This year our cousin Shoe told us another “hell of a” hunting story.
We thought we would share his amazing day on the hunt.
Below, an excerpt from an email he sent us about his morning.

Tales From The Shoe: AM Trifecta

I was in my stand before daylight (of course) and I texted one of the other guys I was hunting with and asked if bear season was indeed in. I thought it might have been over the previous day however, he informed bear were indeed still in season. At about 7:20 a.m. I saw doe above me on the ridge, and could have shot it however it was early, and a long shot so I passed. The doe appeared to be headed toward a hollow where a friend of mine was posted. He happens to be one of those who can’t sit still. I knew the doe would be back my way. Around 8:25 a.m. I saw more deer movement on the ridge, this time going the other direction and I caught a glimpse of a rack buck and a spike headed towards the neighboring property. Immediately following this, (as predicted) the group of does came running back around the ridge headed the same way. I decided not to shoot again.

A couple of minutes went by and the does came running down the hill not knowing which direction to go. After a minute or two they headed down the hill below me, I decided now or never! I pulled up on the lead doe at 110 yds and dropped her in her tracks!. She laid about 20 yds above the lower logging road. I hung my gun up and sat back down to see what else was going to happen. At about 9:10 a small doe came around the point from the neighbor’s property. She was acting funny and looking back where she came from, it didn’t take long and another deer was coming fast. I could see horns at 150 yds and figured he was big enough. He came to about 60 yds and turned down the hill and then turned coming towards me but behind. He started to slow down while coming on a logging road right behind me. I took him at about 45 yds and he dropped in his tracks right on the logging road. That’s two deer in a little over 2 hrs. I decided to hang out for a while and see what else happened, but had no intention of shooting anything else. I sat till about 10:30 and the other guy texted and said another guy hit a nice buck and they were tracking it. He asked what my plans were. I told him I was packing up and going to get down and take care of my deer.

I had lowered some of my stuff down on the rope and was packing up other stuff when I heard a twig snap behind me. I turned quick and looked up the hill and WOW!… A bear walking through a blow down at 85 yds! Couldn’t believe it, grabbed my gun and swung around as it stepped up on the top of the blow down top. It stopped and looked directly at me as I put the crosshairs on the chest and pulled the trigger. My third animal of the day dropped straight down through the brush, deader than a door nail!!! I couldn’t believe what just happened, it was real fast! The bear was just above the top logging road, had to drag it about 20 yds downhill, then it was off to get the side x side to start picking up animals!

So there you are, that’s the long version.

You asked earlier about me picking one deer in archery and holding out for him. I do that a lot, but this year I hadn’t seen the buck on camera I was hunting for and heard someone got a nice on the other side of the mountain. Figured it might have been him.