“It was the first week of the time change, and it offered me more time in the morning so that’s when I hunted. Temperature was in the low 30’s for the first time, cloudy, and spitting sleet. I was late to the stand and just got situated with my safety strap and bow hanger at 5 minutes to 7am. Right around 7am with arrow nocked and ready to hunt, I heard fast movement from the east. I completely missed seeing the first deer (which had to be a doe) and it had another right behind it. All I could see of the second animal was his back and hind end, so I had no idea how big or small it was. I reached first for the bleat call, did that twice, and then rattled aggressively while mouth grunting at the same time.

All I can figure, he lost sight of the doe he was chasing and with the series of calls I made he thought the doe had doubled back on him. The trail he was on was 65 yards perpendicular to me. Then, for the first time, I could see him and how wide he was. Still approaching at a slow alert walk, I grunted again and he made a left turn straight at me 65 yards away. Now really alert, he kept approaching. I only had one hole to throw an arrow through the bushes, so I drew and held on that spot and waited. He needed to come to the shooting hole and, also, turn broad side. He approached the hole through the bushes and at the same time turned as if he was ready to get out of there in a hurry. I was still holding at full draw.

As the deer turned to his left, I released the arrow. I knew I hit him good. He spun hard to his left and ran back the way he came in. He jumped a blow down about the size of a VW Beetle and when he landed he didn’t have much left. He walked and wobbled and turned around twice. I thought I could see where he died from the stand but I wasn’t sure. Not completely sure I could see him, I waited. As I walked to spot I thought he died, he startled me. I found his body propped upright between two trees with an antler stuck in both trees. His head was upright as if he was looking back at my stand. Reaching for an arrow to nock and every hair standing on end, I thought he was alive. He died a proud deer and I was glad I was standing over him. Double lung with a forty yard trail.” Joe Brykalski, Oakland Co. Buck, 2007

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