Setup this evening in a stand I put up this summer just behind the house. Its on the edge of some hemlock overlooking a creek bottom the bucks like to travel. Most action I had was some crows harassing a redtail. Gets dark kind of early in the hemlock, but when I made the short trip out I had enough light to see the 4 doe heads poke up over the bank between 2 ponds in the yard and chuckle at me as they scampered off. I think the deer have me patterned. If he's outside pizzing around until dark, stay in the woods. If he's not out around the house all afternoon head for the yard...he's looking for us. As BTDT says....stoopit deer...lol

Sat in a fresh stand overlooking a swamp thick low area besides a few big oaks, rattled in a 3pt at 5 then seen 2 does 100 yards away on the other side of the brush , I always see bucks cruising along this route between the swamps .... I always check my stands before hand except this one....good thing I had a extra strap I climbed up the second to last strap on my sticks was broke so I inspected the next climbed up strapped into the tree, 20' sticks then I climb 3 branches to the stand I stood on the limbs loosed the one ratchet it broke so I put a fresh one on and called it good lol stay safe out there gents! Check your straps squirrels like to chew them to and your seats!

Checked a camera briefly before I went out today too. Looks like these 2 little guys are working on figuring out the pecking order.

Sit this afternoon again 3 till dark , sit in my other stand covering a thicket at other end if the field . As I was checking my camera I see movement in tree line in middle of the field . Glassed it sure enough it was a little 4 pt. Had him on camera he just walked around looking at me as he was saying ha.. ha .. ya know I’m not legal 😜😜 and walked back into the woods. Didn’t see anything else until walking back to my Jeep saw another little buck and 4 doe at other end of the field , might have been same buck I saw earlier not sure ... so that was how my afternoon hunt went... oh well it was fun ... still windy also

Got home from work later tonight and wasn't gonna go out, but the steady, heavy south wind was calling my name as I stood in the garage debating what to do.

Didn't get into the stand until a little after 5. Around 540 two fawns and mama doe showed up. I decided to pass on the mama as she had some little ones in tow. Watched them feed up the edge of the ravine and into the brushy field edge until a little after 6. Around 615 I heard the leaves rustling around behind me. As I peered thru the hemlock to my back I could see a decent buck sneaking in just a few yards behind me. With my breath heavy now and the wind blowing right at him, he picked up that something wasn't right, turned and slowly walked back from where he came. Sat there thinking "****" for a little bit, then all of a sudden he appeared to the E of me sneaking thru the thicker brush with no shot at 20yds. Watched as he made his way thru the brush and disappeared into the field edge, when another buck came following in his trail. Had to be the biggest 3pt I've ever seen with one big crab claw on one side, and a single large main beam on the other. He followed the path of the first buck and disappeared. Sat for a few minutes and in desperation I hit the doe bleat twice. Few more minutes passed and the the first buck I saw came sneaking back in along the ravine edge. Couldn't believe it, and once he hit the trail of the doe that had previously passed he started back tracking it right toward me. At about 10yds I let the bolt fly, put a good hit on him, but it didn't pass thru. Watched him trot off about 40yds and crash. 3 loud death moans later and I'm thinking dead deer. Couldn't see the deer, but as I sat there in the fading light waiting for him to expire all of a sudden I hear some leaves rustling and then see a deer walking off behind me.

Sat from 635 when I shot him until 715 thinking I'm now in for a long night. Climbed down and looked for a blood trail and saw nothing, but sure enough there he lay where I heard him crash. The deer I had seen walking off in the darkness was thankfully a different one.

This 7pt is not the biggest buck on the property, but I am extremely happy to have him. As said earlier in this thread, my dad passed away last year. We spent the last day of his life doing what he loved, hunting the PA whitetail. This property I bought last year was his childhood home that has been in our family for a long time, and he couldn't have been happier that I ended up buying it. I don't know if it was the doe bleat that brought this guy back in, or dad putting on one last drive for me as I sat reminiscing about all of the good times we've had hunting, but I sure missed giving him that call and hearing "see you in a little bit".

C S, Nice story, congrats on bagging the Buck and the House. My condolences on losing your father, although that house and property will help keep you connected.

Congrats CS......any deer is a trophy with an arrow.....Sorry about yours father....your story was emotional for me.....he'll always be with you...now you got time for birds and squirrel....still have your dad's tree dog? I'm up a little to early.....going out for old man doe hunt with my 7/30 waters....

That’s a great story CS. Thanks for sharing and congrats on a fine buck.

Congrats, Crappie!! You guys seeing some deer have me wired up. Hopefully Saturday I see some action. 

Thanks guys and good luck to all of you!

Yeah we still have the feist dog Tuna. Mom turned her into a house dog though, so hopefully she hasn't gotten soft and forgotten what to do when the time comes. I know with pheasant season around the corner my pooch is definitly happy I have a deer in the freezer.