This morning didn’t start off well. We had good intentions to hunt a bottom where there tends to be a lot of regular activity. However, when we started down the road, we blew a tire and that caused all sorts of unforeseen issues. We had to change it, and when we got going, it was too late to go to where we wanted to go.
After quickly changing our plans, we set up on a really narrow piece of land next to the road. Brian saw a shooter 9-pointer, a couple of does, and two small bucks. Although I didn’t see anything while sitting in my stand, I sat on a log during my scouting session and heard antlers crashing together.
When I went to investigate, I spotted a huge buck in a willow thicket. He was chasing other bucks through the thick stuff, and I watched in awe. They were across a body of water from me, and I didn’t have any opportunity to shoot. Unfortunately, I didn’t reach for my camera until the fiasco was over, but I still was able to capture three or four of the bucks. In the end, I think I saw seven mature bucks. Two of them ended up with broken tines after the battle, and the giant 10 dominated and sent the others packing. I’ve never seen anything like it and probably never will. It was absolutely incredible.
We spent the rest of the day scouting new areas and found some great sign. I think we will return there tomorrow. I have a good feeling about the place. There are some giant rubs in the area.
I’m also glad we got all of the stands set up to use for next week when things should ramp up. A lot of work has gone into this over the last few days, and Brian and I have everything set up for ourselves as well as everyone else. We all share spots, so it’s not like anyone has an advantage over anyone else. I’m looking forward to see what happens.