hunter0925
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2015
- Messages
- 214
This has been 3 years coming. In 2018 TN opened a 3 day hunt on any private lands for velvet deer. I was lucky that that year I had 2 solid (for my area) 8s and a good 9 hammering minerals on a daily. I kept cameras on them and stayed out until a week before when I hung my stand and checked cams and they were still there. Over the next week, unbeknownst to me, the neighbor decided it would be a good idea to trespass and ride his 4wheeler through my mineral sight morning and night. Needless to say he blew the bucks out.
In 2019 I only had 1 decent 7pt on the land and had had several stands and cameras stolen. Luckily I had pictures of the thieves and found out that it was the other neighbor on the opposite side. When I turned them in to the cops the neighbors said I was trespassing (wasn't) and that the stands were on their land (weren't) and that turned it into a civil matter. The landowner asked that I stay out of that spot until the matter was settled so there went my dream in 2019.
Now, for 2020.. I invited a guy to hunt with me in 19 who is trying to kill a deer in every county of the state. He was able to check off 2 counties while with me so he invited me to come to middle TN to hunt the Velvet hunt on his land. I was more than happy to take him up on the offer after the previous 2 years struggles. On the drive out it was storming bad and I hunted the first evening in the rain and saw 2 small bucks and a half dozen doe but nothing I would put my tag on. Saturday morning I got to the stand in warm, humid weather and my spirits were high. There was one buck he had sporadic pics of that I had my heart set on. At 0620 I heard something behind me and looked to see "my" buck staring me down in cedars at 12yards. My heart sank as he stared for what seemed like 10 minutes and then turned and walked away with no shot available. A few minutes later I saw a doe coming, then a fawn and right behind them was "my" buck. The doe walked to the same spot the buck had stood and stared directly at me, then moved to a shooting lane at 7 yards and continued to stare while her fawn stared from the 12 yard position. I was a nervous wreck. The doe and fawn continued forward and the buck was back at 12 yards, now all 3 were staring. I waited until the buck turned his head and got the crossbow up on him. He took one step forward to a small hole that offered a shot and as he turned to walk away for the second time I took the shot and he folded. I admit I hit him high and had to get down and put another arrow in him. Just like that my journey was complete and it couldn't have happened without another hunter and new friends help.
In 2019 I only had 1 decent 7pt on the land and had had several stands and cameras stolen. Luckily I had pictures of the thieves and found out that it was the other neighbor on the opposite side. When I turned them in to the cops the neighbors said I was trespassing (wasn't) and that the stands were on their land (weren't) and that turned it into a civil matter. The landowner asked that I stay out of that spot until the matter was settled so there went my dream in 2019.
Now, for 2020.. I invited a guy to hunt with me in 19 who is trying to kill a deer in every county of the state. He was able to check off 2 counties while with me so he invited me to come to middle TN to hunt the Velvet hunt on his land. I was more than happy to take him up on the offer after the previous 2 years struggles. On the drive out it was storming bad and I hunted the first evening in the rain and saw 2 small bucks and a half dozen doe but nothing I would put my tag on. Saturday morning I got to the stand in warm, humid weather and my spirits were high. There was one buck he had sporadic pics of that I had my heart set on. At 0620 I heard something behind me and looked to see "my" buck staring me down in cedars at 12yards. My heart sank as he stared for what seemed like 10 minutes and then turned and walked away with no shot available. A few minutes later I saw a doe coming, then a fawn and right behind them was "my" buck. The doe walked to the same spot the buck had stood and stared directly at me, then moved to a shooting lane at 7 yards and continued to stare while her fawn stared from the 12 yard position. I was a nervous wreck. The doe and fawn continued forward and the buck was back at 12 yards, now all 3 were staring. I waited until the buck turned his head and got the crossbow up on him. He took one step forward to a small hole that offered a shot and as he turned to walk away for the second time I took the shot and he folded. I admit I hit him high and had to get down and put another arrow in him. Just like that my journey was complete and it couldn't have happened without another hunter and new friends help.
