I just returned from a 3 day quick trip to the Clear Fork of the Brazos in Southern Throckmorton County. This is a once a year trip with no feeders, stands, camera history, etc. It is two properties about a mile a part totalling 1100 acres and is never hunted except once a year. The owner, a family member, doesn't like deer hunting and tolerates us coming up there and killing deer once a year. It is essentially our meat hunt with the hopes someone will get lucky and stumble upon a trophy.
I found a spot that looked great down by the river between the river and a dry creek bed that had thick nasty stuff near by, lots of natural browse and some good windows to shoot. This spot was perfect for a North wind and ok for a Northeast wind. I slipped in there late Thursday night after we got there and corned the crap out of an opening. I slipped in there Friday morning with a Northeast wind and had 2 big does down by 7:30am. I was seeing tons of does all day but no bucks with the exception of a little 2 yr old while walking out.
Saturday was hot and the wind was coming out of the Southwest so I stayed out of that area until Sunday morning. This was our last hunt and we all said that if we shot something early that the hunt would be over so we could get out of there by lunch.. It was 39 degrees Sunday with the wind back out of the north and I knew the wind would be perfect for blowing some doe estrous scent into some thick stuff where I had seen some good buck sign. I slipped in early, threw about 15lbs of corn back in the opening and hung a scent wick with a little code blue near an intersection of game trails. I tucked in behind a mesquite in some tall grass and waited 30 mins for it to start breaking day.
At 7:05am I saw a big body step out of the thick stuff and it made a B line right for the doe estrous. I got him in my scope and it was a decent 3yr old 8pt about 15" wide. I thought this maybe the only buck I get a chance at this weekend so I shot him. He ran out of sight but I thought I heard him crash about 30 yds from the shot. I looked at my watch and it was 7:05am. I told myself I would sit there until at least 7:30am and then slip out and put my eyes on the buck before making the mile walk out to get the buggy. About 10 mins later, I thought I'd better go ahead and slip out now as it would take a while to walk out, get back, and then get the deer taken care of. I eased through the woods and found him about 25yds from where I shot him. I knelt down to put my hands on the horns and then stood and started scanning the best path to get a buggy to him. I eased back to where I came in about 10 steps and looked up after hearing something. It was the biggest buck that I had ever seen in that area. He was at least a 150" and looking right at me. In a split second he turned around and hightailed. I threw my rifle up and made several noises to try to get him to stop but he would not. If I had just sat there 5 more mins I would have had a trophy. He came to the same scent wick the other one did on the same trail. I couldn't believe what had happened. Patience pays off!
I found a spot that looked great down by the river between the river and a dry creek bed that had thick nasty stuff near by, lots of natural browse and some good windows to shoot. This spot was perfect for a North wind and ok for a Northeast wind. I slipped in there late Thursday night after we got there and corned the crap out of an opening. I slipped in there Friday morning with a Northeast wind and had 2 big does down by 7:30am. I was seeing tons of does all day but no bucks with the exception of a little 2 yr old while walking out.
Saturday was hot and the wind was coming out of the Southwest so I stayed out of that area until Sunday morning. This was our last hunt and we all said that if we shot something early that the hunt would be over so we could get out of there by lunch.. It was 39 degrees Sunday with the wind back out of the north and I knew the wind would be perfect for blowing some doe estrous scent into some thick stuff where I had seen some good buck sign. I slipped in early, threw about 15lbs of corn back in the opening and hung a scent wick with a little code blue near an intersection of game trails. I tucked in behind a mesquite in some tall grass and waited 30 mins for it to start breaking day.
At 7:05am I saw a big body step out of the thick stuff and it made a B line right for the doe estrous. I got him in my scope and it was a decent 3yr old 8pt about 15" wide. I thought this maybe the only buck I get a chance at this weekend so I shot him. He ran out of sight but I thought I heard him crash about 30 yds from the shot. I looked at my watch and it was 7:05am. I told myself I would sit there until at least 7:30am and then slip out and put my eyes on the buck before making the mile walk out to get the buggy. About 10 mins later, I thought I'd better go ahead and slip out now as it would take a while to walk out, get back, and then get the deer taken care of. I eased through the woods and found him about 25yds from where I shot him. I knelt down to put my hands on the horns and then stood and started scanning the best path to get a buggy to him. I eased back to where I came in about 10 steps and looked up after hearing something. It was the biggest buck that I had ever seen in that area. He was at least a 150" and looking right at me. In a split second he turned around and hightailed. I threw my rifle up and made several noises to try to get him to stop but he would not. If I had just sat there 5 more mins I would have had a trophy. He came to the same scent wick the other one did on the same trail. I couldn't believe what had happened. Patience pays off!
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