I've been hunting for about 25 years since I was a child sleeping in the bottom of my dad's box stand at our place we had for 20 years in Centerville. We lost that place about 7 years ago, and moved to this new place in Anderson county. We never really bow hunted at our old place, but I started getting into it more when we moved to this new spot. I've managed to shoot 2 does, and 5 pigs in the past two years with my bow, but never a buck. The deer around here aren't anything special. If you kill a 130" buck, you shot a really good one. A 120" mature deer is about what you consider a trophy here.
Last year, I saw this buck come in as what I thought was a 3.5 year old, but had suspicions he may be 4.5 yr old. It was a bit hard to tell, but I knew this next year he would be on the target list. Well, we didn't see him all spring/summer until about the first of september. He showed up with a small 8 pointer, and he was the first buck we had on camera all year that seemed to be localized and move into the area. I've been watching him at all our setups since then, except for about a 2 week period he disappeared. He had broken off his entire MB past his G2 in velvet, and I was a bit disappointed. However, I told myself and my buddies, if he came out he needed an arrow and I'd be happy with him.
Friday night, we checked the cameras and about a 125-130" wide buck had shown up the past two nights. This would be the biggest deer we ever shot off the place. So, I was a bit torn on what I would do if "Mr. Mass" came out. Well, saturday morning, after seeing 2 bucks all season on camera, I saw 4 bucks and my buddies saw 5 more! All bucks, no does. The little six point I saw was cruising head down, then right before I was going to get down here comes Mr. Mass. He was cruising the same trail and stopped broadside at 45 yds to my left. I couldn't take the shot, I don't shoot well enough to go 45 yds. So he ran off towards our FP and disappeared. Next a spike and small 8 show up and start fighting, hardcore fighting in front of me at 50 yds. Pre-rut was in FULL Swing.
My GF comes up saturday after the hunt, along with my cousin and his wife. His wife is starting to learn to bow hunt, and my GF could care less. She just wants to sit and hang out. I told myself, "This buck is in the back, he's in the bottom. Try to get them to sit together so you can hunt Mr. Mass." When I saw him run by that morning, I knew I was going to be after him.
As luck would have it, she was game to sit with Brandi and the hunt that evening was on! I get to my lockon, and it's hot as hell yesterday. I hadn't drank any water all day really, and started feeling dehydrated and faintish so I climbed out of my tree stand and laid on the ground about 5:30 to catch my second wind lol. 5 mins later I'm back up in the tree and waiting....Nothing, nothing but a hot breeze. At 6:55 my cousin text the group and said "In 5 mins, something is dying". At 7:00 pm, I hear a branch break behind me. I turn to look behind me, and at 10 yards directly behind me is Mr. Mass. He is frozen still, won't move. Just licking his nose and smelling. 5 solid minutes he stands there. My phone is buzzing, people are texting and I can't move. He wanted to come to that feeder, but he knew something wasn't right. He turned to walk back the way he came, then stopped. Turned back towards me and froze. He did that one other time, for a total of 10 mins. Finally, he turned towards the edge of the field and started heading that way away from me. I was able to turn in my lockon, stand feet side by side, and kneel down my *** touching my heels and draw as he quartered away from me walking. I have NO idea how I did it, but I did. He turned broadside and crossed into a shooting lane at 25 yds ( Atleast I thought, my GF had my range finder for brandi to use). He paused for a second, and from my squatted prone position on a 2' wide lockon I took the shot. Drilled him, I heard the thwack and he took off across the field and disappeared behind the tree. I could see the arrow in him, but thought I hit a bit forward. Come to find out, I smoked him exactly behind the shoulder, double lung and arrow broke off in him. ZERO blood was found bc the broadhead lodged in his opposite side skin, but we managed to grid search and find him 100 yds in the field. He was my first bow buck ever, and I'll have his right side fixed. He's nothing special, but he's going on my wall as the first mature buck I ever shot at with my bow. Thanks for reading. The first pic was last year, and the following are this year and LDP'S! We all think he's 5.5, but he was a toad to load up. I'd guess about 200 lbs on the hoof, and big old body buck. Rut hasn't kicked in yet, but prerut is in full swing in east texas.
Last year, I saw this buck come in as what I thought was a 3.5 year old, but had suspicions he may be 4.5 yr old. It was a bit hard to tell, but I knew this next year he would be on the target list. Well, we didn't see him all spring/summer until about the first of september. He showed up with a small 8 pointer, and he was the first buck we had on camera all year that seemed to be localized and move into the area. I've been watching him at all our setups since then, except for about a 2 week period he disappeared. He had broken off his entire MB past his G2 in velvet, and I was a bit disappointed. However, I told myself and my buddies, if he came out he needed an arrow and I'd be happy with him.
Friday night, we checked the cameras and about a 125-130" wide buck had shown up the past two nights. This would be the biggest deer we ever shot off the place. So, I was a bit torn on what I would do if "Mr. Mass" came out. Well, saturday morning, after seeing 2 bucks all season on camera, I saw 4 bucks and my buddies saw 5 more! All bucks, no does. The little six point I saw was cruising head down, then right before I was going to get down here comes Mr. Mass. He was cruising the same trail and stopped broadside at 45 yds to my left. I couldn't take the shot, I don't shoot well enough to go 45 yds. So he ran off towards our FP and disappeared. Next a spike and small 8 show up and start fighting, hardcore fighting in front of me at 50 yds. Pre-rut was in FULL Swing.
My GF comes up saturday after the hunt, along with my cousin and his wife. His wife is starting to learn to bow hunt, and my GF could care less. She just wants to sit and hang out. I told myself, "This buck is in the back, he's in the bottom. Try to get them to sit together so you can hunt Mr. Mass." When I saw him run by that morning, I knew I was going to be after him.
As luck would have it, she was game to sit with Brandi and the hunt that evening was on! I get to my lockon, and it's hot as hell yesterday. I hadn't drank any water all day really, and started feeling dehydrated and faintish so I climbed out of my tree stand and laid on the ground about 5:30 to catch my second wind lol. 5 mins later I'm back up in the tree and waiting....Nothing, nothing but a hot breeze. At 6:55 my cousin text the group and said "In 5 mins, something is dying". At 7:00 pm, I hear a branch break behind me. I turn to look behind me, and at 10 yards directly behind me is Mr. Mass. He is frozen still, won't move. Just licking his nose and smelling. 5 solid minutes he stands there. My phone is buzzing, people are texting and I can't move. He wanted to come to that feeder, but he knew something wasn't right. He turned to walk back the way he came, then stopped. Turned back towards me and froze. He did that one other time, for a total of 10 mins. Finally, he turned towards the edge of the field and started heading that way away from me. I was able to turn in my lockon, stand feet side by side, and kneel down my *** touching my heels and draw as he quartered away from me walking. I have NO idea how I did it, but I did. He turned broadside and crossed into a shooting lane at 25 yds ( Atleast I thought, my GF had my range finder for brandi to use). He paused for a second, and from my squatted prone position on a 2' wide lockon I took the shot. Drilled him, I heard the thwack and he took off across the field and disappeared behind the tree. I could see the arrow in him, but thought I hit a bit forward. Come to find out, I smoked him exactly behind the shoulder, double lung and arrow broke off in him. ZERO blood was found bc the broadhead lodged in his opposite side skin, but we managed to grid search and find him 100 yds in the field. He was my first bow buck ever, and I'll have his right side fixed. He's nothing special, but he's going on my wall as the first mature buck I ever shot at with my bow. Thanks for reading. The first pic was last year, and the following are this year and LDP'S! We all think he's 5.5, but he was a toad to load up. I'd guess about 200 lbs on the hoof, and big old body buck. Rut hasn't kicked in yet, but prerut is in full swing in east texas.
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