Nebraska sucks. The whole state the speed limit never got over 60 mph and road construction and detours made the second leg of our trip stretch endlessly on. We arrived in Chamberlain and shot our bows at the archery range with some mediocre results. We chalked it up to 18 hours in 2 days on the road, had dinner and were shown the lodge for the week.
The next day started early with mild winds and temps. Our excitement built as we found ourselves looking over 2 cornfields and a draw that held numerous deer, several borderline shooters, and one toad a couple miles off. When you can see antlers at 10,000 feet, you know they have got to be good. Glassing until lunch provided deer everywhere and early afternoon found us stalking up a draw with tall grass and washouts in the bottom near where we had seen some large deer that morning. I saw a back leg and wobbling antlers in a small washed out bowl 27 yards away. As we crept closer, I could see the deer had good mass, but shallow forks, but could only see one side. We closed the distance to 18 yards as I tried to get a better view of the rack, only to find that the deer was laying on his side, facing away, with his back haunch hiked up to his front shoulder covering his vitals. As we discussed what to do, the buck solved the problem for us as his head whipped around to spot us and he bolted from his bed. I came to full draw, but the buck stopped at 60-65 yards. Borderline shot for me, but I said “no” as I let down. No point in possibly wounding a deer on day one.
The next stalk in similar terrain had a good buck explode out of high grass at 7 yards, Trevor came to full draw, but the deer never stopped as he made a hasty exit. We decided to try walking some corn, only to get 50 yards in and have the wind die on us. We made our way and suddenly my guide, Derek, stopped and peered down the row. “Whitetail….good buck….looks like a 5x6,” he said as I felt my pulse instantly start racing. Slowly with each gust of wind we closed the distance to 15 yards a few rows off the one the buck was in. I came to full draw and slipped into the row and faced the buck. His large antlers whipped around as he turned his head to me. The buck lay directly away from me, his head angled down toward me and I had nothing to shoot at other than the white patch on his throat. His mains and tines were thick, and I saw he would make a fine trophy. We both remained motionless with racing hearts in a mortal stare down for what seemed like a half a minute, but was probably a just a moment, until the buck went from laying down to dead sprint away from me. His broad antlers beat the corn stalks on each side of the row and soon he had disappeared. What a day so far: full draw on 2 trophy animals inside 20 yards and no shot!
We glassed till the sunset and saw another seven bucks in a good area known to hold deer. A very promising day, having seen more deer than any other day in the 2 years I had hunted here. On the drive back, we hatched a plan to glass in the morning until we saw a good one bed down, then go after him.
Day two we hunted our plan and soon found ourselves 10 yards from a deer in a washout. I was 5 yards behind Trevor and Derek in some tall grass that concealed us nicely. Trevor readied himself while Derek threw a dirt clod across the washout. Antler tips popped up. Deep base from a monster movie played in my head as this deer slowly crept of the washout and came right up the side at us a mere 8 yards away. We both bleated to try and get the deer to stop, but he kept walking, staring, not sure what to make of these 3 aliens in his bedroom. Trevor released an arrow, but was stopped short by some tall grass and as the deer kept walking, we saw the hit was far back and high. Good blood appeared as the deer ran, and he appeared to wobble as he crested the hill. Derek and Trevor took off uphill at a full sprint when the deer bounded out of sight, I lagged to catch up. This was not in my training regimen! As I neared the top of the hill, we saw the deer continue out of site and our hearts sank as we realized the job of finding this deer again just got infinitely harder. The rest of the day we searched fruitlessly for the hit deer, glassing extensively and walking a lot of draws. Sprits were low as the sun touched the horizon and we started driving out of the area. Skylit against the setting sun, we saw 2 monster deer, the first one in a food plot and the second one some way off on a hilltop. Seeing these deer renewed my hope and we decided to try and get on one the next morning.
The wind started blowing fiercely overnight and morning found us glassing a grassy draw looking for antler tips not swaying like the wildly whipping grass. I saw a hint of something bright yellow that stood rock still, and said “I think I see a deer.” We could only tell one side, it was bizarre, should have been able to see the other side. After some time, we decided where there is one, there are often many and got suited up to still hunt this area. We executed a ninja like maneuver over a forkhorn that stayed bedded down, around the 1 horned buck I had spotted and then under a doe bedded 30 yards to our left. We stopped on a small ledge covered up in tall grass and watched for more deer. At this point, we have 2 bucks bedded to our left, a doe to our right and we are watching a small 4 point and 2 other deer feed in this draw. Suddenly around the bend appeared a buck that dwarfed the other deer, deep forks and a wide spread. Shortly another one came out behind him as well. I knew at that point I would arrow one of those deer, both were excellent, one being wider and more massive with poor forks, and one having a great symmetrical traditional spread. All 3 of us lay motionless for a half hour until the deer fed over a tank dam out of sight. We tip toed between the bedded deer, threading our way to the back side of the dam and not busting a single one out! Derek crept to the edge to see the deer feeding inside the washed out pond. To the right of the pond, a steep washout had formed, probably 8 feet deep and 6 feet wide. Unbelievably, the deer entered the washout and I popped over the dam and crept right toward them. I saw antler tips, got lined up, and came to full draw. I walked right to the edge and as I angled my arrow down, all I could see was fur as I released an arrow nearly directly below me inside an unbelievable 2 yards. Time slowed and I saw a 3 bladed hole appear on my deer before he bolted with his companion. The shot deer bedded near the top of the hill, and we could tell the hit had put a hurting on him, he moved a couple more times and we kept eyes on him until he expired. The shot if anything was too close and I had hit about 5 inches back of where I wanted to be. Job completed though, high fives all around and a photo session as I beamed. Later we would find the deer grossed 160 inches for my best buck ever! I’ve gone 3 for 3 consecutively as an out of state bowhunter in South Dakota and Derek says I need to start playing the lottery.
Hanging the deer was quick and the search for Trevor’s deer continued for the 7 hours till sunset. Right before the end of the day, we found the buck in an area we had not searched before! The side by the entry wound was licked clean, with some dried blood on his opposite side and he bounded over the hill and out of site as if he had never been touched. Relief washed over all of us to see this deer still up, better to see him alive and spry than think him dead and unrecovered.
The next day I quartered my deer and got him on ice as Trevor and Derek hunted hard. They got incredibly close to a couple of monster deer, but the deer never presented any kind of shot, typically going from bedded to into the next county. Trevor was wore out during dinner, but he got up for the last day determined to make it happen. Winds in excess of 40 mph kept the deer hidden during his day five and his luck just would not turn around. He hunted as hard as anyone could have for five straight days, and is determined to make it back next year. The sun set on another outstanding South Dakota adventure while we readied ourselves for the 18 hour trek back to Houston.
The next day started early with mild winds and temps. Our excitement built as we found ourselves looking over 2 cornfields and a draw that held numerous deer, several borderline shooters, and one toad a couple miles off. When you can see antlers at 10,000 feet, you know they have got to be good. Glassing until lunch provided deer everywhere and early afternoon found us stalking up a draw with tall grass and washouts in the bottom near where we had seen some large deer that morning. I saw a back leg and wobbling antlers in a small washed out bowl 27 yards away. As we crept closer, I could see the deer had good mass, but shallow forks, but could only see one side. We closed the distance to 18 yards as I tried to get a better view of the rack, only to find that the deer was laying on his side, facing away, with his back haunch hiked up to his front shoulder covering his vitals. As we discussed what to do, the buck solved the problem for us as his head whipped around to spot us and he bolted from his bed. I came to full draw, but the buck stopped at 60-65 yards. Borderline shot for me, but I said “no” as I let down. No point in possibly wounding a deer on day one.
The next stalk in similar terrain had a good buck explode out of high grass at 7 yards, Trevor came to full draw, but the deer never stopped as he made a hasty exit. We decided to try walking some corn, only to get 50 yards in and have the wind die on us. We made our way and suddenly my guide, Derek, stopped and peered down the row. “Whitetail….good buck….looks like a 5x6,” he said as I felt my pulse instantly start racing. Slowly with each gust of wind we closed the distance to 15 yards a few rows off the one the buck was in. I came to full draw and slipped into the row and faced the buck. His large antlers whipped around as he turned his head to me. The buck lay directly away from me, his head angled down toward me and I had nothing to shoot at other than the white patch on his throat. His mains and tines were thick, and I saw he would make a fine trophy. We both remained motionless with racing hearts in a mortal stare down for what seemed like a half a minute, but was probably a just a moment, until the buck went from laying down to dead sprint away from me. His broad antlers beat the corn stalks on each side of the row and soon he had disappeared. What a day so far: full draw on 2 trophy animals inside 20 yards and no shot!
We glassed till the sunset and saw another seven bucks in a good area known to hold deer. A very promising day, having seen more deer than any other day in the 2 years I had hunted here. On the drive back, we hatched a plan to glass in the morning until we saw a good one bed down, then go after him.
Day two we hunted our plan and soon found ourselves 10 yards from a deer in a washout. I was 5 yards behind Trevor and Derek in some tall grass that concealed us nicely. Trevor readied himself while Derek threw a dirt clod across the washout. Antler tips popped up. Deep base from a monster movie played in my head as this deer slowly crept of the washout and came right up the side at us a mere 8 yards away. We both bleated to try and get the deer to stop, but he kept walking, staring, not sure what to make of these 3 aliens in his bedroom. Trevor released an arrow, but was stopped short by some tall grass and as the deer kept walking, we saw the hit was far back and high. Good blood appeared as the deer ran, and he appeared to wobble as he crested the hill. Derek and Trevor took off uphill at a full sprint when the deer bounded out of sight, I lagged to catch up. This was not in my training regimen! As I neared the top of the hill, we saw the deer continue out of site and our hearts sank as we realized the job of finding this deer again just got infinitely harder. The rest of the day we searched fruitlessly for the hit deer, glassing extensively and walking a lot of draws. Sprits were low as the sun touched the horizon and we started driving out of the area. Skylit against the setting sun, we saw 2 monster deer, the first one in a food plot and the second one some way off on a hilltop. Seeing these deer renewed my hope and we decided to try and get on one the next morning.
The wind started blowing fiercely overnight and morning found us glassing a grassy draw looking for antler tips not swaying like the wildly whipping grass. I saw a hint of something bright yellow that stood rock still, and said “I think I see a deer.” We could only tell one side, it was bizarre, should have been able to see the other side. After some time, we decided where there is one, there are often many and got suited up to still hunt this area. We executed a ninja like maneuver over a forkhorn that stayed bedded down, around the 1 horned buck I had spotted and then under a doe bedded 30 yards to our left. We stopped on a small ledge covered up in tall grass and watched for more deer. At this point, we have 2 bucks bedded to our left, a doe to our right and we are watching a small 4 point and 2 other deer feed in this draw. Suddenly around the bend appeared a buck that dwarfed the other deer, deep forks and a wide spread. Shortly another one came out behind him as well. I knew at that point I would arrow one of those deer, both were excellent, one being wider and more massive with poor forks, and one having a great symmetrical traditional spread. All 3 of us lay motionless for a half hour until the deer fed over a tank dam out of sight. We tip toed between the bedded deer, threading our way to the back side of the dam and not busting a single one out! Derek crept to the edge to see the deer feeding inside the washed out pond. To the right of the pond, a steep washout had formed, probably 8 feet deep and 6 feet wide. Unbelievably, the deer entered the washout and I popped over the dam and crept right toward them. I saw antler tips, got lined up, and came to full draw. I walked right to the edge and as I angled my arrow down, all I could see was fur as I released an arrow nearly directly below me inside an unbelievable 2 yards. Time slowed and I saw a 3 bladed hole appear on my deer before he bolted with his companion. The shot deer bedded near the top of the hill, and we could tell the hit had put a hurting on him, he moved a couple more times and we kept eyes on him until he expired. The shot if anything was too close and I had hit about 5 inches back of where I wanted to be. Job completed though, high fives all around and a photo session as I beamed. Later we would find the deer grossed 160 inches for my best buck ever! I’ve gone 3 for 3 consecutively as an out of state bowhunter in South Dakota and Derek says I need to start playing the lottery.
Hanging the deer was quick and the search for Trevor’s deer continued for the 7 hours till sunset. Right before the end of the day, we found the buck in an area we had not searched before! The side by the entry wound was licked clean, with some dried blood on his opposite side and he bounded over the hill and out of site as if he had never been touched. Relief washed over all of us to see this deer still up, better to see him alive and spry than think him dead and unrecovered.
The next day I quartered my deer and got him on ice as Trevor and Derek hunted hard. They got incredibly close to a couple of monster deer, but the deer never presented any kind of shot, typically going from bedded to into the next county. Trevor was wore out during dinner, but he got up for the last day determined to make it happen. Winds in excess of 40 mph kept the deer hidden during his day five and his luck just would not turn around. He hunted as hard as anyone could have for five straight days, and is determined to make it back next year. The sun set on another outstanding South Dakota adventure while we readied ourselves for the 18 hour trek back to Houston.
Comment