Ouachita Parish Public Land
Saddle and Platform
Mathews V3X 33

I got out there around 4:45am and a couple other folks pulled up around then. We did the courteous thing and asked each other about where everyone was headed so we didn't encroach.

I get to my tree and had 2 deer walking under me about 20 minutes before shooting light. I hoped they would stick around. As soon as daylight hit, it was like magic. I had a few does come through but heard a lot of noise in the distance so I let them walk. Sure enough, a nice buck came trotting my way and stopped to make some scrapes. It had 3 other does with it. Right before it got within shooting range, another buck showed up. They decided to spar for a few minutes and slowly worked into my range. First time I ever got to see that.

The bigger 8-point was walking steady into my window to shoot (they came from behind me where it was thick, but I did have one window through the brush/trees back there). I drew back and waited. He got to my window but quartered hard towards me so I didn't have the shot. Thinking back, maybe I could have taken the shot since he was only 15 yards away, but I figured I'd gut shot him based on the angle. He trotted back and the does and bucks ventured off and then back around where they came from.

After that I saw 6 more deer. A small doe had a button buck following her right under my tree. I let them go because I was hoping for the other bucks to show back up. I could hear them scraping around the bend. Then a bobcat came walking through. Just when I thought it was time for the action to pick up, a guy rode his electric bike right through my area and to my tree before he saw me. I heard the bucks crash off.

Who the hell rides up at 9:15am?? Apparently, someone shot a buck and a doe a little north of me and while tracking their deer they went under this guy's tree. So he decided to pack up and try to find another place to go. Thank you to that guy for screwing up my hunt. I saw nothing after that so got down around 12:30.

All in all, it was a great day in the woods and I'll be back in a couple days to try that spot again.

Good luck out there, OB. May you have more courteous hunters than that 1 I experienced today. At least the ones that got there with me had good sense.

This post was edited on 11/13/22 at 5:35 pm