Post by oldhoyt on Nov 6, 2023 14:00:52 GMT -5
I live in Granger, IN but mostly hunt in Michigan. This past Saturday AM the deer were moving good. Saw a small buck cruising just after good shooting light, an unidentified deer a little while later.
I don't rattle often (hardly at all) but I figured I'd give it a shot and be a little more aggressive in trying to pull a deer in. I had rattled at 8 AM and nothing showed. 9 AM came and I rattled again. Not really banging the horns together, but more grinding and twisting while pulling them apart to get the sound of them sliding against each other, and then followed up with some grunts. I hung up the horns and jokingly told myself there ought to be a buck coming any second.
It seemed like a minute before I heard something coming my way. Then I could see him all puffed up hooking brush as he made his way through the thick understory along the edge of a wetland about 50 yds away. I saw his rack and said to myself, "Good enough for me!" He kept coming straight at me until about 20 yds, looking for those bucks he heard fighting, and then finally turned enough to give me a shot. I buried the top crosshair on the Tenpoint scope and......THWACK!! I don't know how, but I spined him. He went down but his front legs were still working somewhat. I attempted to re-cock manually, but that wasn't happening in my climber. I got out the cocking lever (Thanks Woody for sending me your old cocking device!!) and by the time I was reloaded the deer was lying still at 30 yds, with his back facing toward me. I sent another bolt anyway and the deer seemed to flinch at the impact. Then all was still after that.
The Buck was a nine point, with a split browtine. A little outside the ears and carried mass all the way out to the tips.
Disregard the old fat guy holding my deer up.
I don't rattle often (hardly at all) but I figured I'd give it a shot and be a little more aggressive in trying to pull a deer in. I had rattled at 8 AM and nothing showed. 9 AM came and I rattled again. Not really banging the horns together, but more grinding and twisting while pulling them apart to get the sound of them sliding against each other, and then followed up with some grunts. I hung up the horns and jokingly told myself there ought to be a buck coming any second.
It seemed like a minute before I heard something coming my way. Then I could see him all puffed up hooking brush as he made his way through the thick understory along the edge of a wetland about 50 yds away. I saw his rack and said to myself, "Good enough for me!" He kept coming straight at me until about 20 yds, looking for those bucks he heard fighting, and then finally turned enough to give me a shot. I buried the top crosshair on the Tenpoint scope and......THWACK!! I don't know how, but I spined him. He went down but his front legs were still working somewhat. I attempted to re-cock manually, but that wasn't happening in my climber. I got out the cocking lever (Thanks Woody for sending me your old cocking device!!) and by the time I was reloaded the deer was lying still at 30 yds, with his back facing toward me. I sent another bolt anyway and the deer seemed to flinch at the impact. Then all was still after that.
The Buck was a nine point, with a split browtine. A little outside the ears and carried mass all the way out to the tips.
Disregard the old fat guy holding my deer up.
