After getting out a few times in September this year, and taking the month of October off to work on the house, once November rolled around I was more than ready to get back into my tree stand! Evenings were not producing much in terms of deer activity, so I decided to try a few morning stands to see if that would be better. Last Friday, I had a 5-minute staredown with a beautiful 10-point buck that refused to let me get a shot at him, but he didn’t spook just casually wandered off. Saw a couple 8-pointers as well, but they were too far away. Monday morning I went back out at 6:00 AM (thank you Daylight Savings Time) and around 8:15, this doe and another wandered into my clearing from behind me. I silently grabbed the bow, drew back and took a 6-yard shot that hit her a little high and back but still caught 1 lung and the liver. She made about a 70-yard run in a semicircle around my stand and dropped 10 seconds later around 25 yards from me. FINALLY success! I’m totally hooked on bowhunting now- much to the dismay of Jodi!

Here’s Benny’s story, in his own words:

Have not been bow hunting much. Crappy warm weather. This was only my 6th sit of the year and 1st time ever hunting this stand site in the afternoon. 1st time hunting this spot was Sat morning and I did not see a deer. Went back there for the Sat night sit to see what would happen. Scrapes were everywhere around the stand so I knew some bucks were using the area.
I rattled and did calling sequence at 5:45pm. About 5-min later, I heard 2 bucks sparring out in front of me maybe 100 or so yards away – I must have got them fired up. 6 pm I could hear them coming my way walking directly at me. This was the first deer I ever saw from this stand and the other buck was walking right behind him. He came right into my mock scrape then turned and walked to one of his scrapes about 5-yards away from my mock scrape. He was broadside at about 20 yards and working the licking braches with his rack. I sent an arrow right thru him. Little back and little low – blasted the liver. He took 2 bounds then just walked away down the trail. The other buck just stood there and then came in and proceeded to work the scrapes – fun to watch. I got out of there and went back with friend and father in law at Midnight to trail him. Took about 1 hour of a tough blood trail. He went maybe 150 yards total of winding around and backtracking and walking back thru my shooting lanes and right over the spot I shot him. Actually ended up dying about 12 yards from where I shot him! He was laying right there when we first started tracking him – crazy stuff.

• 170# dressed
• I am calling him a 12-pt (the 1-pt is just under inch)
• I grossed him @ 144
• netted @ 129
• 15″ inside
• 11-inch longest tine

NICE JOB TO BOTH OF US!!!!!