Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Most successful day in the deer woods; My best trad buck/biggest typical to date!

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Most successful day in the deer woods; My best trad buck/biggest typical to date!

    As stated in the title, November 4th become one of my most favorite days on the calendar! H Sunday evening about 5pm, I was blessed to put an arrow into my biggest traditional archery buck and biggest typical to date on a buck I called "Ghost" that has given me fits for FOUR YEARS! Here's the run down on a day that will go down in my memory for the rest of my life...


    I usually don't name deer, but all the pictures I ever got of him were all at night, so rightfully so, he got named what he was to me, a Ghost! When I first got this lease, this buck was my #1. He had a big typical frame, but was missing a browtine and G4 on one side making him a 5x3. The season passed and I never saw him. Second season on the place, he returned and was a big clean 10 point. Same as the season before, all night pictures, but instead of toying with me by sticking around all season like he did the first, he disappeared the first week after archery season started never to be seen again. Last year, not a single picture of him and I had him wrote off as being poached due to the area he lived in.

    Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_2245.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	63.8 KB
ID:	25163409

    Ghost 2016

    Fast forward to Nov. 1, 2018 and I sat finding myself looking at a crappy trailcam picture of a big 10pt that I had not seen before, but didn't give much thought to it thinking it was just a buck passing through. The next day, I had good pictures of the 10 pt again, and this time it clicked in my brain, I was looking at Ghost!! Part of me wanted to think it was just another buck that looked similar, but when I was able to get home and compare pictures, all doubt was erased as it was him! I was beyond shocked at what I was seeing. What was even crazier, one of the pictures I had of him was just a couple minutes before shooting light. The next morning (Saturday) after my morning sit, I snuck in and pulled the card again and low and behold he was back through the area again just before shooting light!

    Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_2247.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	69.9 KB
ID:	25163403

    Sunday rolled around and the wind wasn't great for that particular setup as bad as I wanted to be in it, so I went to another area to chase after a buck that had been giving me fits the last couple weeks. With it being the last day of muzzleloader season here in OK, I carried my smokepole and was lucky enough to take a great 8 pt that I honestly didn't know if I'd shoot if I saw him based off a few pictures I'd gotten of him as I was after another giant 8pt in the same area. Once I laid eyes on him though, the thoughts of passing him went right out the window and I dropped the hammer on the muzzleloader and was more than happy I did as the buck was bigger than I expected! What made it more special was I was able to have the whole family there for the recovery!

    Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_2201.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	150.4 KB
ID:	25163405
    Traeger and his pup Beau

    Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_2221.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	148.5 KB
ID:	25163406

    Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_2233.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	125.5 KB
ID:	25163407


    After we got my buck loaded, I snuck back into my camera and checked my card again. Once again, Ghost had appeared again during the night, but also at 8:10am in broad daylight!!! I called my wife and told her I was going back that night sit in that spot and see if I could pull a dozen rabbits out of the hat and maybe get a shot at him with my longbow. As always, I could tell in her voice she was shaking her head at me as always and said "go for it!".

    Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_2248.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	126.4 KB
ID:	25163408

    #2
    Haven’t read the write up yet but Nice buck!
    Congratulations !!

    Comment


      #3
      Nice, congrats.

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by awry View Post
        Haven’t read the write up yet but Nice buck!
        Congratulations !!
        Ha ... that will teach to read before posting. Assume more to come ... can’t wait.

        Comment


          #5
          Nice!

          Comment


            #6
            Great buck. That's what its all about......THE CHASE

            Comment


              #7
              and!!!!!!

              Comment


                #8
                That evening, I got to my stand a bit later than I'd have liked to (time change had me messed up) and had does already moving into the area. I let them feed on before sneaking into my stand. The next two hours were dead other than mosquitos dive bombing me. About 4:50, out of nowhere a young 8 point stepped out and ended up right under my stand and had me pegged. My feet were kicked up on my foot rest, bow hanging on a hanger and I was stuck. Staring at him staring at me, I caught movement behind him and I couldn't help but dropping my jaw to the base of my stand when none other than Ghost stepped out of the cedars working my way about 50 yards out! He slowly closed the distance to about 35 yards before stopping to look at the little buck still looking intently at me. I just sat as motionless as possible running every scenario through my brain I could come up with as to how to get my bow off the hook without this little buck blowing out of the area and pushing the Ghost out with him. The wind was perfect and my hope was he would finally decide I was harmless and move on, then I heard movement behind me straight down wind. I sat there thinking, all this time I've waited on this deer, he's heading my way with wind perfect and I'm going to get busted by something coming in down wind. Still not being able to move anything but my eyes, a doe appeared right below me and took the young buck's attention off long enough for me to get my bow off the hook. As soon as I got it off, the young buck looked right back up at me and I was back to square one. Ghost began walking in towards the doe and passed right under me at 10 yards BROADSIDE and I was stuck! He nosed around the doe and ran her in a couple small circles right below me, and the young 8 still stood deadlocked on my every move. I could hear more rustling in the timber behind me but couldn't turn to see what it was, then another buck appeared right below me with his ears pinned, stiff necked and straight legged walking right to the young 8 that had been staring a hole through me. This was absolutely a God sent moment, because as soon as the 3rd buck appeared under me, the young 8 dropped his head down to get ready to fight and I was able to swivel on my seat to square up with Ghost who was now just 15 yards away. Before I knew it, I was drawn back and watching a lighted green nock sail through the air straight through Ghost's rib cage. The arrow never slowed down till it hit dirt on the opposite side of him and was completely painted in red that could easily be seen from my stand. Ghost ran through the timber and stopped about 60 yards away and stood for a couple minutes before slowly walking away and out of sight. To say I was in shock that it had all worked out would be a lie, because I couldn't even begin to express the emotions going through my body. I knew my shot was a touch further back than I'd have liked for it to be, but with a red coated arrow below me, I was feeling a bit better about the situation. I finally crawled down after the other deer had moved on and got my arrow. Although completely red from one end to the other, there was a bit of gut material under the red coat which had me a bit worried, so I backed out and headed to the house.

                Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_2239.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	60.9 KB
ID:	24559590


                Four long hours later, I returned with my beagle pup Beau and my stepdad to go recover the buck. The blood trail was really good through the timber for the first couple hundred yards, then the buck took a detour and hit the waist high cattle pastures and finding blood was tough, especially while getting pulled along by a dog that knew where he was going! We came to a cross fence and I let Beau go under and snapped his lead to the fence so I could climb over. Just as I reached the other side, Beau barked, which so far in our tracking experiences has not been a good sign at all and means the deer is still alive. Since we were still on good blood, we trekked onward and about 100 yards later, I spotted eyes ahead of us and held Beau back. I kept my light on the deer and it slowly trotted away towards the timber. To confirm it was him, I let Beau continue on to the spot where I had seen him and my fears came true as I stood over the spot of grass where the buck had been standing and still leaving a good blood trail. At this point, we were 0.54 miles into the track and decided to back out for the night.

                All night long, I was sick at my stomach and didn't sleep a bit. Replaying every scenario in my head and trying tell myself I should have done this or should have done that, all the while waiting for daylight to appear so we could get back out to look for him. Morning finally arrived and we started right back at the cross-fence the buck had jumped and Beau was right back in the game taking me to the last spot we'd been the night before where the buck had stood. We found good blood just past where the buck had been standing the night before, but nothing that I could see after that. Beau started out a little confused, then got it lined out and started working the trail. After a couple hundred yards, we reached the edge of a thicket leading into a big block of timber with a creek running through it which I figured would be the place the buck would go since it was the closest water around. Instead of going into the timber, Beau turned and proceeded to make a big circle to right back near the start of the trail at the fence crossing! I was a bit confused and the way Beau was acting made me think he was just going through the motions and not really on the trail of the buck. So, I picked him up and headed back to the last blood. Beau wasted no time getting back on the trail, but this time I held him back a bit and worked the trail slower so I could look and see if he was indeed onto something. Just as before we got to the timber line and he turned on the same path he'd taken before, so I began searching the ground hard for any sign at all. Low and behold, I spotted a bit of small blood splatter on some small rocks!! Beau continued on and followed his exact circular path as before and I found a couple more specks of blood here and there which gave me a bit more faith in the direction we were heading. We crossed right back over our orginal trail and went on to another block of timber about 300 yards away from the one I had anticipated the buck to be in. All morning, I watched the skies for crows and buzzards, but never really noticed any congregated to any certain area. As we got to the timber line, I saw an old dead tree in the middle of the timber with 8 or so buzzards hanging out. Thinking nothing of it and writing it off as a roost tree, Beau finally crawled his way through a small break in the brush and I was finally able to follow suit after busting through a pile of brush. Upon entering the timber, a single buzzard lifted off the ground and got my attention. I headed that way and to my surprise, after covering just under a mile over the course of about an hour on our morning track, there was Ghost.

                Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_2250.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	156.1 KB
ID:	24559591

                Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_2297.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	174.7 KB
ID:	24559592


                Unfortunately, the coyotes and buzzards had already started gutting him for me when we found him, but I was thrilled to actually have my hands on him after all these years. Without Beau on the end of the lead and showing me the way, I have no doubt I would have never found this deer unless I luckily stumbled upon him shed hunting because I'd have never looked in the wood lot he was in based off of seeing the direction he ran when we bumped in the first night. I thought it would be nice to have a dog to track for me and began working with him when he was just a few weeks old, but never would have guess he'd be able to do what he's done so fast. I just thank the Lord I lucked out and got a good dog that's a little hard headed and way smarter than I am!

                Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_2299.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	57.5 KB
ID:	24559593
                Had to get him his favorite on the way home, a plain an dry Mcdouble! After finding my buck, I'd have gotten him a whole ribeye if he'd have been able to ask for it!!

                Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_2305.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	92.7 KB
ID:	24559594

                Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_2302.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	93.7 KB
ID:	24559595


                I am still in shock that in a 9 hour time span I was blessed with the opportunity to shoot not one, but TWO big, mature Oklahoma bucks. Although it wasn't a picture perfect ending to the fairy tale, it was still pretty close to it, and will definitely be a day I'll always remember and one I doubt I'll ever be able to top, but it will sure be fun trying to!

                Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_2316.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	120.8 KB
ID:	24559596

                Comment


                  #9
                  Two great bucks ... CONGRATS!

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Congrats! Great write up

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Great bucks and stories to go with it!!!
                      Good job!!!!

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Man--Congratulations!
                        Those two bucks are fine and your story (write-up) is worthy of a magazine article. I took every step with you. Job well done.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Your having a good year! Congratulations.
                          So what was shot placement like.

                          Gary

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Great bucks!


                            Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

                            Comment


                              #15
                              That is awesome Shiloh!! Great write up too. A good dog is worth a million $ in those situations. Way to stick with it. I love to see someone seal the deal with a buck they've had so much history with, congrats again!!

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X