I think most followed along the live hunt thread, but this hunt/deer deserves a separate write up!
I can’t thank Jeremy and Jason enough for making a dream of mine come true, and crushing my “target score goal”!
For a long time, I have always dreamed of hitting the 200” mark. I never really thought it would happen anytime soon, but jumped at the opportunity to hunt “long brow”. After many texts, tc pics, and conversations over the past 5-6 months, we decided that “long brow” was going be our primary target this year. I honestly expected him to be close to 200”, but thought he would be a tad shy (big bodies skew my judging abilities a lot). I honestly didn’t care if he broke 200 or not. He had the cool factor and so much character that I was wanting him for that over the possible score.
Some TC pics....
Once we got a date set, the practice and preparation started. I normally shoot my bow 1-2 times per week, but really started stretching it out and shooting through different scenarios daily. For the month prior I tinkered/tweaked/tuned my bow (I think I just about wore the strings out over a 5-6 week period). About 2 weeks before the hunt, I had it where I was happy, and switched to shooting 5 arrows every evening in my garage focusing strictly on form/grip/release.
40 yard group with 3 broadheads and 3 field points BEFORE I started tweaking/tuning. I got it even tighter the weekend before the hunt.
I have been Bowhunting since I was 9 years old, but I still stress my self out before big hunts. With this being the biggest hunt of my life, I was getting into my own head. I replayed every “what if” and possible scenario through my mind daily until I was blue in the face. I needed this hunt to get here before I put myself in the loony house!
FINALLY, the hunt was here!!! After a full day at the clinic, I changed clothes and headed south to grab Kevin, then head west to the 4R! We pulled up to the ranch a hair before midnight. After getting unloaded, a glass of whiskey, and admiring the mounts in the house, we hit the sack to get ready for the 4:30 alarm clock. Sleep was minimal because I couldn’t stop rolling my shot sequence, aiming points, etc. through my head.
The alarm came quick...FINALLY...it was game time! Jason and I loaded up and went over the game plan, “no shoot” deer, etc. Once we got to the area, Jason threw out hand corn since the feeders are t shootable with a bow. As he did, I snuck into the Krivoman. I opened the door and peaked in with my headlamp to see this!!!!
After about falling out laughing, I got set and started getting my stuff ready. I need a good laugh to calm my nerves...I am not sure why, but after seeing that poster, I had a sense of “I got this!”. Ha.
Jason was set up in a rifle blind behind me so he could keep watch. It was still pitch black, but I could hear corn crunching. After a few texts back and forth, I had deer and hogs on the hand corn already. I decided to shut the windows and keep them shut until I was ready to shoot to keep everyone calm.
As soon as the sun started coming up, I could make out a huge “no shoot” deer, doe, and two hogs on the corn.
He kept running the does pretty hard and put on a heck of a show! A few other smaller bucks filtered in/out, and I had deer with 5-20 yards all morning.
The big “no shoot” buck gave me about 20 opportunities to kill him, but I all I could do is take pics and video.
Soon after, I got a text from Jason saying the big brow was 70 yards behind me and closing (que the accelerated heart rate). Sure enough, he walked right in and hopped in the feed pen (not shootable). I sat there and started running scenarios through my head. I had one window/hand corn area that was my optimal position. The rest would be more difficult to shoot. Thankfully the hogs and deer had already eaten most of the hand corn in the hard to shoot lanes.
I decided to pull up my bino’s and check out big brow in the flesh for the first time. As soon as I got focused, my heart started pounding harder! He was about 45 yards away and looked way bigger than I imagined!!! I dropped the bino’s and never looked at his horns again. After what seemed an eternity, he jumped out of the feed pen and went to the hand corn that was in the hardest lane to shoot. I ranged him and tried to reposition, but quickly decided that I would give him more time and not rush the shot.
A couple seconds later, 3 doe came in from my right and stopped on the corn in my best shooting lane. This was the death of him! He immediately moved toward the doe and stopped right at the hand corn, quarter away slightly!!!!
I had already started my draw when was moving that direction and hit full draw once he got into the shooting window. As soon as he dropped his head, I started counting to 3 (the only way I can run through my shot sequence before I release the arrow). Thank god I remembered to do this because I had my pin right in the middle of the shoulder which would have exited in front of his opposite shoulder!
I moved my pin back a few ribs so my exit was though the opposite shoulder, relaxed my grip and started putting pressure on my thumb release. THIS IS WHERE TIME SEEMED TO STAND STILL (the one moment that we hunters are truly addicted to)! Before I realized what had happened, the arrow zipped though him and he hauled *** to my right out of sight!
In my head, I thought “I just drilled long brow”!!!!!!
Once I started replaying it in my head, I remembered that I didn’t see the normal blood on the entrance and he ran like I hadn’t damaged the opposite shoulder. I immediately started questioning the angle, shot, etc.
Before I had a chance to work myself up, Jason texted “he’s dead”.
He watched the entire thing from the rifle blind! The buck circled behind me into the pasture and crashed!!!
The emotions started!!! I am not too afraid to admit, that I got a little choked up! Between the uncontrollable shakes, the heart pounding, and the relief, I couldn’t control it. I had run that scenario through my head a thousand times, and it had just happened!!! Big Brow was down, and I did not choke!!!
After some high fives and quick stories, we went and grabbed the arrow. Complete pass through and covered in blood!
We start walking toward big brow, and there he laid in the pasture. After some prayers, thank you s, and tons of emotions, I got to put my hands on him!!!
The arrow entered about the 4th rib and exited through the bottom of his opposite shoulder blade. The arrow must have deflected because the exits was a couple inches higher than the entrance, but it did its job!!!
After Jeremy and Kevin showed up, we took pics and got him loaded up. The stories commenced, but it was time to celebrate! Big brow was down! First morning! Clean shot! Everything was perfect, and my dream had just come true!!!
We head to the cleaning shack and start getting to work!
Now the scoring began! We had him guessed from 208-218.
Once done, we got 228 and change!!! Holy crap!!! Way more than we guessed! Not only did I kill big brow, but my dream came true as well!!! (His official score ended up being more)
The pressure was off!!! It was time to celebrate, enjoy our time together on an amazing ranch, and relive the hunt in my head over, and over, and over!!!
We did some deer watching, some hog control, some turkey shooting, and some for patrol....(I wanted to put the new rifle I had built by APR for my son to the test)
It was the hunt of my dreams, the deer of my lifetime, the experience that I will never forget and will forever be thankful for!!!
This morning, we got loaded up and headed to Los Cazadores to get Kevin’s buck measured. While there, I decided to have them “officially” score mine too! Oh my!!! They signed the score sheet at 241 and change!!!
I am far from a score guy, but I could not wipe the grin off my face all day!!!
Time stood still and a dream became a reality!
Once home! My biggest fan got TRY to hold the horns up! His reaction made my day when he put his hands on them!
I want to thank everyone that made my dream come true! Jeremy, Jason, and Kevin, I will never be able to thank y’all enough and I will never forget the experiences/memories of this weekend. I take great pride in calling y’all my friends!
I can’t thank Jeremy and Jason enough for making a dream of mine come true, and crushing my “target score goal”!
For a long time, I have always dreamed of hitting the 200” mark. I never really thought it would happen anytime soon, but jumped at the opportunity to hunt “long brow”. After many texts, tc pics, and conversations over the past 5-6 months, we decided that “long brow” was going be our primary target this year. I honestly expected him to be close to 200”, but thought he would be a tad shy (big bodies skew my judging abilities a lot). I honestly didn’t care if he broke 200 or not. He had the cool factor and so much character that I was wanting him for that over the possible score.
Some TC pics....
Once we got a date set, the practice and preparation started. I normally shoot my bow 1-2 times per week, but really started stretching it out and shooting through different scenarios daily. For the month prior I tinkered/tweaked/tuned my bow (I think I just about wore the strings out over a 5-6 week period). About 2 weeks before the hunt, I had it where I was happy, and switched to shooting 5 arrows every evening in my garage focusing strictly on form/grip/release.
40 yard group with 3 broadheads and 3 field points BEFORE I started tweaking/tuning. I got it even tighter the weekend before the hunt.
I have been Bowhunting since I was 9 years old, but I still stress my self out before big hunts. With this being the biggest hunt of my life, I was getting into my own head. I replayed every “what if” and possible scenario through my mind daily until I was blue in the face. I needed this hunt to get here before I put myself in the loony house!
FINALLY, the hunt was here!!! After a full day at the clinic, I changed clothes and headed south to grab Kevin, then head west to the 4R! We pulled up to the ranch a hair before midnight. After getting unloaded, a glass of whiskey, and admiring the mounts in the house, we hit the sack to get ready for the 4:30 alarm clock. Sleep was minimal because I couldn’t stop rolling my shot sequence, aiming points, etc. through my head.
The alarm came quick...FINALLY...it was game time! Jason and I loaded up and went over the game plan, “no shoot” deer, etc. Once we got to the area, Jason threw out hand corn since the feeders are t shootable with a bow. As he did, I snuck into the Krivoman. I opened the door and peaked in with my headlamp to see this!!!!
After about falling out laughing, I got set and started getting my stuff ready. I need a good laugh to calm my nerves...I am not sure why, but after seeing that poster, I had a sense of “I got this!”. Ha.
Jason was set up in a rifle blind behind me so he could keep watch. It was still pitch black, but I could hear corn crunching. After a few texts back and forth, I had deer and hogs on the hand corn already. I decided to shut the windows and keep them shut until I was ready to shoot to keep everyone calm.
As soon as the sun started coming up, I could make out a huge “no shoot” deer, doe, and two hogs on the corn.
He kept running the does pretty hard and put on a heck of a show! A few other smaller bucks filtered in/out, and I had deer with 5-20 yards all morning.
The big “no shoot” buck gave me about 20 opportunities to kill him, but I all I could do is take pics and video.
Soon after, I got a text from Jason saying the big brow was 70 yards behind me and closing (que the accelerated heart rate). Sure enough, he walked right in and hopped in the feed pen (not shootable). I sat there and started running scenarios through my head. I had one window/hand corn area that was my optimal position. The rest would be more difficult to shoot. Thankfully the hogs and deer had already eaten most of the hand corn in the hard to shoot lanes.
I decided to pull up my bino’s and check out big brow in the flesh for the first time. As soon as I got focused, my heart started pounding harder! He was about 45 yards away and looked way bigger than I imagined!!! I dropped the bino’s and never looked at his horns again. After what seemed an eternity, he jumped out of the feed pen and went to the hand corn that was in the hardest lane to shoot. I ranged him and tried to reposition, but quickly decided that I would give him more time and not rush the shot.
A couple seconds later, 3 doe came in from my right and stopped on the corn in my best shooting lane. This was the death of him! He immediately moved toward the doe and stopped right at the hand corn, quarter away slightly!!!!
I had already started my draw when was moving that direction and hit full draw once he got into the shooting window. As soon as he dropped his head, I started counting to 3 (the only way I can run through my shot sequence before I release the arrow). Thank god I remembered to do this because I had my pin right in the middle of the shoulder which would have exited in front of his opposite shoulder!
I moved my pin back a few ribs so my exit was though the opposite shoulder, relaxed my grip and started putting pressure on my thumb release. THIS IS WHERE TIME SEEMED TO STAND STILL (the one moment that we hunters are truly addicted to)! Before I realized what had happened, the arrow zipped though him and he hauled *** to my right out of sight!
In my head, I thought “I just drilled long brow”!!!!!!
Once I started replaying it in my head, I remembered that I didn’t see the normal blood on the entrance and he ran like I hadn’t damaged the opposite shoulder. I immediately started questioning the angle, shot, etc.
Before I had a chance to work myself up, Jason texted “he’s dead”.
He watched the entire thing from the rifle blind! The buck circled behind me into the pasture and crashed!!!
The emotions started!!! I am not too afraid to admit, that I got a little choked up! Between the uncontrollable shakes, the heart pounding, and the relief, I couldn’t control it. I had run that scenario through my head a thousand times, and it had just happened!!! Big Brow was down, and I did not choke!!!
After some high fives and quick stories, we went and grabbed the arrow. Complete pass through and covered in blood!
We start walking toward big brow, and there he laid in the pasture. After some prayers, thank you s, and tons of emotions, I got to put my hands on him!!!
The arrow entered about the 4th rib and exited through the bottom of his opposite shoulder blade. The arrow must have deflected because the exits was a couple inches higher than the entrance, but it did its job!!!
After Jeremy and Kevin showed up, we took pics and got him loaded up. The stories commenced, but it was time to celebrate! Big brow was down! First morning! Clean shot! Everything was perfect, and my dream had just come true!!!
We head to the cleaning shack and start getting to work!
Now the scoring began! We had him guessed from 208-218.
Once done, we got 228 and change!!! Holy crap!!! Way more than we guessed! Not only did I kill big brow, but my dream came true as well!!! (His official score ended up being more)
The pressure was off!!! It was time to celebrate, enjoy our time together on an amazing ranch, and relive the hunt in my head over, and over, and over!!!
We did some deer watching, some hog control, some turkey shooting, and some for patrol....(I wanted to put the new rifle I had built by APR for my son to the test)
It was the hunt of my dreams, the deer of my lifetime, the experience that I will never forget and will forever be thankful for!!!
This morning, we got loaded up and headed to Los Cazadores to get Kevin’s buck measured. While there, I decided to have them “officially” score mine too! Oh my!!! They signed the score sheet at 241 and change!!!
I am far from a score guy, but I could not wipe the grin off my face all day!!!
Time stood still and a dream became a reality!
Once home! My biggest fan got TRY to hold the horns up! His reaction made my day when he put his hands on them!
I want to thank everyone that made my dream come true! Jeremy, Jason, and Kevin, I will never be able to thank y’all enough and I will never forget the experiences/memories of this weekend. I take great pride in calling y’all my friends!
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