Doemasters Hunting Editorials

In bow season I hunted an area I called "Three-Fingers." This is simply where three ridges of hardwoods slope down to a small flat creek bottom. The red oaks were falling well this year, unlike the white oaks, so I bow hunted on top of the middle ridge. I took 2 does on film the first 2 weekends this season. Friday, I decided to try this area with my rifle. I set up half way down the middle finger to cover more ground. I saw some doe & a smaller buck pass about 80 yards Southwest of me heading down toward the creek. So after the morning hunt I decided to move my climber. I went down to the creek & found a nice trail leading to a major crossing with 2 fresh rubs (nice rubs) within 20 yards of each other. I hung my Ole Man at the base of the middle ridge & made 3 mock scrapes along the trail using Harmon's triple heat. I slipped out confident about Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately when Saturday afternoon came, so did the North wind. I passed my trail to my stand & walked about three hundred yards to our greenfield for the area. I had a nice gobbler, one doe, & four spikes feed under my shooting house for about an hour. That night I decided I would hunt my stand no matter the wind direction. Sunday morning I woke up to a heavy frost. I WALKED to my stand around 6:00 (to tell you how close "Three-Fingers is to the camp house). I had been in the tree all of fifteen minutes when I saw an ear flicker about 60 yards in front of me. The ear was awfully close to the ground. I was thinking the deer was bedded down right there. I lost sight of it & about one minute later I saw the entire deer walking away from me. It was a doe & she was not bedded down. She was actually in the creek when I first saw her. This was a great visual reference to the crossing I expected the buck to come from. I always rifle hunt facing the tree. I like to hide behind the tree & use it as a prop if the shot presents itself. The problem with this is I was facing Southeast. Around 8:00 the sun came shining through & I was forced to turn around & occasionally glance back at the trail & mock scrapes. About twenty minutes later the silence was interrupted by the worst sound in the woods... a deer blowing at me. I looked up to see a young doe running from the first ridge to the second. She stopped & I watched her stomp about 75 yards from me for about 5 solid minutes (that's about 3 lifetimes to us deer hunters). She suddenly vanished along with all my expectations. Dejected, I sat there about 30 seconds when I heard that old familiar shuffle of leaves behind me. I was shocked so I'm sure my head swung around quicker than it should have. Over my left shoulder, feeding toward me at 30 yards was a nice 6 point. I couldn't believe it. I slowly stood up & turned around to get a better look. I peeked around the right-side of the tree & it was true. A fine six point was standing there like a sacrifice from the Lord. Suddenly, I heard more rustling to the left of the 6 point. I peeked around the left side of the tree & saw a bigger bodied deer standing behind some brush about forty yards from me. I couldn't see it's head, but it was a bigger deer for sure. While I was struggling for a clear view of this deer, I caught movement out to the left at around 60 yards. Standing broadside in the open woods was a mounter 8 point! I eased my rifle up for a prop. I didn't even get this deer in my scope, when my attention (for some strange reason) was focused back on the deer in the middle. I put my scope on the bigger deer & searched for the head. It was feeding. I saw a nose, then an ear, then a rack way out past the ear. Now, I have been filming hunts for several years & always communicate with my cameraman. But I was alone & out of habit or shock I found myself saying "It's a shooter... it's a shooter.... it's a shooter... I was standing with a good prop against the tree. This buck at 40 yards was as good as on my wall If I could get a clean shot at him. He never moved. I was going crazy. They were right on top of me, a doe had just blown & stomped away, & I didn't have a shot. I lifted my rifle barrel & eased it down on the right side of the tree. The shot would be better from this angle. I went to scope him & the sun went right into my scope & just about blinded me. Keeping my rifle shouldered & my left forearm on the tree leaned back until my scope was behind the tree & in the shade. I saw him! A perfect 10 standing broadside facing from my left to my right in my cross-hares. I savored the moment... & squeezed off the round. The deer dropped in his tracks, but I think I hit the ground first! Amazingly, when I stepped out of my climber, I looked up to see the mounter 8 point still standing there. In disbelief, I simply watched him as he turned & ran back to the crossing from where all three of these bucks had came. I know he'll be back to Three-Fingers... & so will I.

Written By Donny McCaa