Talon's buck
Talon got his season off with a bang. We started out easing through the woods rattling off and on. We didn’t get a response right off, about 30 minutes in we spooked some does. We stopped and got set up right there, grunted, rattled and they calmed right down. There was a spike buck with them and he came right on in. Now that we are allowed a spike and a trophy buck Talon decided to take him out of the gene pool. He made a great shot, captured on video forever. I’ll sure be glad when that boy’s big enough to drag’em he’s makin’ me old! We were across a creek and half a mile in thick cover. Makes for some tough draggin’ for a short fatman!
This is one of those hunting stories where I would like to able to tell you we’ve been watching this buck for years, but it wouldn’t be true. In fact we had no idea he was in the area. We had all seen does working these fields and decided to get in a little earlier than we usually do to hunt hogs and just watch the field and do some calling. Talon and I had just sat down under a big pecan tree when we noticed buzzards landing in the tall grass; we watched the spot to mark it and see what was dead later. Well, we forgot to look! As we watched we saw a doe fawn standing there not 30 yards from us looking at them as well. So we decided to do a little rattlin’ and see what else stood up. Immediately several more does got up and a small buck. They eased our way and the buck hung around forever. We played with him calling him back many times. It was then I noticed a doe running about 500 yards away. I knew there had to be a buck chasing her. I strained my eyes out to spot him, but there was one that kept it’s head down and I couldn’t tell. We decided to move out into the tall weeds to see if we could get a better look. We crawled about 50 yards before I spotted the buck. I could tell he had antlers and that he was wide. That was enough to keep us planted! For the next two hours all we caught were glimpses of him chasing does and working a scrape. I would snort wheeze, grunt with a Haydel’s Ham-Ma-Slama {meant for hogs} and rattle. He would look our way and still all we could see were his antler tips. He would leave the field for several minutes at time and then just reappear out of nowhere. It was all we could do to not go to him, but not being able to watch him I knew that was the wrong thing to do. We kept calling trying to pull him away from the does that were slowly working their way to our down wind side. I knew if they got our scent it was over. The buck was easing along behind them still chasing a doe from time to time, they just didn’t want to leave the group. He disappeared behind some tall grass FOREVER, so I grunted and made doe bleats with my voice. When I did he turned heading our way and to the left. He needed to go a few more yards to give Talon a shot, but just as quickly he turned and headed back to the does. I grunted again and he turned again heading to our down wind side. The does were nearly downwind of us now and I was still afraid they would get there before the buck offered a shot. He finally stepped into an area where Talon could get the shot and I heard a doe blow! I said; “Take the shot if you have it son”. He did, the buck dropped right there! I was never so glad to see a one shot drop. The emotion that followed can not be explained. I took pictures from video to show just how excited Talon was. it’s called “RAW EMOTION”
this is all we could see of him for almost 2 hours! can you see him?
Talon got his season off with a bang. We started out easing through the woods rattling off and on. We didn’t get a response right off, about 30 minutes in we spooked some does. We stopped and got set up right there, grunted, rattled and they calmed right down. There was a spike buck with them and he came right on in. Now that we are allowed a spike and a trophy buck Talon decided to take him out of the gene pool. He made a great shot, captured on video forever. I’ll sure be glad when that boy’s big enough to drag’em he’s makin’ me old! We were across a creek and half a mile in thick cover. Makes for some tough draggin’ for a short fatman!
This is one of those hunting stories where I would like to able to tell you we’ve been watching this buck for years, but it wouldn’t be true. In fact we had no idea he was in the area. We had all seen does working these fields and decided to get in a little earlier than we usually do to hunt hogs and just watch the field and do some calling. Talon and I had just sat down under a big pecan tree when we noticed buzzards landing in the tall grass; we watched the spot to mark it and see what was dead later. Well, we forgot to look! As we watched we saw a doe fawn standing there not 30 yards from us looking at them as well. So we decided to do a little rattlin’ and see what else stood up. Immediately several more does got up and a small buck. They eased our way and the buck hung around forever. We played with him calling him back many times. It was then I noticed a doe running about 500 yards away. I knew there had to be a buck chasing her. I strained my eyes out to spot him, but there was one that kept it’s head down and I couldn’t tell. We decided to move out into the tall weeds to see if we could get a better look. We crawled about 50 yards before I spotted the buck. I could tell he had antlers and that he was wide. That was enough to keep us planted! For the next two hours all we caught were glimpses of him chasing does and working a scrape. I would snort wheeze, grunt with a Haydel’s Ham-Ma-Slama {meant for hogs} and rattle. He would look our way and still all we could see were his antler tips. He would leave the field for several minutes at time and then just reappear out of nowhere. It was all we could do to not go to him, but not being able to watch him I knew that was the wrong thing to do. We kept calling trying to pull him away from the does that were slowly working their way to our down wind side. I knew if they got our scent it was over. The buck was easing along behind them still chasing a doe from time to time, they just didn’t want to leave the group. He disappeared behind some tall grass FOREVER, so I grunted and made doe bleats with my voice. When I did he turned heading our way and to the left. He needed to go a few more yards to give Talon a shot, but just as quickly he turned and headed back to the does. I grunted again and he turned again heading to our down wind side. The does were nearly downwind of us now and I was still afraid they would get there before the buck offered a shot. He finally stepped into an area where Talon could get the shot and I heard a doe blow! I said; “Take the shot if you have it son”. He did, the buck dropped right there! I was never so glad to see a one shot drop. The emotion that followed can not be explained. I took pictures from video to show just how excited Talon was. it’s called “RAW EMOTION”
this is all we could see of him for almost 2 hours! can you see him?
