I took a short day at work and headed out to the hunting woods with plans to sit from the ground and try one last time with these rattling antlers. It was calm and very mild at about 65 degrees. It was nice to be able to dress lightly and not worry about mosquitoes.
I was quietly walking in along the hay field edge (it had just been recently bailed), when I caught movement just inside the woodline. I glanced down at my floss and the wind was blowing toward me. I checked with my binos and saw the rear end of a large buck moving uphill toward the middle trail. I moved slightly and tried to get a view of the antlers. While I could not count them as it moved it was much wider than the ears and looked to be at least an 8 point. The largest I had seen on this property to date.
I dropped down to one knee and decided to try to use my rattling antlers to get it to reverse direction and come back toward the thick brush I was behind. I lightly clashed them together and immediately heard brush crashing!
Only problem is it was a doe that was bedded down about 15 yards away that I did not know about. Evidently, I spooked it well as I peeked and saw it high tailing up the hill toward the buck.
Well, that was it. They never came back. I think in retrospect I should have circled wide around them and tried to head them off up the hill. I instead, I was determined to sit in my rootball natural blind and call one in bow range.
It was a nice evening but no deer came around after that initial encounter.
It got dark and I walked out of the woods via a top trail and exited into the field above the noontime action. Three white tails bounded into the adjacent woodline through the fading darkness. I am betting it was the group I had pushed.
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