Second Chance Trophy

[Duane]

Going into this season, one of the bucks on our hit list was a nice 10pt with a kicker, which we named Antenna. Here are a couple of pics of him in velvet:





Opening weekend of bow season, I had a tough decision to make when Antenna and another buck we named Crown Royal (or Royal Crown, depending on who you ask ) fed in my hand corn during the Sunday morning and evening hunts. Crown Royal is (was!... someone still needs to post a story ) a typical frame 12pt with matching split G3s, making him one of the most symmetrical 14pt bucks you will ever see. As tempting as it was to shoot such a unique buck, I decided I wanted to hunt Antenna.

Below is Antenna on the left and CR on the right.


When Antenna came in 15 minutes before dark, he milled around and fed in the hand corn with CR and another couple of bucks, not giving me a clear shot. Finally at last light and video battery fast fading away, I got the angle I was looking for, but rushed the shot and hit him square in the shoulder with little penetration. After giving him a couple of hours, and celebrating Michael's success back at camp (http://discussions.texasbowhunter.co...d.php?t=560457), we went back and followed a very sparse bloodtrail that gave out after maybe 100 yards. Grid searches that night and the next morning turned up empty. Big time suck.

Antenna had been a regular at the blind that I shot him. Trail camera pics over the next month turned up nada. Then early November, while Clint was hunting CR, Antenna limped by on three working legs. His shoulder was obviously broken but at least I knew he was still alive. I continued to pursue him but he still never showed on trail camera or in person. In the meantime, I did take a doe and a nice management 8 point. http://discussions.texasbowhunter.co...d.php?t=562432

Fast forward another month, and I get a text from Jeff that Antenna has made an appearance on trail camera, and two weeks later George captures him on video. By this time he has obviously lost a lot of weight, although he seems to be getting by about as well as can be expected on three usable legs. My next trip to the lease turns up empty again, but the day I leave in mid-December, he starts showing on trail camera again. With my holiday plans and work schedule, I only have one more weekend to hunt, over Christmas. I arrive late Christmas eve, and Jim and his son had pulled trail cameras that evening. Antenna is still showing up but with the full moon he is coming in between 11pm and 3am. Christmas Day and Saturday morning were good hunts with lots of bucks coming in, but not the one I was after. Saturday evening was slow with a few of the usuals, until I catch movement to my right. Antenna limps in and starts to feed as I turn on the camera and grab my bow. A few minutes later I took the shot and he jumped, kicked and bolted out like he had four good legs. Although I couldn't see it from my blind, he went down maybe 75 yards from me. I waited until after dark for a couple of my lease members to arrive, and we found him a few minutes later.



It was a day short of 12 weeks between shots, which made for an agonizing season but a very happy ending. Not only did he give me a second chance, but it came in the last hour of the last evening of my season. A big thanks to Jim and George for helping me on the recovery, LDPs and caping. Antenna taped out at 143-2/8, by far my best buck!


.

[careybirdwell]

Congrats on the great deer, great story, and glad you got that second chance

[lovemylegacy]

Congrats

[KHo]

Heck yeah! Congrats Duane and thanks for sharing the story!

[Bone Thug]

Very nice. That's a great looking buck...Congrats!!!!

[Wfalls]

Nice buck great story !

[ajm2nac]

congrats! thanks for sharing

[Arrowed C]

Nice buck!

[Hookem84]

Awesome congratulations glad you got him

[car]

Oh he's a shooter for sure, congrats.

[Ellen]

Congratulations on a nice buck.

[Adam G.]

Congrats on nice buck!

[Old Mathews]

Very cool buck

[hoythunter02]

Solid buck..way to stick with it and get it done.

[Leonhogboy]

Very nice buck, congrats.

[Coup de Grace]

Way to stay at it on target buck, not many could have done that, nice buck.

[ShawnG]

Congrats!! Great story and deer!

[Bowhuntinonly]

Congrats and glad you got him!

[Casey]

Great buck, Duane! Glad it came together for you.

[TXHUNT3R]

congrats!

[Chew]

Nice job putting him down. He's a beautiful hill country deer! Congrats.

[Chance Love]

Very nice buck! Always good to get a little closure when things like that happen. How old was he? Prior history?

[Codie]

super buck! congrats

[Slew]

Great buck!! Congrats!!

[Oz_Ag]

Congrats again Duane! Glad you were finally able to take Antenna down. Congrats on an awesome season too! Great write-up.

[bdphunt]

Way to seal the deal. Congrats!

[8pointer]

That is a great deer. Congrats!

[Pullersboy]

Man, two great bucks. Talk about 1st world problems when having to struggle over the decision of which one of those bad boys to shoot. Congrats on a great buck.

[Big_gun]

Great write up... Great deer...

[MichaelW]

Originally Posted by Chance Love

Very nice buck! Always good to get a little closure when things like that happen. How old was he? Prior history?

Old enough for this side of the fence....
Regarding history...I heard he spent his younger years on a neighboring pasture.




Congratulations Duane! I'm really happy for you, he's an exceptional buck.

[Clint]

Good to see everything work out Duane. Great buck.

I'd say you owe the person that discovered him still alive a drink.

[JeffJ]

Sweet buck!

[Double L]

Great way to end your season Duane! Redemption is always a good thing. Congrats again!!!

^and buy that man a drink! Although I seldom ever see him with one!

[Jtweezy3]

Congrats!

[treestandjunky]

Very happy for you Duane, I'm glad I was there to see it all come to an end in such a good way!

[bowsticker]

Thank you for sharing

[q2xlman]

Great and congrats!

[JPHunting]

beautiful buck mate

[DRT]

That's a feel good story if I've ever heard one. Congrats on one great deer and a happy ending.

[DOUBLE-Z]

Congrats

[Hunter T]

congrats

[TxCreedXs]

Hell of a deer!! Congrats