7 yards on the ground

[Bowhunter4life]

So to kick this off and seems I’ve said the the past few years but my Missouri season opener was not so great! I really didn’t have any known target deer to speak of and it certainly wasn’t because of lack of scouting although I’m sure I could have done more. I pushed pretty hard the first couple weeks when time allowed for it and turning up nothing. It’s been super dry here in southern MO so cutting tracks in most places was out of the question, that’s almost like taking my bow away when I can’t look at tracks in certain areas. What good are the excuses though, I knew I just had to keep pushing and keep my head up. Things can change in an instance, I’ve seen it too many times. That’s exactly what they did too.

So I tried something just off the wall. I started scouting along a thicket right off a public land road. Just trying something out of the norm. I was still hunting along the edge looking for any piece of evidence that there may be something using or at least crossing through there. Nothing along the edge was standing out so I sort of dove in a little deeper. I knew from the map there was a little triangle shaped block of timber mixed with some cedars and smaller under brush. I crossed the road headed to take a look in there. I no more than took a few steps into this chunk, I stepped on a little stick I believe and it snapped. I heard a commotion and out went a deer. I was pretty certain from the sound it was a buck as the antlers smacked against limbs and brush. So here I stand now in his bedroom as I’ve done many times before, I decide to look around and see how he was using that area. Was some decent sign in there and I could tell he had been using it for a decent period of time now.

I searched through the bedding cover and at the same time I’m thinking in my head will he come back through here and if so how will he. So to explain this the best I can, it is a triangle shaped chunk of cover, maybe an acre and half in size, the tip of the triangle lead off into a tree line that has a decent size ditch running through it. Well it forks into a grassy Field, one line of trees leads off to big chunk of timber and the other funnels to a patch of persimmons. I knew that buck from the sign was heading off to feed on persimmons. I wanted to cover the bedding area but it being bigger in size I figured if he came back he has multiple ways of doing so and I can’t cover this all. At the tip of the triangle block of cover he was coming out of, the winds sort of got funky so I knew I wasn’t gonna be able to get there. In my mind I felt like this buck wasn’t spooked badly, he never caught my scent nor saw what I was. Best case scenario there for bumping a buck and also a huge factor in my opinion is I did it early in the afternoon. 3:30ish.

While I sat and played the head games with myself for a good bit wondering what to do I decided on the tree line that lead off to the persimmons. I figured he would come back, smell what I was, smell the scent was at least a couple hours old and stay calm but no doubt cautious. I really believed he would carry on about his normal routine though believing that danger (me) was long gone. This was almost a 3 hour time lapse. So I cut out of the cover into the field and sort of made a loop into the tree line not too far off the tip of the cover. There was another route that I thought he could take that lead into the tree line that funneled to the persimmons so I wanted to make sure I covered that as well. I had my saddle on so I just decided to set up on the opposite side of these scrapes the buck was working as he moved to the persimmons. This tree line is 10 yards wide max.

After a few hours I noticed some movement out in the field off the ditch cover I was set up in. It was a smaller buck. I thought there is no way that animal laid down that sign I saw in that cover. Well here the mind games start again and I’m wondering could he really have done that? After years of looking at sign, seeing deer in those areas or having cameras nearby, I believe you really develop a great sense of the caliber deer that’s laying that stuff down, especially if tracks are noticeable! So my guts is telling me this isn’t the deer I bumped. He moved on and eventually got downwind of me but thankfully didn’t blow. He just headed for the bigger timber. I was just thinking about wrapping up the hunt and heard something off to my left. Grabbed the bow real slowly and then I caught movement. I believe the buck was working a scrape just off the to my left and then here he came. I was able to draw back super slowly trying not to make and noise. He paused for a bit like big bucks do and checked everything out. I felt like I was holding back for a good while but 20 seconds can feel like a minute at full draw and with all the adrenaline pumping through my veins being that close on the ground, I knew one little noise or wrong move it was all over with. Finally he moved on down into one of my shooting lane and I really believe once I got on him he spotted me at the same time. This is roughly 7 yards he is standing mind you. He turned and looked directly over at me as I was already settled in. The bow went off and he wheeled around and busted off.

One thing real quick I will add is it is a great idea to practice at super close ranges. Just so you know your bow and where to place the sight at that range. Super close shots, that arrow is well below the sight so take that into account if your in a Close range situation ever and I think it is a great idea to know what your bow is doing at 5 yards. For me 7 yards I can use my 20 tick mark and that’s what I did. I shoot the EZV.

So after all this goes down and he crashes off out of there, I’ll freely admit this, I shook like a little kid shooting his first deer haha! I think just all the adrenaline and being chilled after getting sweated up scouting, the deer being super close and me just trying to hold it all together at crunch time, whatever the reason I was shook up in a good way!! Though I may never experience anything like that again on the ground that close, it was one that I’ll certainly not forget!! I really believe from some of the crazy stuff I’ve had happen while being on the ground and getting aggressive that really, there is no telling what may unfold for you. I love it but don’t get me wrong, that’s not 100 percent all I do, I have hunted in the tree several times this year as well.

Anyways hopefully I explained this crazy hunt well enough that it makes sense to anyone reading it. Would loved to have had this on film just to show friends and family.

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Hard to take photos by myself. I had to lay phone in the grass, take a video and screen shot photos off that so not the greatest of photos.

[Haus86]

You are a beast! Congrats!

[Huntress13]

Wow, great buck and great story!! Congrats!

(I can also use the 20 mark with the EZV at close range)

[RidgeGhost]

Not surprised to see a kill post from you! Congrats on a fine hunt

[justdirtyfun]

Getting one from the ground is super special and fun.

[Jackson Marsh]

Congrats on a dandy! 7 yards on the ground would get a guy excited

[jmaas07]

You're the man, congrats!

[218er]

That’s a stud. Congratulations

[greenhorndave]

Great deal man, and great buck! Congrats!

I had a buck encounter this year at that distance, only with a different outcome. I was still scouting my way in and he surprised me at 10 yards when I (we) was moving in tight cover and didn’t have an arrow nocked. He was facing me the whole time but didn’t pick me off until perpendicular at 5 yards. It was awesome, yet I felt helpless because I didn’t think there was any way I was going to get away with all the movement associated with nocking an arrow.

(and for what it’s worth, I also use the EZV but I have hit flipped around so I don’t even see the tick marks. Frame and go. Ranging is meaningless now)

So what did your ground setup look like? What was in front/behind you?

[WV Bowhunter]

Awesome buck and what a hunt!! Way to get it done.

[seazofcheeze]

Great buck and awesome story. Great example of if a guy blows one out, its not necessarily over. Way to use your smarts and come up with a great game plan. Congrats!

[greenhorndave]

Great buck and awesome story. Great example of if a guy blows one out, its not necessarily over. Way to use your smarts and come up with a great game plan. Congrats!

Good point.

Isn’t this at least your second bump-and-dump??

[Bonecrusher101]

Great job on the bump and dump from the ground on a stud!

[PK_]

Another stud. Awesome bro. Those are the best kinds of hunts imo.

[john1984]

Nice