Well the wife got her target 8 point buck and her best buck to date.
We've been watching this buck and another 8 pointer all summer. This one we figured aged at 6.5 and around 125". The other one we think will age 5.5 and go upper 20's. Without having history on both of these deer due to it being a new area for us we were gonna have to make a decision upon seeing them.
With me, the wife and kids being busy we had not made it out there enough. Well our rut got started about 8-10 days ago and its going strong. I lost all my regular deer and only seeing a few small bucks on camera and the last few sits. I was worried they may get killed elsewhere. Thanksgiving morning we made a quick hunt but were let down. We saw one nub buck. When I pulled the game cam card I decided to pore a small bottle of vanilla around the feeder just for the heck of it. Even the wife said "well it cant hurt to try". We were gonna be back there in a day anyways.
The family and I arrived back at the lease on Friday morning with 80 degree temps also knowing the rut should still be on. We knew it was gonna be tough to get her target buck in the feeder pen. Not good but its better than being at home. The wife and I got to our box blind around 3:45pm. She was locked and loaded with her bow in hand. Problem is within the first 10 min we were both pretty much soaked in sweat. It was bad. We opened the door several times to let the blind breath a little.
Before getting in the blind I noticed the wind wasn't blowing perfect nor was it to bad. I just knew if a deer came in to our far left we were going to get busted. I had charged up my Ozonics just for the heck of it. It was a gift years ago and I don't use it often. I fired it up and prayed for the best. Well by 5:15pm all we had seen was a pair of nub bucks that had come in from the upwind side and they weren't there long.
We were both sitting there chatting and laughing at the "TBH Spooning" thread when I looked up and her target buck was at the feeder eating corn. I quickly put my binos on him and was having second thoughts if that was him. His body looked way smaller. When he picked up his head I said "thats him". By the time I put my binoculars down the wife was at full draw. I didn't think she had a clear shot but she said "he's perfect do I take the shot" I said "when your ready" and I saw the arrow bury deep but further back that we needed it. I also noticed he had rolled away from the shot. As I saw him running away and jump out of the pen I noticed blood squirting out a couple of times. Yeah!!!! High fives and hugs.
We could not believe her target buck had jumped in from our downwind side and snuck in 14 yards to the feeder without us noticing him. Im gonna say that the Ozonics worked. As sweaty as we were and the wind blowing towards the trail he jumped in on theres no way we could've gotten away with it without having Ozonics help. Just my opinion though. Oh and as for the vanilla helping, well lets just say no mature deer had been in that pen in over 10 days prior to me pouring that bottle around the feeder. Coincidence? Or maybe he just got hungry.
So she took the shot at 5:35pm. I told the wife were gonna give him at least 1-2 hours before getting on his trail. We waited a while and decided to go take a look inside the pen for blood. Well to my surprise there wasn't much. A few specks here and there. I looked outside were he landed and saw a spray of blood. Bingo!!
We headed for camp to let the family and buddies know. Around 7:00 the wife and I couldn't take it any longer. A few of us headed to track it. We quickly got on the sprayed blood but then it got thin again. Not looking good but enough to stay on it for the most part. I had my beagle Archie with us but I hadn't worked him in a long time. He was useless but still fun to have with us. My cousin happen to shine the light ahead of us and said "there he is". He had only made it about 75 yards from the pen. Hugs and high fives. We were all pumped!! The wife had killed her target buck and her personal best. Upon inspection the shot was back but with him rolling away from the shot it worked out perfect. It turned out to be a hard quartering away shot. We also noticed he had lost around 30-40 pounds the last 3 weeks comparing game cam pics and him laying there.
We got him to camp and the pics began. Very excited that we had our family there and some good people to celebrate with us. The buck is going to be skull mounted on a nice mesquite arrowhead plaque. What I found when I opened him was that she cut the liver, main artery, opposite lung and the broadhead had lodged in the opposite shoulder. Wow!!
The wife shoots a Hoyt Trykon Sport at 46#. Her arrows are gold tip 3555 tipped with a 100 grain 2 blade Rage 40K. The setup did its job very well.
He was aged by our biologist at 6.5 and scored him at 121 7/8". I think he shorted him a little. Im gonna have it officially scored just to see if she got her first Pope & Young buck. Either way its a beautiful buck.
Now the pics....
Here he is 3 weeks ago.
The LDP's..
Thanks for reading.
Ray
We've been watching this buck and another 8 pointer all summer. This one we figured aged at 6.5 and around 125". The other one we think will age 5.5 and go upper 20's. Without having history on both of these deer due to it being a new area for us we were gonna have to make a decision upon seeing them.
With me, the wife and kids being busy we had not made it out there enough. Well our rut got started about 8-10 days ago and its going strong. I lost all my regular deer and only seeing a few small bucks on camera and the last few sits. I was worried they may get killed elsewhere. Thanksgiving morning we made a quick hunt but were let down. We saw one nub buck. When I pulled the game cam card I decided to pore a small bottle of vanilla around the feeder just for the heck of it. Even the wife said "well it cant hurt to try". We were gonna be back there in a day anyways.
The family and I arrived back at the lease on Friday morning with 80 degree temps also knowing the rut should still be on. We knew it was gonna be tough to get her target buck in the feeder pen. Not good but its better than being at home. The wife and I got to our box blind around 3:45pm. She was locked and loaded with her bow in hand. Problem is within the first 10 min we were both pretty much soaked in sweat. It was bad. We opened the door several times to let the blind breath a little.
Before getting in the blind I noticed the wind wasn't blowing perfect nor was it to bad. I just knew if a deer came in to our far left we were going to get busted. I had charged up my Ozonics just for the heck of it. It was a gift years ago and I don't use it often. I fired it up and prayed for the best. Well by 5:15pm all we had seen was a pair of nub bucks that had come in from the upwind side and they weren't there long.
We were both sitting there chatting and laughing at the "TBH Spooning" thread when I looked up and her target buck was at the feeder eating corn. I quickly put my binos on him and was having second thoughts if that was him. His body looked way smaller. When he picked up his head I said "thats him". By the time I put my binoculars down the wife was at full draw. I didn't think she had a clear shot but she said "he's perfect do I take the shot" I said "when your ready" and I saw the arrow bury deep but further back that we needed it. I also noticed he had rolled away from the shot. As I saw him running away and jump out of the pen I noticed blood squirting out a couple of times. Yeah!!!! High fives and hugs.
We could not believe her target buck had jumped in from our downwind side and snuck in 14 yards to the feeder without us noticing him. Im gonna say that the Ozonics worked. As sweaty as we were and the wind blowing towards the trail he jumped in on theres no way we could've gotten away with it without having Ozonics help. Just my opinion though. Oh and as for the vanilla helping, well lets just say no mature deer had been in that pen in over 10 days prior to me pouring that bottle around the feeder. Coincidence? Or maybe he just got hungry.
So she took the shot at 5:35pm. I told the wife were gonna give him at least 1-2 hours before getting on his trail. We waited a while and decided to go take a look inside the pen for blood. Well to my surprise there wasn't much. A few specks here and there. I looked outside were he landed and saw a spray of blood. Bingo!!
We headed for camp to let the family and buddies know. Around 7:00 the wife and I couldn't take it any longer. A few of us headed to track it. We quickly got on the sprayed blood but then it got thin again. Not looking good but enough to stay on it for the most part. I had my beagle Archie with us but I hadn't worked him in a long time. He was useless but still fun to have with us. My cousin happen to shine the light ahead of us and said "there he is". He had only made it about 75 yards from the pen. Hugs and high fives. We were all pumped!! The wife had killed her target buck and her personal best. Upon inspection the shot was back but with him rolling away from the shot it worked out perfect. It turned out to be a hard quartering away shot. We also noticed he had lost around 30-40 pounds the last 3 weeks comparing game cam pics and him laying there.
We got him to camp and the pics began. Very excited that we had our family there and some good people to celebrate with us. The buck is going to be skull mounted on a nice mesquite arrowhead plaque. What I found when I opened him was that she cut the liver, main artery, opposite lung and the broadhead had lodged in the opposite shoulder. Wow!!
The wife shoots a Hoyt Trykon Sport at 46#. Her arrows are gold tip 3555 tipped with a 100 grain 2 blade Rage 40K. The setup did its job very well.
He was aged by our biologist at 6.5 and scored him at 121 7/8". I think he shorted him a little. Im gonna have it officially scored just to see if she got her first Pope & Young buck. Either way its a beautiful buck.
Now the pics....
Here he is 3 weeks ago.
The LDP's..
Thanks for reading.
Ray
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