For the last two years I've been after one buck - the G2 Buck. My first encounter with this deer was in 2010. This is when the buck showed up on trail camera for the first time, but would usually show up during the evenings after shooting hours.
Being a nocturnal deer during the summer, I knew this was going to be a really hard deer to hunt. I also knew that the deer was probably not bedding close to where my cameras were which was why I was getting pictures at night.
It was the second week of the season in Connecticut when I saw the G2 Buck for the first time. I was in the stand by early afternoon hoping the deer would filter out of the swamp and feed on the acorn flat I was hunting. Slowly does and young bucks started filtering in and eventually I was surrounded by deer.
That's when the G2 Buck stepped out of the swamp and headed right towards a smaller 90" eight pointer to challenge the smaller buck. At the same time a doe was working her way within 10 yards of my stand. I had the G2 Buck at 50 yards broadside when the doe picked up my sent and snorted at me. As she turned and ran back towards the swamp she took every other deer with her, including the G2 Buck that I was getting ready to shoot. That was the one and only time I saw that buck while hunting in 2010.
Fast forward to 2011 and the G2 Buck continued on his pattern of sparingly showing up after shooting hours. After showing up on trail cam a few times after shooting hours the G2 Buck starting moving at first light. It was mid-November and at the time I was in Kansas.
My father was after the same buck and finally got his chance at the G2 Buck at first light. With the buck at 40 yards he released an arrow, but the arrow just barely skimmed the bottom of the buck's chest and the deer ran off and would recover from the minor wound.
One month later, I got my first trail camera picture of the G2 Buck during shooting hours. He was 20 yards from my treestand, but only stayed for a few minutes. It would have been plenty of time for me to get off a shot only I wasn't hunting that day, I was working. I was thrilled with a picture of the buck during shooting hours and was determined to continue hunting the stand. Several sits later all I was seeing were yearling bucks. I couldn't even get a doe to come in.
Then once again in early January 2012 the buck showed up. Unfortunately, he was back to his after hours routine and he was there and gone just like that. Now there's two Saturday's left for me to hunt in January (you can't hunt Sundays in Connecticut). Time is quickly running out and all I can do is hunt hard and hope we cross paths. Guess we'll see what happens tomorrow, who knows, maybe the G2 Buck will show up.