As I walked the fringe of a harvested cornfield near dark, I stayed close to cover. The last thing I wanted to do was run into the buck that had left the sign where I had placed the new stand, but after traveling only 100 yards, I spotted movement along the field’s edge . . . I could make out heavy antlers and several points as the buck headed for the safety of the woods that I had just left . . . I had run right into the buck I hoped to kill. Would this one be like others, and disappear for the remainder of the hunting season? I could only hope this mature buck did not head for parts unknown.
About five days passed before the wind became favorable. I arrived at the stand without incident . . . The next hour passed quickly. When I spotted a deer coming, I did not realize at first that it was the big one. The deer walked very slowly with its head down, following the trail of a small buck that had walked by earlier. Several seconds passed before I spotted his dark antlers against the floor of the woods, and when I did I knew it had to be him.
I never took my eyes off the approaching buck as I reached for my hanging bow. I looked ahead for an opening. Then I saw the rubbed tree the small buck had scented. The buck continued approaching and when his head disappeared behind a huge oak, I drew the bow. He was in the opening near the rub in less than a heartbeat. I shot. He disappeared in an instant after going over a small hill, and I heard him crash to the ground.
I had patterned a pre-rut buck within his home range, and it paid off. No doubt locating the buck’s area and trail contributed to the kill. It’s worth pointing out how dependable big bucks can be within their home range. After all, I had encountered this buck a few days earlier, yet he remained close to the area where I spooked him.
—From Chapter 15, Patterning a Pre-Rut Buck: Second Chances with a Ten-Pointer
