The next morning I saw a number of bucks but no culls and no does. I got restless and started walking around. I bumped a group of deer. They didn't really spook bad so I started playing cat and mouse with them. After a while I could see three through a bunch of brush moving by me about 50 yards away. No shot with all the brush so I blew my bleat call. That got them moving closer to me on a diagonal. By the time the one I wanted stepped into a spot with an opening to shoot through they had me twisted around a little off balance, but a neck shot put my doe down so fast I did not even see her fall at about 30 yards. The two other deer hung around and I could have shot them too but didn't.
That night a guy I didn't know wanted to go hunting. He was with another guy I do know but that guy didn't want to hunt that evening.
I took him with me because I felt bad about him not being able to go. Now, I am a sho' nuff TN hillbilly. I have hunted and fished all my life. This guy grew up in Boston and plays golf. He didn't even have a rifle. I gave him my Marlin lever scout and took my iron sighted Winchester 94.I made us a hidey hole in a blow down tree in a likely spot and we had not been there 20 minutes when monster 8 point walks out. He was a great deer. We are only after culls and does though. This deer was way past the ears with a lot of mass and perfectly symmetrical horns. He was only about 40 yards away and totally out in the open. He was still young and sleek bodied. He was easy money but we let him walk for next year.
We saw several other bucks that weren't culls and when the does came like we knew they would he talked and told me he saw a deer looking right at him about 20 feet away. I couldn't see the deer or turn my head since she was so close. I guess he thought I didn't hear him so he said it again louder. He did not have on a mask so I am sure the deer saw his round white face. I heard her blow and that was that.
I was not mad as everybody has to learn and I already had two deer. I am a huge believer in wearing a mask. The first deer I shot on this trip looked right at me and didn't see me up close because of my mask. Once they see your face, no deer for you.
I hunted in the rain this morning and saw all bucks that weren't culls except two does being chased by bucks. I tried to put the sneak on one doe I saw, but she detected me and that was the last I saw of her.
All in all a great weekend. We even caught a few nice crappie on minnows. One guy gave me a deer so I even got a bonus deer. That's it for this year. I guess I will get all the rain out of my gun and maybe sneak off with the kids for a few squirrel hunts maybe.
Here is the deer I shot in the neck. This is the second deer I have shot in the neck this year and I am sold on the lower third of the neck shot. It just flattens them. She was right at 150 lbs. That Marlin in the pic is one fine deer rifle for in the woods or out to 150 yards if you need to. It is just a perfect rifle.
