[Captain Woody Woods]

Long story short, slayed some deer this weekend. I'll let the proper death-dealers write their own account of their stories. But as for mine....

...what had happened was....(you know a story is gonna be good if it starts off like that!)

...one of my Auburn buddies (named Buddy...go figure) arrived at PrimeTime at 2am sunday morning after prior obligations (aka THE MAN) held him down. We wake up and decide to hunt a relatively untouched area that we have no stands or roads on. Away from the greenfields and commonly (human) traveled area. Light rain and heavy, low fog greets us as the sun makes a feeble attempt to rise. Squirrels are everywhere and I just couldnt help but keep myself entertained by watching them. Funny critters. Anyways, 7:40 rolls around and I am glancing in front of me and about 40 yards distant, somewhere between 4 and 6 deer (moving too fast to sex them) move from east to west along a ridge like grey ghosts. I text Buddy something along the lines of "what the hell are you doing spooking those deer? cut it out so i can slay some ass" 10 minutes later, I hear a THWACK! and turn to my left where Buddy was up in a climber about 30 yards from me, and I see 3 bucks (aVERY healthy looking young 4 point (inside spreadof about 15 inches...he'll be nice in a couple years), a great looking 6, and a big boy-continue to read)tear out of the creek bottom, including one with an arrow hanging out of its side. I CONSERVATIVELY called this deer's weight at 200 and his rack at an honest 145. More points than I could count at his hurried rate, but from the side, his main beams extended all the way to his snout. We stay in the stand for about 20 minutes (not NEARLY long enough) more and then we both got down at the same time and when I saw the grin on his face, his expressionconfirmed what my eyes had witnessed. Well we find no blood where he was initially telling me to look (he arrowed this deer at about 17 yards) but I knew exactly where the buck was heading and I walked up the ridge back to the road we came off of, and I found freshly stirred up leaves...and a couple of seconds later, RED GOLD. It was on. Long story short, we tracked this deer across our whole property and well into our neighbors, easily a distance of over a mile, and as the sun continued to climb high into the sky, it began to really dry out some of the blood and really created a harsh glare on the leaves, making it all the more difficult to discover blood. We were on our hands and knees. By far the best trackers I have ever seen are in the forms of 9 year old boys; Roger and Dylan, sons of forum members Jaster and David Ridenour. If not for them, we wouldn't have gotten half as far as we did. We decided to call the search after like 5 hours. Absolutely displeased with the way that story ended. Oh well...good thing is, he is definately not the biggest buck I have seen in the last 2 weeks of hunting; but it would have been nice to hang him up in the barn tonight...good luck to all my hunters coming up in the next few weeks. And do NOT bring climbers or I will be forced to put you on my "honeyholes" and then you'll really be batting in the big leagues...

 

[poker_fisher101]

That means I got to get up there quick so yall don't get my buck. Anyone got tree climbers for sale???

 

[ironman172]

Is it bow only there now? or does "Buddy" just like to hunt with a bow.I hate to loose deer that way(I know it's just part of bow hunting)Glad to read that some deer were taken over the weekend at primetime.....I hope it was the kids!:clap

 

[brnbser]

Good deal! glad to hear they were moving for ya'll this weekend.

 

[simpleman]

Man that sucks you need a trailing dog.I lost a doe this year and it about kill me to stop looking for it.I would ofclear cut the forest looking for a 145 inch buck i bet buddy was ready to puke:sick . Well it sound like yall have alot of deer up there so good luck finding the big one.andIinjoyed the read

 

[Caspr21]

woody, you think he hit the deer in the shoulder blade or bone??? Seems as if 17yds, he should have gotten a complete pass through???? That sucks ya'll didn't find him. Sounds like a great hunt though

wes

 

[whatcon]

Woody, I have a good tracking dog at my place in Hardaway. He loves to ride in the back of the truck. Email me or call when you need him and I'll head your way.

 

[jaster]

It was to bad Buddy lost that deer, we, I mean the kids tracked it for about 500yds. We would be looking near the area of the last drops and telling the kids who are 10yds away to come back closer and start looking again and 1 would holler " I GOT BLOOD" at first we would look at each other and say o.k. Then one of us would confirm and man that was like hearing a beagel on a trail again. We were looking forward to the boys finding him more than Buddy. As woody already exclaimed we lost the trail with very minimal spots spaced 10yds or more apart we can only hope Buddy gets another shot at him another day.

Well in other news, Dillian and I got a kill Saturday morning, THANKYOU again Woody, my son and I had the time of are life. It was aound 7:00A.M. Dillian had a little bit of a cough after running a fever and not feeling well all Friday evening. So I was kinda doubtful and was happy to be in a stand with him, we were looking at rabbits at the other end of the beautifully planted green feild, and dillian was glassing the area thoroghly with the binoculars. I, on the other hand, had been up most of the night constantly breaking fevers with cold baths and woorying we were going to have to leave in the morning to seek medical attention. We prayed alot friday evening and sat morning, and man did it pay off. In having said that I was a bit tired, so in between questions and " dad i think I see one" I was dozing in and out. Other than that little cough there were nothing but soft wispers and watchfull eyes, man has my son grown up! He kept me awake with soft pokes and light coughs enough to see a yearling come in on the same teail we walked in on, thank you Scent Killer. She probably went 50# or so and I did contemplate how tender that would be since she was only 5ft. away I was able to ground check her, but decided no I did not want to ruin this good thing with a young deer. As she past by my window I saw MAMA, I grabbed the gun slowly and she looked at me so I froze, when she ressumed eating I stedied the gun for Dillian to take a shot, he informed me it kicked to hard and he did not want to shoot it and said "dad shoot it" , I tried twice to get him to shoot it and he did not want to. They were both within 20ft. of us, I had the cross hairs dead on her scalp, and ready to lay her out when the yearling walked far enough in to dillian's path he could see her and she could see him, he flinched andthey spooked. I thought to myself, atleast he got to see some deer in their environment, and then they stoped about 40yds out, oh yea!

I steadied on thatleft shoulder, Quartering away and let her have it. Dillian and I were high fiving and happy to see deer, let alone get a shot on one. We gave it about ten minutes and I got down just to I.D. some blood, andNOTHING. I searched a 10 foot circle around the kill point and nothing, I really did not want to say anything but every time I have been to Al. to hunt andsee deer, I have missed, like four times! I got back into thestand and toldhim what I found and That I was sure I hit her because she ran head first into the vines and stoped, and ran back the other way, and she just looked disoreinted. We talked about how great it was for Mr. Woody to have us up and what a blast it was just to be here together. We sat another hr or so calling turkeys and talking, when it was time to go I told him we needed to search again to make sure I did not get into her. We walked over and I found a buble filled blood spater, a GOOD one. I told him, I think I got her buddy, as soon as I said that he trailed that blood right to her, 20yds max (this is why the kids were brought in to track Buddy's deer). Hugs and prayers weregiven and saidas I hoisted her on to the tailgate after 3 tries. We got back and strung her up, in the shoulder and out the heart, what a deer 126# doe.

Thank you again Woody for the opportunity and chance to spend some quality time with my son. It was nice to meet David and his son Roger and hope we can meet up again.

 

[simpleman]

good job on the kill jason glad you and your boys could spend some time in the woods together. may be we can hunt some during doe day if you dont mind little fl deer

 

[Captain Woody Woods]

whatcon (12/10/2007)Woody, I have a good tracking dog at my place in Hardaway. He loves to ride in the back of the truck. Email me or call when you need him and I'll head your way.

hey mr. whatley i'll definately take you up on that next time. this buck was not one to lose.

caspr- that definately could have been what happened, regarding the shot. but at many points in the blood trail, there was blood spaced about a foot and a half apart, indicating an entrance wound and an exit wound. maybe just the tip of the broadhead had broken the skin on the other side? anyways, i am sick to my stomach about losing that deer. that's why im so afraid to draw on a buck at my place. i'll just snag my wallhanger of the year with my gun and then bowhunt for the rest of the year...i dont know.

regarding the bucks, it was just so encouraging to see the size on the 2 smaller ones. all 3 were relatively young deer, especially the smaller ones, and both of the smaller ones would definately have been shooters at other people's properties. they will be great in a year or 2. we havent seen a spike in years. it appears that most of our yearlings are going ahead and sporting main beams as well as brow tines; or either main beams (which curl FORWARD, not up like a basket-rack) and g2's just behind the main beam points. was really surprised to see bucks still travelin together at this time of year; often, by now, they have separated from their gentlemen's clubs (bachelor groups) and have begun to establish somewhat of a pecking order (social heirarchy) via sparring, etc. that's like 7 DIFFERENT rack bucks i've observed in the past 3 years....now if i can just have something other than a bass rod or 4wheeler handlebarsin between my hands when i come across one again...

 

[Caspr21]

Woody, I think this year in a whole throughout our region our deer have really packed the lbs on. I know we really beefed up our summer program this year, did a few thing different and our freaking doe's waddle out on the food plots they are so damn fat. And our bucks are very very healthy, nice shiney coats, good mass on the horns. I think the rain and dont know about yall, but this is the first year since Ivan that we have really had any acorns. And boy do we have them.

That is the downer of bow hunting though. Sometimes you can do everything right and still come up empty handed. And I guess the only way is just practice practice practice. What type of broad head was he shooting????? I shoot the montec g5's and have had some serious bone crushing success with them. Killed a doe earlier this year and it broke both her front shoulders. Holler at me

wes

 

[John B.]

i can't WAIT!

nice report!!!:bowdown

 

[Captain Woody Woods]

acorns are a PLENTY at our place, and this might explain the relative (to last year) shortage of deer seen on the greenfields.

chris-i was checking the scrape dripper friday afternoon around 2:45 at around the same spot you saw your buck last year and he actually walked out on me as I was filling it with buck piss. he's a monster man. stared me right in the eyes for about 7 seconds before casually trotting away. not gonna lie, i'm gonna shoot him before you ever get a chance to. snooze you lose partner!

 

[corrinas2]

woody lol.... man when he sees this tonight when he gets home fromwork i will be woken up with him screaming at you lol.............

 

[Captain Woody Woods]

he's a monster, man. my best advice i could give you is to get yall's butts up here to hunt before either me, my roommates, or my guests take him!

 

[Jason]

Sounds like a good time fer everyone but Buddy:doh Called ya and left a message yesterday....I'm seeing deer all over the place but no horns.....1 big un this AM but could not see a head, and 8 tonight but distance did'nt allow me to see if they had horns:reallycrying maybe tomorrow......See ya later Woody

 

[poker_fisher101]

Hey Woody can I come up on the weekend of the 4th of January or depending onwhen your Christmas break from school is maybe sometime during the week. <U>I</U> want to get my buck!

 

[Captain Woody Woods]

wouldn't even bother man. i'll have him hangin in my cooler by then

lol PM me dude; that weekend sounds good

 

[poker_fisher101]

Them's fightin words. I'll pm in a bit.

 

[Captain Woody Woods]

it's on like donkey kong