After missing a NICE 10pt buck two days prior, I decided to go after him again.

He's a very bold buck that sticks with a routine regardless of what's going on around him. He travels with 5 does and one little buck and scrapes and rubs at the same time and place every afternoon.

I got out there and set up by 3:00p.m. (I hunt off the ground in this area). An 8pt and a 7pt showed up about 5 minutes later; the 8pt went down wind of me then made a wide circle while the 7pt rubbed on an evergreen. The 8pt slowly disappeared over the ridge. (I could hear the 10pt down in the bottoms doing his thing and waited patiently for him to show up). Meanwhile the 7pt made his way down the gully behind me and sounded like he was heading out. I got up to move in closer to the 10pt, when I spooked the 7pt that had found another tree.

I stopped in my tracks (right in between 2 trees) and just bent over. He took off to the top of the ridge and that's when the game began... He stomped and snorted, came in close and even ran down to where the 10pt was, then came back to see if I had moved... for better than a half hour. He came within about 10ft of me at one point and stared in my direction, then the game continued. He stomped and snorted (to the point of drooling) and I thought to myself, "If you do that again, I'm gonna kill you!" He put his head down and I slowly drew back. "Thump!!!" He was hit at around 17yds and dropped at 50yds.

I never did see that 10pt. Oh well. We figure him to be a year and a half and around 200 pounds field dressed. What this buck has in body makes up for the little rack and he'll be darn good eatin'.

Good Hunting!!!