Jacob Chapman
WKR
Took Nov 3-13th off for my rut vacation. It had been a fairly slow season with moving during opening weekend but I was excited to get out after some bucks, especially cause of my heartbreaker from last year.
Headed down to my buddies farm @ 3 in the morning Friday to spend possibly the weekend in Southern IA.
Friday morning had some awesome action. Couple does passed by with a couple younger bucks trailing.
As the doe was walking on the trail behind my stand I see something moving through the creek! First thought was a buck, but turns out to be a female bobcat, & it’s walking the exact trail the doe used.
This bobcat was clearly stalking the doe & got real close a couple times. I was thinking about shooting the kitty but there was a 130” 8 point walking right @ me and another buck was behind him.
I couldn’t see the size of the second buck and didn’t want to spook it in case it was a giant.
The 8 point looked into the clearing my stand was in from about 40 yards out & spotted the bobcat-he did NOT like that at all. Started snorting and stomping the ground.
This caused the doe to turn around & immediately spot the bobcat looking for a meal. At this point the doe pulled her best black bear impersonation & bluff charged the bobcat!
Hands down one of the coolest encounters I’ve had in the wild.
That was it for the morning hunt as my hands and feet were brutal cold. Up to the cabin to warm up & make some lunch.
Friday evening I decide to sit a clover patch in his redneck blind. About 4:15 I have a doe coming in from the SW and a gorgeous 10 point trailing her.
They were moving quite fast, and being new to sitting in this type of blind I was rustling around trying to move the other chair & get in position for a shot.
Unfortunately the doe & buck hopped over the fence and meandered over the hill. He had a forked G2 on his right side, technically making him an 11 point. I believe he was 4 years old and if he makes it will be a giant. He was easy 165-170” already.
Feeling just a little dejected I turn my focus back onto the clover field & hillside that’s behind the creek, scanning for movement.
4:40 rolls around and I’ve got another doe coming, this time from NNE.
My wind was out of the NW so I knew I was safe there. The doe ended up having a nice buck trailing her & my adrenaline shot through the roof again-barely having recovered from the forked G2 buck not half an hour before.
This new buck & doe meandered around the clover patch for a few minutes before the doe hopped the fence, however the buck wasn’t overly interested in her.
He made a scrape and was digging around for something to eat for a good 20 minutes, doing nothing to ease my nerves!
Finally he makes the right move for me & at 40 yards broadside facing to my right I get a shot!
As the arrow was getting there the buck turned & dipped causing me to hit high shoulder. When the arrow hit him it rocked him back, he sat with his tail on the ground and front two legs standing, like a dog sits.
At first I thought I spined him, but after a second or two he gets up and slowly trots/walks to the SW side of the field.
As he is walking I see him throw my arrow & mentally marked that spot.
I hurriedly grabbed another arrow & ranged the bushes he was standing behind-48 yards.
I estimated the distance to the buck at 50, verified my bubble was level and the shot was off.
The buck was quartered away pretty good, however I knew I hit him with the first shot & wanted to get a second in him to ease his passing.
That second arrow will be forever burned into memory-those four white fletches arching just perfectly over the bushes & I hear the sound we all know and love.
When that second arrow hit him he absolutely took off, I was trying to set my bow down & get my bino’s up-not the easiest thing to do when you’re in a hurry.
I see him run to the West a little ways & North-of course right towards the creek with 20 feet high cliffs in some parts….
I somehow manage to sit down without falling over and am listening and watching intently-never seeing the buck come up out of the creek.
I’ll say the wind was blowing pretty good-12-15 mph I’d say, plus I was in a redneck blind and couldn’t hear super well.
Maybe 30 seconds after the second shot I hear a series of what sounds like a strange grunt. I was praying that it was my buck.
Not hearing or seeing him crash I decide to give him some time. I mark where he went into the woods @ my second shot & back out up to the cabin for some homemade enchiladas.
9pm rolls around and after speaking with my Dad as well and my hunting buddies, decide that with the sheer amount of coyotes + what I thought was my buck grunting, we decide to take up the trail.
I will say here that there’s nothing I enjoy less in deer hunting than tracking at night, but that was the plan of action for the evening.
We shortly find blood and track him to the creek, which in places is maybe 6 inches deep so nothing crazy.
It definitely appears he crosses the creek so my buddy does the same. I’m hesitant to leave last blood, so I point my flashlight up & down the bank while my buddy searches the other side….
THERE’S BLOOD! I can see where he crosses the creek & starts up the slight slope that goes 10 or so yards, in the back of my head thinking that it’s never good when deer travel uphill.
We take up his trail with some good blood, & just over the crest of the hill I see my buck!!!!!!
Headed down to my buddies farm @ 3 in the morning Friday to spend possibly the weekend in Southern IA.
Friday morning had some awesome action. Couple does passed by with a couple younger bucks trailing.
As the doe was walking on the trail behind my stand I see something moving through the creek! First thought was a buck, but turns out to be a female bobcat, & it’s walking the exact trail the doe used.
This bobcat was clearly stalking the doe & got real close a couple times. I was thinking about shooting the kitty but there was a 130” 8 point walking right @ me and another buck was behind him.
I couldn’t see the size of the second buck and didn’t want to spook it in case it was a giant.
The 8 point looked into the clearing my stand was in from about 40 yards out & spotted the bobcat-he did NOT like that at all. Started snorting and stomping the ground.
This caused the doe to turn around & immediately spot the bobcat looking for a meal. At this point the doe pulled her best black bear impersonation & bluff charged the bobcat!
Hands down one of the coolest encounters I’ve had in the wild.
That was it for the morning hunt as my hands and feet were brutal cold. Up to the cabin to warm up & make some lunch.
Friday evening I decide to sit a clover patch in his redneck blind. About 4:15 I have a doe coming in from the SW and a gorgeous 10 point trailing her.
They were moving quite fast, and being new to sitting in this type of blind I was rustling around trying to move the other chair & get in position for a shot.
Unfortunately the doe & buck hopped over the fence and meandered over the hill. He had a forked G2 on his right side, technically making him an 11 point. I believe he was 4 years old and if he makes it will be a giant. He was easy 165-170” already.
Feeling just a little dejected I turn my focus back onto the clover field & hillside that’s behind the creek, scanning for movement.
4:40 rolls around and I’ve got another doe coming, this time from NNE.
My wind was out of the NW so I knew I was safe there. The doe ended up having a nice buck trailing her & my adrenaline shot through the roof again-barely having recovered from the forked G2 buck not half an hour before.
This new buck & doe meandered around the clover patch for a few minutes before the doe hopped the fence, however the buck wasn’t overly interested in her.
He made a scrape and was digging around for something to eat for a good 20 minutes, doing nothing to ease my nerves!
Finally he makes the right move for me & at 40 yards broadside facing to my right I get a shot!
As the arrow was getting there the buck turned & dipped causing me to hit high shoulder. When the arrow hit him it rocked him back, he sat with his tail on the ground and front two legs standing, like a dog sits.
At first I thought I spined him, but after a second or two he gets up and slowly trots/walks to the SW side of the field.
As he is walking I see him throw my arrow & mentally marked that spot.
I hurriedly grabbed another arrow & ranged the bushes he was standing behind-48 yards.
I estimated the distance to the buck at 50, verified my bubble was level and the shot was off.
The buck was quartered away pretty good, however I knew I hit him with the first shot & wanted to get a second in him to ease his passing.
That second arrow will be forever burned into memory-those four white fletches arching just perfectly over the bushes & I hear the sound we all know and love.
When that second arrow hit him he absolutely took off, I was trying to set my bow down & get my bino’s up-not the easiest thing to do when you’re in a hurry.
I see him run to the West a little ways & North-of course right towards the creek with 20 feet high cliffs in some parts….
I somehow manage to sit down without falling over and am listening and watching intently-never seeing the buck come up out of the creek.
I’ll say the wind was blowing pretty good-12-15 mph I’d say, plus I was in a redneck blind and couldn’t hear super well.
Maybe 30 seconds after the second shot I hear a series of what sounds like a strange grunt. I was praying that it was my buck.
Not hearing or seeing him crash I decide to give him some time. I mark where he went into the woods @ my second shot & back out up to the cabin for some homemade enchiladas.
9pm rolls around and after speaking with my Dad as well and my hunting buddies, decide that with the sheer amount of coyotes + what I thought was my buck grunting, we decide to take up the trail.
I will say here that there’s nothing I enjoy less in deer hunting than tracking at night, but that was the plan of action for the evening.
We shortly find blood and track him to the creek, which in places is maybe 6 inches deep so nothing crazy.
It definitely appears he crosses the creek so my buddy does the same. I’m hesitant to leave last blood, so I point my flashlight up & down the bank while my buddy searches the other side….
THERE’S BLOOD! I can see where he crosses the creek & starts up the slight slope that goes 10 or so yards, in the back of my head thinking that it’s never good when deer travel uphill.
We take up his trail with some good blood, & just over the crest of the hill I see my buck!!!!!!
