievable damage to both front shoulders!

Happy 63 rd birthday to me.

Kenny please thank Roman for me again, what a bow!

DSCN0881 by jgilmer2010, on Flickr

DSCN0878 by jgilmer2010, on Flickr

[Homey88]

Congrats to you!

[Kopper1013]

Happy Birthday and Congratulations!! Great shooting!