Thursday, November 1, 2012, All day

Thursday, November 1, 2012 All day. Sunrise: 7:42 am. Hunting opens: 7:12 am. It was a long steep climb to the new Ridge Top portable stand. I love the location and if it pays off, I plan on building a permanent stand there next summer. I was at the base of the stand by 6:25 am. Before i climbed in, I put down a short scent line and some scent wicks to the NE and NW of me. It took a while to get dressed an cooled down, but I was up in the stand and ready by 6:45 am. As I was getting ready I heard footsteps to the north of me. I saw a silhouette of I think a coyote. At 8:30 am, I could hear a buck grunting to the south of me moving from west to east. He was probably 75 yards down the hill, but I couldn't see him. I tried to grunt back to see if he would come up the hill but to no avail. At 12:05 pm, I looked to the NE and there was a big doe that had just come over the top of the hill about 50 yards away. She heard a buck grunt to the east and she took off after it on a slow trot. At 12:10 pm, I heard another grunt down to the SW of me. I grunted back but nothing. At 3:45 , I heard something to the SW of me. It was a big doe. Behind her was Captain Hook. She stopped in the brush 30 yards away. He got behind her and smelled if she was ready. He then proceeded to mount her. I got some great video. They ended up going back to the west. Damn. Another close encounter. At 4:05 pm, I heard something to the north of me. It was another big doe at 15 yards. I saw some movement and there was another smaller buck to the NW of me and straight west of her. She went back down the hill to the north and he followed her. At 6:00 pm, I had a doe sneak through to the SE of me. She was heading to the east.  At 6:10 pm, I had a nice 2 1/2 year old 7 pointer come in.  He was 7-10 yards away and had no idea that I was there.  He ended up circling the stand and I got a lot of great video.  Totals: Bob - 3 bucks and 4 does.