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It was opening weekend of the 2003 Wisconsin bow season and, like the previous two years, a farmer had given me permission to hunt his land near Spooner, WI. Saturday evening Mark Almlie and I set out to hunt a woodsline bordering alfalfa in hopes of ambushing deer on their way out of cover to graze. As I sat in my stand I could hear acorns falling in the woods behind me. One doe appeared about an hour and a half before dusk to snack on acorns under a lone oak tree in the field. She fed about 100 yards away and stayed there until dark. This proved to be the only deer I saw Saturday which was uncharacteristic of this stand in comparison to previous years. The windy conditions as well as fresh acorns on the ground may have kept the deer in cover until after dark.

Knowing the acorns were beginning to fall, I decided to change locations for Sunday evening's hunt. I set up on the other side of the farm in a tree from which I had shot a doe the year prior. Situated about 20 feet high on an oak ridge with thick cover directly behind me and standing corn in sight to my front, I felt confident about my new spot. It was a much calmer evening and I hoped the deer would begin moving earlier.

At about 6:00pm I heard movement to my front and left. A nice buck appeared 50-60 yards away taking his sweet time picking up acorns as he passed underneath the oaks. He was walking in front of me, not towards, and I worried he may pass by out of range and I would not be able to take a shot. I had my grunt tube ready to lure him in but just before I was ready to call he turned and quartered towards me. As he walked behind a tree I drew back and waited. The buck stopped broadside 30 yards away and I took my shot. The arrow passed through well behind his vitals but he ran 50 yards and crashed. I waited in my stand to let him bleed out because I could not see him through the trees and brush. A half hour later 4 does and 2 fawns followed him up and as they got close to where I shot him they sensed something was wrong and scattered. As I approached the buck he was bigger than I thought....a nice 8 pointer that scored 116!