Last Friday evening I did have a pretty decent buck coming right towards me, but just as luck would have it he decided to cross my shooting lane on the wrong side,  and right before he stepped out into the trail where I could get a clear shot,  he winded me and blew out of there back in the same direction he came from. I tell ya I have been trying my best to play the wind right, but it seems like where I am now it changes directions every 20 mins or so.

I hunted yesterday evening and did not see anything but a few crows, and this morning was the same story. So before I left today I moved off back in the cedar and pine thicket and found some nice fresh rubs, and also found a couple of pretty worn trails that criss cross in some pretty thick cover. I found a good tree overlooking the area and put my climber on it. I usually try and stay out of the thick stuff so as to not disturb them if they are bedding in there but it’s do or die now. From the sign all around I know they are there, but they are  just not moving much or far at all. I will not be able to hunt again until Monday morning, but if the wind is right so I can hunt the spot I am expecting to see something.

We are allowed two doe tags but you can only fill them in the October bow season or during the Thanksgiving weekend doe days with a rifle. I had a couple of doe’s that kept hangin out at my feeder’s all season but I let them keep hangin around my area hopin they would come in to estrus and start draggin in some bigger bucks. Seen several yearling bucks that were not legal and I had hogs everywhere. I managed to take eleven hogs off our place this year. I think the hogs were havin’ a negative effect on my deer hunting also, but what the heck they are good eatin’ too!

Well I did manage to score on this nice 9 pointer at the end of December. His inside spread was just over the 13 inch’s and I was really proud to get him. He is not a monster by any mean’s but I will be more than happy with a buck like him every year and be satisfied, especially when I have the drought conditions and hog problems I had this season!

I have takin a few bucks larger than him and a whole bunch that were smaller. I really hope the new antler restriction program works because I would love to start seeing  some bigger bucks around my area! I guess it’s workin some because back a few years ago a buck like him was a monster for where I hunt. Guess we will just have to wait and see if the antler restrictions help out over the next few years, but for me anything that leads to shootin bigger bucks is worth the wait!