Last Saturday, Jeff and I headed out for a bittersweet hunt – our last hunt before the Opening Day of Firearm Season.   I was setup in a stand that we had hunted a few times, and Jeff was setup in a new location.  On this morning, however, I decided to enter the stand by using a different route….and it almost paid off big time.

It hadn’t been light for an hour yet, when I noticed movement in the tall grass field in front of me.  I could see multiple deer running around, but couldn’t quite make out if they were bucks or does.  I figured, though, being the time of the year that it was, that what I was seeing was rutting activity – a buck running some does.

After about ten minutes, and after watching the deer running in circles, while also being able to hear the buck grunting, I knew for sure that a buck was running these does hard.  The area was so thick, though, that I was having a hard time getting a good look at the buck; I couldn’t really tell how big or how old he was.  Once I did get a good look at him, though, I almost fell out of my treestand.

He has to be a 140 class buck.  I was so rattled by how big he was that I honestly had to keep telling myself over and over to, “concentrate on vitals”, “concentrate on vitals”.  I have never seen a buck – with my own eyes – that was this big.  He was huge!!!!  I was lucky enough to be able to watch him run these does for about an hour and a half.  The only problem with the whole thing was that I never could manage to get him close enough for a shot.

I grunted, and used the estrus doe bleat, but to no avail.  I did have the does at about 35yds, but just when I thought they were going to come to me, and bring the big boy with them, they turned and headed back in another direction.

After the hour and a half of watching him, he eventually moved off after one of the does, and I never saw him again………until about 7 hours later.

On Saturday night I setup in the same stand.  I wasn’t in stand for a half hour when I noticed a doe working her way through the timber.  Then, about 15 minutes later, I heard movement to my right – a doe was working her way down a trail near my stand.  Right behind her, grunting his head off, was the same big buck from the morning’s hunt.

He emerged from the secondary trail, and once again I got to witness his pure awesomeness.  He’s big.  And even bigger than I originally thought.  Unfortunately again, though, he hung up at 50yds, ignored my grunting and estrous call once again, put his nose to the ground on a hot doe trail, and headed right towards Jeff’s stand location…..and out of my dreams forever.

Jeff did get to see him as well, but he was 60yds away and didn’t offer Jeff a shot either.   I’m not sure we’ll ever see him again, but I’m glad we got at least one chance to lay eyes on him.  At least, for a few  minutes anyway, I was able to feel like I was on the Outdoor Channel; or hunting with an outfitter in Pike County, Illinois.

It was awesome.  The best few moments I’ve had in the hunting woods – and it didn’t require killing anything.

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