Todd Graf seems to be on a roll getting things done in quick fashion this season when it comes to punching tags. After a great turkey season he quickly followed up with a nice Wyoming pronghorn. That hot streak continued this past weekend on the Wisconsin archery opener.
After a quick scouting trip several weeks ago where Todd located a concentration of fresh sign, he’s been monitoring his Wisconsin hunting property from several hours away with the help of his Stealth Cam GX Wireless cameras. The camera was showing nightly visits from a nice 10-pointer on the property feeding on acorns in front of Graf’s stand.
Despite the 80+ degree temperatures, Todd decided to move in and hunt the acorns to see if the buck would show back up on opening day. BHOD team member Tom Alford has got a few more weeks before his season starts in Illinois, so he went along for some treestand therapy and to hopefully film Graf punch his first deer tag of the season.
Not knowing exactly where the deer were, the guys did their best to sneak in undetected for an afternoon sit. After bumping a couple deer on the way in, they finally reached their stand and climbed in. Once settled in, they began seeing deer almost immediately from the stand, including a nice 2-year-old buck. Closer to dark, as Todd was filming an update interview, the buck they were after appeared, coming from the opposite direction they were anticipating.
After grabbing his bow and getting turned around for a shot, the buck came in to work a scrape 12 yards away from the treestand, offering the perfect opportunity with the camera rolling over Todd’s shoulder. Todd made a perfect heart shot and the deer went just 80 yards.
The buck is a clean 10-pointer that’ll score in the low-mid 130’s. The hunt will air on this week’s episode of Bowhunt or Die so make sure you tune in for all the action.
Gear List
Bow: Mathews Halon 32 / Arrows: Black Eagle Rampage / Broadheads: NAP Killzone Maxx / Clothing: ScentLok Savanna / Scent Control: Dead Down Wind / Optics: Vortex