Hunter hunting along a marsh

Steve Clark

Information

  • Date Taken: 10/29/2023
  • Time Of Day: Evening
  • Method: Crossbow
  • Number of Points: 10
  • County: Isabella County
  • Property: Private
  • Dressed Weight: 160

Got settled into a stand we hadn’t hunted yet this year due to the wind and it was my first solo sit of the year. We had been seeing this buck for a few weeks, both while hunting and on cams with onec close encounter about a week prior. Around 545pm a doe came running out of the bedding area heading south and he was on her tail, running about 60 yrds away from me. I did some grunt and estrous doe calling, trying to get the deer to come back towards me. About 615pm, two does came running by heading the opposite direction as before. I kept looking towards where they came from and saw the buck standing along the edge of the small field beside me. I made a couple quick grunts and he began coming directly towards me on a string. He was following the edge of the pine tree stand I was in and instead of walking through my shooting lane, he came into the pines and walked right by me at 10 yrds, but due to brush and tree limbs I had no shot and watched him walk back into the bedding area. Then. Around 645pm a doe was walking towards me in the brush, along the edge of the bedding area and he was following her. He stopped broadside at 20 yrds directly in front of me in one of the shooting lanes. Perfect double lung shot with the Rage 2+ and he only ran 30 yrds. I heard him taking his last breaths before he expired. Most exciting hunt ever and my personal best.