Pennsylvania Game News - October 2023 - 26

8 to make the 40-minute drive from my
home in western Lebanon County to
my parent's farm in southern Schuylkill
County, the stark radiance of the Hunter's
Moon lit the way.
Quietly dressing in the field and
traversing the damp orchard grass and
clover required no artificial headlamp,
the sunlight's reflection off the moon
the only glow necessary to find my
tree stand. Moments later, comfortably
settled into my white oak perch, sunrise
followed.
While I always appreciate a crisp
morning reverie in nature, several hours
of swirling winds limited deer sightings
to a distant doe with two yearlings. This
prompted one of those " gut instinct "
decisions.
Figuring deer might be hitting the
feed early on this unseasonably chilly
day, I moved to another location on
the property, one offering not only an
abundance of acorns at the edge of
the woodlot, but also equally enticing
standing corn. Better yet, the wind was
perfect for that stand, so slipping in
undetected during the early afternoon
was a breeze.
Before climbing to a metal platform
shrouded by yellowing hickories, a
quick check of my nearby trail camera
revealed a beautiful 8-point buck
stepped into the field within shooting
distance of the stand at 6:15 the evening
prior. With any luck, I thought, history
might repeat itself.
After the complex-but-familiar
routine of clipping in my safety harness,
affixing my video camera to a
tree arm, hoisting my bow, removing
the quiver, nocking an arrow, hanging
the bow on its hook, buckling on my
release aid and making sure everything
works in tandem, I finally sat, drew in
26
a deep breath of calming satisfaction
and enjoyed the surroundings. This very
situation is where I feel most alive, most
at peace with the world.
Around 4:30 the first yearling
appeared, sipping acorns for several
minutes before eventually entering the
cornfield. At 5:30, a few does followed
suit. By 6:00, lengthening shadows indicated
it was time to get ready, so I eased
my hand into my compound's wrist
sling and removed it from its bow hook.
Ten minutes later, my premonition
became a reality as the 8-point from
the evening before appeared, mingling
with other deer while working its way
across the flat toward the field. I readied
the camera, clipped my release to my
bow string and looked on as the mature
titan approached.
Suddenly, a young buck pounced
toward a group of does beneath a sagging
hemlock. This racket initially
spooked the large 8 point, which
bounded into an opening along the field
edge. I hastily drew my bow. The big
buck stood within range, but facing me
straight on, as I held my draw. According
to my rolling video, 50 seconds
ticked by before the buck finally turned
broadside and followed the trail into
the corn.
At 18 yards I released my arrow and
watched as it buried within the center
of the buck's muscular flank. It wheeled
and fled straight down one of the narrow
corn rows with the protruding arrow
ticking off each stalk like a baseball
card clipped to the spokes of a young
boy's bike tire. The resulting red trail
and a loud crash seconds after the buck
cleared the field hinted at success.
Still, I waited 30 minutes before
climbing down from my stand in the
dwindling glimmers of daylight. My
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2023

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