Here are some pictures of the 2002 hunt. Till next year...
Around 9AM a deer was on its way to me, then changed directions and headed towards Mark, but it was behind a tree and Mark didn't have a shot. After that a big buck came from the same place and this time kept coming towards my tree stand. It started to walk directly at me along the road, 50 yards, 40 yards, 30 yards... it looked so big at thirty yards, I had to take the shot. I had a front quarter shot, and hit it dead onions. It flipped around and started heading back the way it came. After a couple hundred yards, it slowed to a walk, then stood right at the tree line for 5 minutes then entered the bush. I called Mark & Dad on the radio, and we started after it after 1/2 a hour. But then it got up again right inside the tree line and took off again. We backed off for another hour. I could see it with my scope. It was again just at the tree line. Then it got up moved further in the bush. After another 1/2 hour or so, we went again, and this time found it dead. What a buck another 8point buck!
That evening I called out a Huge buck using the dow bleat call, I was in the Garden Tower this time, but I thought it was over 50 feet away when in fact it was 40 feet, and I could have taken the shot.
No other deer was within range of a shot Tuesday through Thursday, but we saw a lot. Friday morning the last day of bow hunting, I was in the Pond tower, Mark was sleeping, him and Kevin were up late packing for their drive back to Nashville. When I heard was sounded like a chipmunk right behind me. I thought, boy if that is a deer, and I am not ready to shoot, Mark will rag me out, so I got ready and sure enough out steps a buck, crossing the gut line. It kept walking right across the opening, so I was tracking it with the bow, and just about to make my shot when a tree gets in my way, I wait another seconds, the deer takes another step, and I shoot. I forgot to even look how far the deer was, and I shot using the 30-yard pin, when in fact it was about 15 yards from me. My shot was high, so high in fact I hit it in the spine, and it dropped right there. Wow, no tracking, that is the way to go! This buck was a little smaller than the first, and was a 7 point buck, just about an eight, but the ring fell off the smallest tine.
I wonder how 2003 will go, I am hoping to go for a week of bow, and I hope Mark comes down again. This is your year Mark.
Here are some pictures of the 2002 hunt. Till next year...