Well another archery season has passed and I failed to get it done with a bow again. Third week of a six week season I had a nice 7 point at 45 yards and caught him in the shoulder. I tracked him for 300 yards and he stopped bleeding. I saw him again out of range last week of archery and 2 days ago in rifle but was not able to get shots off. He's still limping badly and not putting much if any weight on the front leg. These are resilient creatures! He's moved onto my property mainly and my neighbors (sanctuary), full time; my place for the food and neighbors for the cover.
Last evening I went out at 3:00 to a blind I have in a large food plot that is a mix of brassica's, clover, alfalfa, and chicory. I was very slow with only 3 does popping out at 5:00 and a fourth at 5:10. All of a sudden they ran to within 40 yards of my blind, so I pulled up the binoculars and saw horns at 180 yards with the rest of the deer below the crest of a small hill. I got the TC Icon ready realizing I had not popped the scope covers I opened them up and the scope immediately fogged up. Fortunately I have a lens cleaning cloth on my binoculars which I now had to find after setting them down. I was able to locate the bino's get the scope cleaned and I get the gun up on the shooting sticks and I was too high at the rear of the gun, I get out of the chair as quietly as possible kneel down and can't get the sticks adjusted so I ditch them pull the gun up and he's gone! I pull the gun back in the blind for the fourth time grab the bino's and find him 60 yards from where I first saw him. Get the gun out again and the does are starting to get nervous. I used the blind window to help steady the gun and take a quartering to shot at about 150 yards. By this time I am at the limit of legal shooting light and after the muzzle flash and recoil no buck!
I am shooting a 300 win mag and have never missed with this gun out to 350 yards on 5 deer and at 165 at a running coyote, further more nothing has taken a second step, they have all dropped in their tracks. The buck was 20 yards from the edge of the uphill side of the plot and there is minimal cover. I assumed he would drop, or worst case scenario run down hill and land in the middle of the plot. I gathered up my things walked to where I thought the buck was standing and no blood or fur? I walked the edge of the plot 50 yards before and after where I thought he was standing and no signs in the snow other than lots of tracks in the week old snow. At this point it's so dark I need to go into my pack for a light and as I am pulling it out I notice a set of legs from behind a tree. As I walk up I find him about 35 yards from where he was shot on the uphill side of the plot. He started up a steep bank and expired then rolled back against the tree.
I have one doe tag left which I am saving for late season archery/flintlock, temperature and weather conditions will dictate what I hunt with then. For those that don't think food plots work, this is the second buck I shot in the same food plot 2 years in a row 40 yards apart. Additionally, my cousin shot a nice buck out of the same blind last year in muzzle loader, I put this particular plot in 2 years ago so I would call that a 150% success rate!
I am emailing Joe pictures since I still can’t figure out how to post them.

Congradulations Tom nice buck. Have to like the rape in the late season. Saw two deer yesterday in my food plot also but no

Nice buck. Congrats. You found a good spot there!

Hunted the food plot here this afternoon. Walking out about three fifteen there were two does feeding on the rape. They take off once I decide to go to blind. Just before dark I see four more deer but cannot determine if there is a buck. Dont have doe permit. They like that rape late season for sure. Two more days left