Thanksgiving Weekend Archery Buck

[Pond Hopper]

Sorry for the long story, just excited:

Well Saturday night was quite the night, I was sitting in a new stand I now call stand X, because it is on the X as they say. I got up into the climber about 2:40 and not 5 minutes later had a doe come in behind me through this timber bottom and out through an old bottom pasture to a creek line. Not more than 2 minutes later a 6 pointer that must be part mule deer came flying through trying to follow her trail with his nose to the ground. He ran a few circles and found her trail again and followed it right to her. Then about 2 minutes later I hear something running behind me...and man was he a bruiser, a big 10 or 12 pointer that I never got a chance to count because he was busting through with his nose to the ground. I mouth grunted at him and then snorted before he stopped to look for a second and continued to follow that does trail, almost like it was pre-rut. After having those 3 deer come behind me I made a decision I normally would not have, I turned my climber around facing the complete opposite direction(from where I was facing) to where all the deer action was. The reason I would not have normally done this was because of the noise it made when I was certain that there were some deer close. My reasoning was that whats the point of scaring off deer if you cannot shoot them!?!? So I continued to have does and a few small bucks around for the next 45 minutes until I see a doe coming from the same place that the trailed doe earlier came from. I was praying that she would bring that bruiser back through and saw a deer behind her that had a decent set of horns, but not the dark horns the big boy had. I stood up getting ready for them to make their way through. I saw him head on and told myself I would shoot him. If it was 3 weeks ago I believe he would of gotten a pass but thats bowhunting. Anyways the doe dragged him right through the main trail about 20 yards away. I grunted when he got to a good shooting lane, standing broadside, and he stopped perfect....hit the release and thump! Although I thought I saw my flethcings sticking out of the entry side and got worried for a minute about finding blood on the damp, snow melted ground. Well he bucked, ran about 10 yards and looked back at me...which gave me an eeiry feeling from a previous lost buck. After he made his way about 40 yards I noticed him stumble, and then he dissappeared behind some brush and I never saw him come out. I heard some rustling and about 30 minutes later(4:15 ish) I decided to get down and look. He had a heck of a blood trail, even in crappy tracking conditions and I strolled up to him taking his last breaths. I decided to back out and figure out how to get him out of there(200 yard drag through the timber up hill). So I call the farmer who gets his brother to drive down 40 yards from the deer with the tractor, load him into the tractor and from there into the truck. That made life easier too!  Got him home and gutted him out in a field that my buddy owns in a CRP field, then it was home to celebrate.

He is not exactly what I hoped for at the beginning of season but fit the bill with shotgun season quickly approaching.

I also wanted to say that slick trick broadheads are everything they claim to be. Huge holes, big blood trails, and tough as nails. The entrance wound was through the back part of the shoulder and left a hole I could fit my thumb through. The guys at the locker could not belive he was bow shot. Slick Trick also has great customer service as my initial pack and had one ferrule that wouldn't accept blades and they overnighted new ones along with some replacement blades and an extra ferrule. They also fly true to field points which is something I cannot say for a muzzy...along with better holes.

Thanks for reading!

Corey

 

[HUNTER19]

Thats not a bad buck at all congrats!!! I actually got a question for you. I usually use hang on stands back home in washington Because i had my stands on private property. I am now going to school in montana and don't have the privalge of private land. I was looking into getting a climber stand and was wondering are they hard to use? and any suggestions? any info would be great. ;D ;D      

[Pond Hopper]

Climbing stands are great...if you get a good comfortable one(API, Summit, Lonewolf).  However some of the cheaper ones have less than sturdy components and are no where near as comfortable or quiet to hunt out of.  My climbers stay on trees through season because I hunt private ground but if I was hunting public ground I would get a lightweight and quiet climber to help in the process...best of luck

[KYbass1276]

What are you shooting

[slomoe]

Congrats!  

[roadwarrior]

Great post.

Congratulations!

8-)

[Pond Hopper]

What are you shooting

Matthews Q2XL pulling 70 lbs.  I tried taking some pictures with the bow but being on the timer and a tripod the best pictures turned out without a bow on the deer.

[Dan:]

Nice buck, man.

When I worked at Dick's this summer we had a guy who would come in and use our range and he would drill price tags we put on the block. He even split an arrow that was in the target, no kidding. Archery is really fun but I don't think I could get my shooting good enough to the point where I felt comfortable shooting a deer without fearing I would just injure him. I am probably going to get a rifle though, I feel like I could get more comfortable taking a shot with one of them. Now I just need to learn more about hunting, it seems like it would be a ton of fun.

[HUNTER19]

Nice buck, man.

When I worked at Dick's this summer we had a guy who would come in and use our range and he would drill price tags we put on the block. He even split an arrow that was in the target, no kidding. Archery is really fun but I don't think I could get my shooting good enough to the point where I felt comfortable shooting a deer without fearing I would just injure him. I am probably going to get a rifle though, I feel like I could get more comfortable taking a shot with one of them. Now I just need to learn more about hunting, it seems like it would be a ton of fun.

There is nothing better than letting a arrow fly in my opinion!!! But you'd be amazed on how well you can shoot after some practice!! I would def try to get into archery even if you dont hunt with a bow they are a blast to shoot!!!!

[clipper]

I would take that deer any day, especially with a bow.  Congrats.

[Pond Hopper]

I would take that deer any day, especially with a bow. Congrats.

I did not want to sound ungrateful for the opportunity to harvest the buck, but he was not what I had in mind at the beginning of season but work got in the way.  I live less than 15 miles from where the world record was harvested and a recent typical buck that may push the typical record, so I compare it Fish_Chris catching a 10 lber, he is happy(as I am) but it is not the brute that he is after.  Either way I hope I can connect with one of the brutes I have seen this weekend during shotgun season.  

[MALTESE FALCON]

Nice buck!!! Now go for the record.

Good luck,

Falcon

[Olebiker]

Thirty minutes and he was still breathing?  Man, I hate to see them suffer that long.  That's why I gave up bow hunting.

[Hawg Bass Assassin]

Pond Hopper~ Nice Whitetail...big eye gard on right.

Look's like we both did good on Thanksgiving day.

Here's mine. 14 pointer non - typical / 200 pound's field dressed. Hawg Bass Assassin

[Gatorbassman]

Dude, If you ever need a hunting partner I am there. I won't take up much space on the floor and I can cook.