adkmountainken
40 Cal.
at about 6:10 i got in my tree lounge and climed a tree in one of my all time favorite places to hunt. i have killed many a good buck in this stand filled with oak and beeches. i took a nice 5 point here the secound day of muzzleloader this year in this stand, just a special place. at 7:30 my cousin who is about 1/4 mile away fires one shot, ne olny fires one shot as long as i have ever hunted with him and it means get your drag rope ready! sure enough i get on the radio and he confirms that he shot a nice 6 point but he said its so nice why don't ya sit in your stand untill 9:00 and then i'll push the ridge towards ya and we will drag out his deer right after. sounds great to me as it was a perfect, chilly Adirobdack deer killing day!! i then got comfortable with a nice heavy wool jacket over my legs like a blanket and got ready to settle in for a chilly wait. at around 8:15 i heard what sounded like a frieght train coming through the woods, i honestly didn't think it was deer, sounded like maybe a four wheeler or something. branches, leaves and all hell was braking loose and coming at me. well out popped 3 deer, two started walking down the ridge towards me acting really funny and nervous, the other stayed just out of sight. the 2 deer coming towards me were does and they were looking back and just real nervous, jumping one way and then the other. as they stopped i heard another deer coming and i could just feel it!!! this deer was coming something fast and hard making more racket then i ever heard!! as he crested the ridge he went stright for the deer that was just out of sight and really drilled him ( or her ) in the side sending it back the way it came! i just knew this was a good buck but i couldn't see him to good yet as he had stopped after hitting the other deer. the does then took a couple steps and he instantly started running with head down and grunting. he was hitting everything in his way with his head down as he was running through saplings and brush, i could see the small brancehs and trees getting hit by his horns buti couldn't see his horns themselves. holy cow was my heart skipping a beat!!! he then hit a small opening about 60 yards away and i saw a massive, heavy, thick beamed rack that was all of 10 points if not more!!!! he was grunting with every step, ARRGGG, ARRRGGG, ARRRGGG!!! never once did he pick his head up or stop running for about 100 yards. he finally stood broadside at around 100-125 yards and lifted his head to lip curly and smell the wind. i had the sights tight to his neck but the little voice said hold off, just not right, to far. i watched him dof those does for atleast 15-20 minutes in and out of eye sight. every step he took looked like he was punching the ground! i have never witnessed suck and aggressive, stiff legged king of the woods before in my life like this one!! he was just plain ole angry and was letting everything and everyone know they better get out of his way! i bet if there was a truck in his way he would have rammed it, what a beast!! as i wathed him trot of chasing the does i knew i had just been given a gift from the hunting gods to just take in a sight like this!!! what beautifull, bright white, heavy horns and massive thick, blocky body!! this scene will be burned in my head forever!! don't for second thik i felt bad about not getting a shot at this magnificent buck, i don't regreat at all not shooting. this was his day, he was king and bullet proof, he owned the woods and it was ment to be that way! atleast today that is, next week we got a date!!!! i'm still shaking just running it through my mind again. ya see i don't need to kill a buck every time, in my mind and my heart i know i could have taken him and that is just as good! such a beautifull deer, such a king! today is what it is all about for me, it don't get any better than that. who knows what next week has in store, maybe i'll get a 20 yards, slam dunk shot and even the score. if not i smile knowing that i had my chance and that this king of the woods is still out there, still running and still the king!!! good luck to all, may every one of you have an encounter like this!!!!!
Ken
Ken
It was just as surreal an experience as any of them! :thumbsup: (The photo below is a very close approximation of what the scene looked like that morning.)
