8 is Enough

This October I've been able to make a few sits in my pop up blinds. Passed a solid 4 year old 10 point opening evening at 8 yards broadside at a feeder I have set in a drainage draw... I guess because it was opening day... lots of doe and hogs every sit and a few young bucks. For the next 2 days and following weekend at each morning sit I could see out of range with binos 200-250 yards very nice bucks leaving a feeder pen after daylight, crossing fence and headed into river bottom. I set a trail cam on that feeder pen and confirmed nice bucks in the feeder about hour before light every day. This feeder pen was in wide open area with no cover or brush so I did not have an archery blind set on it. I was unable to hunt the next two weekends so my son went to sit in my ravine pop-up. Well of course that storm during the week of Oct 11 I think with 60-70mph winds per landowner must have airlifted my well staked and brushed pop up to outer space because when son walked in before daylight Oct 16 it was no where to be found so he backed into a cedar to hunt. He checked cameras and big bucks still at other feeder pen well before light. I told him to get another pop up from camp storage and set it up at that feeder even though it is in wide open CRP field 100 yards from fence line leading down to river bottom. He did and was covered in doe and young bucks. He took pop up down last Sunday morning (didn't want another UFO). I was able to go out last Thursday night, set the pop up about midnight, hand corned, got a few hours sleep and back in it at 6:00 (can't even see anything light wise until about 7:10 am for shooting). Nice deer arrived about 6:15 based on sound and movement and left about 7:00. Saturday morning I was at pop up at 5:30am, hand corned area to try and hold deer longer until enough light for visual and shooting. Doe, young bucks and hogs in by 6:00am. 7:05 am with binos counted 11 doe, 3 young bucks all within bow range. About 3-5 min later a nice deer comes from right behind pop to my right 5 yards. Remember this pop up is not brushed in at all and is sitting in wide open prairie just like on display in a store. Before I could maneuver he walked away circling around giving me no opportunity as he moved to far side of all other doe giving them a nose in the air check. After what seemed like an eternity, but really only about 7 minutes, he made a slow move toward me, I anxiously awaited as he closed within range for ethical angle and arrowed him at 18 yards. He traveled about 75 yards in the waist high CRP where I watched him lay down. It has been many years since I have had any type of buck fever shakes but admit after seeing him lay down I did have a little flutter and excitement. I reached in my pack and took out my breakfast replaying the shot in my mind, glassed several other deer moving through the CRP and felt like I had waiting long enough and went to see.

Beautiful sunrise, 39 degrees when stepped out of camper and dead calm as compared to 30 mph sustained winds afternoon before. By the time all my work was done, temps in truck read
87 after lunch. I prefer being at the lease to hunt alone but as I get older, I have to admit having some help would have been nice and a bonus to snap a pic with me in it. Oh well, I would have just distracted from the pic.

My best archery deer. 18 yards, 100 grain Montec G5, approx. 19 3/4 spread, 11.7 RG2, 7.4 R brow

Great buck, congrats

OUTSTANDING 8 !!!

Great write up and fantastic buck.
Hell of an 8!

Congrats

Love the pearls!

That is a beautiful buck, well done sir.

Awesome buck,congratulations!

Congrats!

Must be pretty good at managing scent if you can have that many deer so close to a pop up. I am just a bad deer hunter - they would have surely smelled me.

Liking that buck and the 70/80s family sitcom reference. Ralph Macchio anyone?

Wow

Very nice buck!! Congratulations!

Excellent buck congrats

Nice!

Great looking buck……congrats!

Heck of a nice 8 pt. and recap of the hunt congrats

Really Great Eight!!!
Adios,
Gary

Thanks everyone. I'm pretty sure this same buck we had pics of last year only in archery season and this year his frame and brows are same dimensions but not as tall around. He has gone down some or this has to be his brother. I really enjoy hunting on ground in pop-up to be in close. It has really helped with better learning of deer interactions. I normally have them brushed in really well and it was amazing that on this hunt just popped it up in wide open and deer paid it no attention. Of course, I'm blacked out, sit very very still, use all wind precautions and nothing smelly on me or blind.

Good luck to all on Saturday opening gun season.

Congrats!

Congrats! He is going to look fantastic on the wall.

Great looking buck. Congrats!

Beautiful buck, congrats!

Great buck and story!!

Thanks for posting it up!

Wow, congratulations!

Great Deer!

That dude has some good mass

Congrats on a nice buck!

Beauty!

Awesome buck. Congrats.

Congrats!