What a ride it has been hunting this buck.
I started out typing a story about the close encounters I have had with him but I am just going to get to the one that matters. Short story is I missed him on October 12th, and got a second chance at him on October 29th. On the morning of the 29th I was hunting in a climber on a trail leading to a scrape that I had seen him work before. At 8:30 he came in and worked the scrape but came from the opposite direction that I was expecting, and hoping for. The wind was still in my favor but he was going to have to cross the path I walked in on to give me a broadside shot. After working the scrape he headed towards me on a trail that would lead him to 15 yards broadside. As he closed the distance my mind was racing, trying to decide if I should stop him, or take a shot at him walking. Since it was such a close shot, I decided to take the walking shot. As soon as I let it go I knew I had made a mistake. I hit him a little high and way back from where I was aiming. I did not get a pass through and I watched him run out of sight with my arrow sticking out both sides. I was sick! I knew if I got anything it was going to be liver or top of the gut. I got down and waited until after lunch to look for him. When I returned I could not find any blood, guts, hair, anything. I searched down the trail he ran out on and still found nothing. I decided to go ahead and call for a dog and a few helpers. When the dog arrived he was unable to find it either. We searched all afternoon and found not a trace that I had even hit the deer. Thursday morning I sat in a boxstand overlooking a pipeline near where I had shot him and saw a buck that I thought was him chasing a doe way up a pipeline. By Thursday afternoon after no signs of buzzards I had almost convinced myself that maybe the buck had made it. I decided to hunt there again Friday morning and to look even more when I was done. No luck again. Friday afternoon I returned and noticed a couple of buzzards way off. I drove in as close as I could and watched to see if any were going down. I spotted one that landed in a dead tree in the middle of a clear cut and I headed for it. I found what was left of my buck almost one mile from where I shot him. I hate that it took so long but was happy that I found him.
He is 18 1/2 inside with 23 inch main beams, and also has a little split drop tine. I have not scored him yet but will post tomorrow when I do.
I started out typing a story about the close encounters I have had with him but I am just going to get to the one that matters. Short story is I missed him on October 12th, and got a second chance at him on October 29th. On the morning of the 29th I was hunting in a climber on a trail leading to a scrape that I had seen him work before. At 8:30 he came in and worked the scrape but came from the opposite direction that I was expecting, and hoping for. The wind was still in my favor but he was going to have to cross the path I walked in on to give me a broadside shot. After working the scrape he headed towards me on a trail that would lead him to 15 yards broadside. As he closed the distance my mind was racing, trying to decide if I should stop him, or take a shot at him walking. Since it was such a close shot, I decided to take the walking shot. As soon as I let it go I knew I had made a mistake. I hit him a little high and way back from where I was aiming. I did not get a pass through and I watched him run out of sight with my arrow sticking out both sides. I was sick! I knew if I got anything it was going to be liver or top of the gut. I got down and waited until after lunch to look for him. When I returned I could not find any blood, guts, hair, anything. I searched down the trail he ran out on and still found nothing. I decided to go ahead and call for a dog and a few helpers. When the dog arrived he was unable to find it either. We searched all afternoon and found not a trace that I had even hit the deer. Thursday morning I sat in a boxstand overlooking a pipeline near where I had shot him and saw a buck that I thought was him chasing a doe way up a pipeline. By Thursday afternoon after no signs of buzzards I had almost convinced myself that maybe the buck had made it. I decided to hunt there again Friday morning and to look even more when I was done. No luck again. Friday afternoon I returned and noticed a couple of buzzards way off. I drove in as close as I could and watched to see if any were going down. I spotted one that landed in a dead tree in the middle of a clear cut and I headed for it. I found what was left of my buck almost one mile from where I shot him. I hate that it took so long but was happy that I found him.
He is 18 1/2 inside with 23 inch main beams, and also has a little split drop tine. I have not scored him yet but will post tomorrow when I do.
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