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It was Thanksgiving Day Shotgun season in 1989
My Brothers and I usually alway's hunted close to home on Thanksgiving
Day most every year, So we were able to be Home with our families on Thanksgiving Day. It was the second week of shotgun
for deer. We headed out around 5:00 am that day. We decided to stop for breakfast. There was about 8 or so inches of snow
on the ground 2 inches of fresh had fallen a couple hours before we hunted Thanksgiving Day . We stopped
at a local resturant in a small town in Genesee county NY. As we ate we discussed our game plan for the morning hunt. After
breakfast we started on our way to the place we would hunt that day . It was a state park /campground on one side & alot
of access to public hunting land around it . It had a good population of deer there as well. We had taken several
deer there over the years pryor.Upon driving around the outskirts of the park to where we would be hunting that day, We noticed
alot of vehicles parked in the various parking area's along this park there are several area's in which to access this area.
We arrived at our chosen spot around 5:45 or so . Got our gear together & headed out to our chosen spots, it was several
hundred yards to get back where we hunted . As we arrived at our destination we shook hands as alway's n said good luck to
one another , we then parted our seperate way's. There are many good choices to hunt in this area from scaggs, to tangle thickets,
open woods, swamps etc. etc. That day I chose to hunt over a little ditch that led through a swamp where if and when deer
approached from that direction I would have time to ready myself for a shot hopefully, as I could hear anything that came
through the otherside when it stepped into the swamp.The water was about 5 or 6 inches deep there. After about a half an hour
I heard my first animals comming through the swamp it was 5 very large turkeys , however we were not permitted to take turkeys
from that park as they were protected for some reason . Around 6:45 I again heard footsteps heading in my direction It was
2 doe's But even though they were in shot range it was not legal shooting hours yet so I had to pass on them . I was excited
even though as I had already seen action first thing & was very hopeful it would only get better throughout the morning.
about 7:15 or there abouts heavy shooting started not very far from where I was & continued for over 40 minutes. My adreanalin
was pumping fairly well with anticipation I would have a deer come my way. However a couple hours went by without seeing any
action . I was a little cold so decided to start a spot & stalk hunt for a little while until I warmed
up a little bit. I traveled about a hundred yards or so when I saw 7 or 8 more turkey's scooting from a wooded section, leading to
a swamp area with Buffalo grass , heavy cover etc. I found a spot along a ravine which led to a small thicket . I seen lots
of fresh tracks there & decided to set myself near a tree not far from wrere the tracks led into that thicket with the
wind in my face. There was more shooting going on , However I didin't see anymore deer just heard lots of shooting
going on. So I remained still hoping my luck would soon change. By now it was 10:00 am or there abouts, Still I had seen nothing
. The shooting subsided as well . Then Pow!!! I heard a shot not far at all I Looked into the field to my left
& saw a decent buck & 2 doe's taking flight away from the insuing shots being fired , However, again it happend so
fast I just couldn't get a clear shot & I will not in a large area like that shoot at running deer . There were just
too many people too take a chance. It would be a quiet hour or so after them shots . By now it was nearing 11:00 am
& I had not had any shot opportunities as of yet so decided to radio my Brothers & see if they had any better
luck than I. They Had not seen any deer only several tracks . However my brother Bob did take a fox that was acting
kind of looney he said, But that was the only shot opportunity he had so far. It was around 11:30 when My brother George
radioed myself & Bob and said he was going to head home for dinner. I radioed Bob and we met up I told him that we should
try something different for a change & stay a couple hours after the other hunters left , As 98% of all the
hunters around this area usually head out of the woods and back with their families for Thanksgiving dinner . He agreed to
give it a couple more hours there as we had seen so much fresh deer sign Tracks etc. in the snow. Well we chose our spots
& went once again our seperate way's. Well at 12:00 pm the noon siren from the fire dept. down the road sounded off and
as expected . The vast majority of hunters started piling out of the woods to be home For Thanksgiving dinner with their
families etc. There were a few shots fired about this time, As deer were once again being pushed out from bedding, heavy cover
etc., due to most all the hunters heading home. I had moved to a spot pryor to that time , It was a cornfield still
half standing. On the otherside an open field that followed a treeline leading back towards the main path back to the
main parking area, where most people who hunted this side of the park had parked their vehicles. It was now about 1:15
or so at this point most all shooting had ceased at 2:05 I spotted movement on the far side of the open field . It was a Large
Doe she entered the field from a small thicket there. As she walked right out into the open. I noticed she was looking
back and her tail wagging from side to side & not up. Not having a shot as she was still 150 yards approx. away from where I
was positioned. I waited hoping that another hunter would not come out at that instant & spook this deer . As I waited
again I saw movement comming from the same thicket she appeared which came from over a small hill . First I saw a head
then the second deer appeared ! It was what looked like a spike horn buck.
A very decent size buck it was as well ! when he finally came out into
the field the doe started heading right to the side of the field I was on & stopped about 45 or 50yards away from me.
At that point she started grazing on the hay in the field etc. while I waited and watched the buck slowly make his way
over to the middle of the field Very Cautiously he eventually came within shot range. I shouldered my shotgun took aim &
realized that on the otherside of the buck was one of quite a few gas well pipes in the park. I had to wait with no
shot opportunity, with the gas pipe that was directly behind the buck, it seemed like eternity before the buck finally started
towards where the doe was !! What happend next I've personally never seen before in the wild. The buck went straight to the
doe approaching her from behind & after hopping around a couple of seconds with her he stood up on his hind legs &
mounted the doe !!!. Yep right out in the open field in broad daylight in an area that only a couple hrs before had seen
all kinds of shooting going on. The rut was in full swing , However I just couldn't believe what I was whitnessing & I
just couldn't bring myself to take the buck , while he was doing his buisness with the willing doe. My adreanilin was in full
swing now as I watched in almost total disbelief at the two deer right in broad daylight breeding or attempting to for several
minutes. As most veteran hunters know it just don't happen like that in broad daylight & usually to say the
least & Usually always occurs at night especially when heavy hunter presence &
shooting are happening. Anyway I watched & waited for the buck to stand down he did after several minutes . When
he did I finally had a clear shot at his vital area , I shouldered my gun took aim & fired. The buck didn't
go 10 yards before dropping!!! I was ecstatic that I had taken this buck in of all places right out in a broad open
field where not 2 hrs before I watched about 40 other hunters pile out right through the very same field on their way home.
I walked over to the buck & realized he was not a spikehorn as originally thought , but a 7 point buck instead I had only
seen a frontal view heading straight out of the thicket . The doe after I shot the buck jumped & ran about 25
more yards away, started snorting loudly as to warn every deer in the area, I raised my shotgun again , but before I could
put a bead on her she ran off. It didn't matter as I had already filled one of my two doe tags the first week of the
gun season, and was going to fill this tag to give my brother Bob a deer for his freezer. I then radioed Bobby My brother
& told him I had scored a buck . He then came to help. I field dressed the buck. We then started the long drag back to
my truck. As we were dragging the deer back I told Bobby how the scene unfolded. Starting from the point I had spotted the
doe. Bob had put the fox in a large plastic bag & we tied it to the deer carcus & dragged them both together . We
were about 3/4 of the way back when I looked ahead of us & saw 3 doe running across another open cut cornfield we let
go of the drag rope & shouldered our guns once again I gave out a loud baat noise 2 of the 3 deer stopped I
had no clear shot My brother had got down on one knee took aim & fired!!! Yes!!! I said as the deer he shot at dropped
almost right in its tracks the other deer bolted out of site. Bob & I approched the downed deer & found it to be a
"Very nice sized button buck". Well as you might imagine we were pretty excited!! to say the least. We Had taken a chance
on trying something different out of the normal routine on Thanksgiving day & it paid off greatly !! We could not
have been more thrilled that day . Since then You bet we always try & stay at least a couple hours longer than the majority
of hunters out there on Thanksgiving Day every year since that awesome hunt we experienced that Year. It has since paid
off on at least 4 other occassions.!!! I Firmly Believe that by us daring to take a chance & trying something a little
out of our normal Thanksgiving day routine we were able to fill our tags .
I hope You enjoyed this story
& feel free to come back again anytime!!!! As I will continue to update this site often
Wally
| Picture of My Brothers Button Buck |
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| He Took That Same Day !!!!! |
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