Peak of the rut in New York. A long-awaited military leave. Family land and good friends. All come together, with help from HuntStand, to produce a great buck and memorable hunt.
The peak of the rut for whitetail hunters is a special time. This fall, that time was especially memorable for Brandon Quick, who was on military leave and sharing a bowhunt with friends on the family farm. With help from the HuntStand app the trio put together a plan to surround a field that local deer typically use as a rutting area, and the effort paid off handsomely the evening of November 6th. In addition to making the most of his leave and sharing some great hunting memories, Brandon was able to add his name to the list of HuntStand’s 2017 Big Buck Alert winners. Here’s how the hunt unfolded.
“I was on my annual trip home to hunt family land with friends; it was the peak of the rut in western New York, and my HuntStand Hunting app was telling me to sit those long all-day sits during the first week of November.
“This is the time period when I typically take my leave from the military, and get out and log some much-needed ‘stand time’ with my bow. My buddies and I had been watching our HuntStand weather maps closely, and a front had just passed on the 5th of November. For the 6th of November HuntStand was calling for rising barometric pressure and falling temps all afternoon.
“With our plan set, we climbed up a hill to the back of our property, and me and my two buddies split up, trying to cover every corner of a field where we expected some chasing would be occurring.
“Studying our HuntStand terrain maps, we knew we had some steep gullies off both sides of the field, and what looked to be some old logging roads leading to the field edge. We double-checked the wind before climbing up some trees with our climbers, and setting a strategic ground blind. Then we hunkered down and waited four hours till the ‘Power Hour.’ I don’t think I have to explain what that is!
“An hour before dark I thought I heard grunting up on the nearby hillside, and didn’t really believe my ears until I heard it again. I looked over my shoulder to see a doe, and I’m thinking to myself, does don’t grunt, but figured I needed to get ready for ‘live action!’ I slowly turned and waited for her to walk down the logging road in front of me. All of a sudden I heard a deep bellowing grunt from below me, and my heart skipped a beat. I know it’s got to be a shooter, and sure enough, the buck appears and dawgs the doe straight to the field edge. I quickly stand up and draw, then let my arrow fly. With his tail tucked the buck took off, booking across the hill. I thought I heard him crash. Then five minutes later another shooter walks by and I get him on video. Two slammers in five minutes! This is crazy, and my friends can’t believe it. At dark we gather up and take up the trail. I hit the buck high, partly the result of the steep downhill angle of the shot, and we don’t find much blood…but I’m sure I heard him crash.
“About a half-hour later, after tracking tiny specs of blood, we stumble onto my deer lying on a hillside bench! HuntStand helped us set the stage for a successful hunt, and I use it every time to determine when and where to hunt. Thank you HuntStand, and good luck to all fellow bowhunters.”
For his Week Five win, Quick will be sent a Team HuntStand-approved Bino Harness X from ALPS OutdoorZ , a $49.99 value. One of the first product extensions to the popular and successful Extreme line from ALPS OutdoorZ, the Bino Harness X (shown above and below) is the ideal companion for your hunting optics. Designed to keep the pocket close to your chest and reduce the amount of movement you’ll feel in your optics, the Bino Harness X is constructed using extra-tough 1680D ballistic nylon fabric, with an easy-to-use one-handed opening mechanism for quick access. A handy lens cloth is included.
You’re not too late to enter the HuntStand 2017 Big Buck ALERT contest! Simply send us a few clear, high-res. digital photos (two to four) of your 2017 buck, along with a brief story of your hunt that explains how the HuntStand app played a part. Be sure to tell us if your buck was known to you or a newcomer, then describe the area where your stand sits, or where the encounter took place, as well as the fateful day’s wind and weather conditions, and of course, the blow-by-blow account of the exciting action as it unfolded. Include your full name, age, successful hunt date and state, weapon used, and also be sure to include your mailing address. Your e-mail subject line should read: Big Buck Alert! Send your photo(s) and requested info to: [email protected]
