Was able to harvest this solid 8pt with my compound bow from the ground in a public forest.
I first got a pic of this guy in Dec last year so i was excited to hunt this forest during prime time, knowing there was a good eight in the area. I set my trail cam up early sept 1km from the road near a swamp where i had scouted bedding area, trail leaving said area and a scrape line from previous year. I only got one night pic of him early sept in velvet, so i was happy he was still alive and in the area but didn't have the bedding figured out like i thought i did. I asked a friend and much more seasoned hunter to help me scout and i showed him a scrape and small rub on at a edge transition near a swamp on the way to where my trail cam was, 800m more into the forest. He immediately told me to stop going back there and hunt this scrape instead because of how it set up with the edge, swamp and forest. I was skeptical because my cam was set up near their bedding area and also on a scrape line close to it, so i figured that would have the most activity. I know his hunting resume so i listened to him. Thursday i set up at the scrape from 2-dark but no movement. Wind wasn't right on friday so i hunted another forest to no avail. On Saturday Nov 3rd i went back and by first light (7:30am) i was watching the scrape. I didn't use a ground blind but instead just stood there slightly behind/beside a tree and in the shadows to help conceal me. The buck came in at 8:10 am and i first noticed him at 35 yds when i caught his movement. When hunting from the ground, much more often than not they are right on top of you before you notice. He walked along the edge like we suspected they would and he noticed me at 25 yards but with good wind and zero movement or breathing on my part (it was cold and didn't want breath to give me away), he continued on to the scrape right in my shooting lane. A sound caught his attention in the other direction giving me the perfect chance to draw. i didn't make the shot i wanted and i spined him but he didn't move 1 cm - dropped on the spot. I quickly shot another arrow into him getting lung and heart making quick work of my previously (somewhat) misplaced shot. lots of work went into this year and had multiple close encounters already. Ground hunting isn't easy but sure is rewarding.
Exact same day i shot my buck last year... you can bet i'll be going for 3 in a row on Nov. 3rd 2019.
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