tracker
Life Member
To say I have been fortunate to take the buck of a lifetime is an understatement. I could tell from the 2 pictures I had of him that morning that he was going to be a good deer, I just didn't realize how much better until we came to the spot where we found him. This is how it went....
It was Saturday morning. I had told my wife Friday evening I thought I would go sit in the morning to see if there was anything running around that I hadn't seen. The trail cameras had decreased in activity by almost 50%, my worries EHD is going to hammer us again. The previous year was bad, so many rotted stinking carcasses that I was thinking it has to take 3 or more years to recover. The other issue, little to no water in the small creeks where I mainly have access to. I figured why not head to the only water source on the farm, the pond.
I chose to sit in a ladder stand that morning that provided a great opportunity to funnel anything down to about 17 yards if they decided to take the field edge to hit the pasture and water. It was a pretty uneventful sit. 1 small buck behind me and 2 coons. I still enjoy just being out there and having to take a buck is pretty irrelevant to me since the last time I shot one was 11 years ago. I have passed many 150 and 160 inch deer with the hopes to someday get rewarded with a deer you usually only see someone else harvest. I almost enjoy just picking up the sheds in the spring as much as the hunt.
I decided to get down and pull cards then head home for some lunch. Upon returning home is when I discovered the 2 pictures of this deer, both around 1:30 at night. I was pumped thinking that sitting by the water supply was where I needed to be, but was unsure I would ever see this mature animal during daylight hours. The wind was still good and I felt I could get in and out without disturbing anything, so I went back for an afternoon hunt. I was greeted by a bunch of turkeys as I pulled up on my side by side where I usually parked for my long quiet walk in. It was kind of warm and I chose to leave my jacket on my bow pack until I was sat down and could cool off if needed. I also brought in a pole saw to trim a couple branches that I didn't like covering up my backside left turn shot out of the stand. The trimming went well and i had just sat down to cool off and get ready to gear up when I heard the turkeys calling back and forth to each other. I realized I was able to get in there without spooking them again and it could work out to my favor. They continued to talk most of the afternoon as they slowly regrouped.
The hunt was slow like the morning and I was just texting my wife to see if pizza sounded good for supper. I told her it would be about an hour then I would be back at the house. As I put my phone away I heard a deer coughing in the timber. I don't know how many of you have experienced that before but its not uncommon. Knowing there were deer roughly 40 yards in I was able to know where they would work out to. I could then hear hoofs crunching leaves and then the stud emerged. I could tell by the rack even 20 feet still in the timber it was the deer on the camera. I quickly grabbed my bow and locked onto my string. Looking up from my bow he was already out, standing broadside 20 yards just staring ahead. Knowing he would see me draw while he was just standing there I chose to just hold. I decided once he started walking I would draw and anchor. If he turns left it is going to be a quartering away at the best, maybe no ethical shot worst case and I would have to let him walk. Continue forward he would have to turn right and bring him to 17 yards. Well someone was looking out for me as he chose to pass right in front of me. I had already made the decision to just double lung and not worry about a heart shot and possibly just shoulder him. As he walked he gently slowed to a certain stop directly broadside 17 yards. I let it go. It was a perfect hit, 8 inches of arrow still sticking out and the Lumenoc did what it was supposed to do as it gently glowed red on the impact. He ran along side of the cornfield for 30 yards then made a direct turn into the timber. It sounded like someone was driving a skid loader through the timber as he crashed through. I knew it was a good shot but we have all been there, making excuses as to what may have happened, maybe it wasn't as good as I thought. I replayed everything through my mind for the next 30 minutes waiting for it to be dark enough to sneak out. I slowly walked to the last spot he was near the corn and found a couple drops of blood heading into the timber. I laid the pole saw on the blood and walked back to the side by side.
I called my wife with the news, she was just as excited as I was. I then called my oldest son and asked what he was doing. He said he had just took his kids to a halloween party and had just arrived. He asked what was up and I said I needed help dragging out a deer. He asked you shot a doe tonight? I replied back, no..it isn't a doe. It was silent for about 5 seconds as I realized the gears were going in his head. He knows it is going to take a pretty unique buck for me to harvest it anymore. He asked "How big is it?" I replied its a good one, not letting on to what I thought it originally was when I shot it. He said if he could break loose he would get over to help me. I said ok, just call me as I'm heading home to change and grab a good flashlight. I then called my son in law. It was pretty much the same conversation with him also knowing it was going to be a good buck since I shot it. My wife went to his house to watch the grandkids and he met up with me to start the track.
We arrived back at the spot where the pole saw marked the blood. There wasn't a deer trail in sight. He just blew through the multiflower thicket and russian olive trees that lined the timbers edge...it was on. The blood was light as we first started as I told him he was running hard. 20 yards in we find my arrow glowing on the ground. Mind games within my head again as I say out loud "this isnt good". My son in law replies back in as assuring way, No it's good, it means we have both sides open now. I'm like ok I will go with that. Still working hard to find good blood we cross over a small brush pile and lose blood for an instant. We both comment on how he is just running wild with no deer trails in sight. 19 yards later we find where he bedded. Lots of blood, coagulated piles but no deer. Now he's nervous....man we didn't bump him did we?? I hope we didnt kick him up again....I this time being the positive one say "no this is alot of blood, he's not going to make it.... i told him to go ahead 10 yards and see if he can find anymore blood, after about a minute he says ya, here on this branch. I told him to stay there and I projected a path 10 yards ahead of him to find more, being successful I had him put the glowing arrow where he was and then go 10 yards ahead of me again. He no sooner gets ahead of me and says "Hey, get up here and put your hands on him".....I'm saying no way, he's like yep. As I get up there he shines the light ahead about 15 yards and there he laid. A true beast as viewed from behind but as we reached him, he got to see the true beauty of this animal. I didn't let either of them know it had such a beatiful drop on the left side, let alone whatever was going on with the right side. It was then that I got to experience what the trail camera didn't show...it was amazing!! This is the first time I have ever came up on a buck that I harvested to find that it was much bigger than what I realized. My son in law couldn't believe how much I was down playing this deer as we discussed everything trying to track it. My oldest son then called and was coming down to help us as well. He too commented on how I was downplaying everything on the phone. I had to tell them I knew it had something going on but not this. Truely a deer of a lifetime!
Like I said earlier it has been quite a while since I took a buck. I take a doe a year for sticks but enjoy the hunt as much as anything else. I have already been blessed with a 200 inch deer which made my decisions to pass others much easier. Now having a second won't change a thing. I actually hesitated on even posting on here. I listened to Skips podcast the other day and I agree with him at this point in my life on alot of things. Just getting rewarded with this magnificent deer is quite an accomplishment. I've been a life member on here for a long time. A site that has been tested and held true through the thickest of arguments and people that had no intentions of other than jealousy and starting fights. The best of you are still here and I appreciate everything you have done on here for all those years. So this is for you to enjoy and I hope you all get the opportunity like this in your experiences. I did post it in the members contest but was suggested to bring it to the harvest report as well.
I think we have 3 years of sheds from this guy. This year he blew up. He was always a good looking 10. Last year put on good mass, but like I said this year just blew up.
24 scorable points
228 2/8
It was Saturday morning. I had told my wife Friday evening I thought I would go sit in the morning to see if there was anything running around that I hadn't seen. The trail cameras had decreased in activity by almost 50%, my worries EHD is going to hammer us again. The previous year was bad, so many rotted stinking carcasses that I was thinking it has to take 3 or more years to recover. The other issue, little to no water in the small creeks where I mainly have access to. I figured why not head to the only water source on the farm, the pond.
I chose to sit in a ladder stand that morning that provided a great opportunity to funnel anything down to about 17 yards if they decided to take the field edge to hit the pasture and water. It was a pretty uneventful sit. 1 small buck behind me and 2 coons. I still enjoy just being out there and having to take a buck is pretty irrelevant to me since the last time I shot one was 11 years ago. I have passed many 150 and 160 inch deer with the hopes to someday get rewarded with a deer you usually only see someone else harvest. I almost enjoy just picking up the sheds in the spring as much as the hunt.
I decided to get down and pull cards then head home for some lunch. Upon returning home is when I discovered the 2 pictures of this deer, both around 1:30 at night. I was pumped thinking that sitting by the water supply was where I needed to be, but was unsure I would ever see this mature animal during daylight hours. The wind was still good and I felt I could get in and out without disturbing anything, so I went back for an afternoon hunt. I was greeted by a bunch of turkeys as I pulled up on my side by side where I usually parked for my long quiet walk in. It was kind of warm and I chose to leave my jacket on my bow pack until I was sat down and could cool off if needed. I also brought in a pole saw to trim a couple branches that I didn't like covering up my backside left turn shot out of the stand. The trimming went well and i had just sat down to cool off and get ready to gear up when I heard the turkeys calling back and forth to each other. I realized I was able to get in there without spooking them again and it could work out to my favor. They continued to talk most of the afternoon as they slowly regrouped.
The hunt was slow like the morning and I was just texting my wife to see if pizza sounded good for supper. I told her it would be about an hour then I would be back at the house. As I put my phone away I heard a deer coughing in the timber. I don't know how many of you have experienced that before but its not uncommon. Knowing there were deer roughly 40 yards in I was able to know where they would work out to. I could then hear hoofs crunching leaves and then the stud emerged. I could tell by the rack even 20 feet still in the timber it was the deer on the camera. I quickly grabbed my bow and locked onto my string. Looking up from my bow he was already out, standing broadside 20 yards just staring ahead. Knowing he would see me draw while he was just standing there I chose to just hold. I decided once he started walking I would draw and anchor. If he turns left it is going to be a quartering away at the best, maybe no ethical shot worst case and I would have to let him walk. Continue forward he would have to turn right and bring him to 17 yards. Well someone was looking out for me as he chose to pass right in front of me. I had already made the decision to just double lung and not worry about a heart shot and possibly just shoulder him. As he walked he gently slowed to a certain stop directly broadside 17 yards. I let it go. It was a perfect hit, 8 inches of arrow still sticking out and the Lumenoc did what it was supposed to do as it gently glowed red on the impact. He ran along side of the cornfield for 30 yards then made a direct turn into the timber. It sounded like someone was driving a skid loader through the timber as he crashed through. I knew it was a good shot but we have all been there, making excuses as to what may have happened, maybe it wasn't as good as I thought. I replayed everything through my mind for the next 30 minutes waiting for it to be dark enough to sneak out. I slowly walked to the last spot he was near the corn and found a couple drops of blood heading into the timber. I laid the pole saw on the blood and walked back to the side by side.
I called my wife with the news, she was just as excited as I was. I then called my oldest son and asked what he was doing. He said he had just took his kids to a halloween party and had just arrived. He asked what was up and I said I needed help dragging out a deer. He asked you shot a doe tonight? I replied back, no..it isn't a doe. It was silent for about 5 seconds as I realized the gears were going in his head. He knows it is going to take a pretty unique buck for me to harvest it anymore. He asked "How big is it?" I replied its a good one, not letting on to what I thought it originally was when I shot it. He said if he could break loose he would get over to help me. I said ok, just call me as I'm heading home to change and grab a good flashlight. I then called my son in law. It was pretty much the same conversation with him also knowing it was going to be a good buck since I shot it. My wife went to his house to watch the grandkids and he met up with me to start the track.
We arrived back at the spot where the pole saw marked the blood. There wasn't a deer trail in sight. He just blew through the multiflower thicket and russian olive trees that lined the timbers edge...it was on. The blood was light as we first started as I told him he was running hard. 20 yards in we find my arrow glowing on the ground. Mind games within my head again as I say out loud "this isnt good". My son in law replies back in as assuring way, No it's good, it means we have both sides open now. I'm like ok I will go with that. Still working hard to find good blood we cross over a small brush pile and lose blood for an instant. We both comment on how he is just running wild with no deer trails in sight. 19 yards later we find where he bedded. Lots of blood, coagulated piles but no deer. Now he's nervous....man we didn't bump him did we?? I hope we didnt kick him up again....I this time being the positive one say "no this is alot of blood, he's not going to make it.... i told him to go ahead 10 yards and see if he can find anymore blood, after about a minute he says ya, here on this branch. I told him to stay there and I projected a path 10 yards ahead of him to find more, being successful I had him put the glowing arrow where he was and then go 10 yards ahead of me again. He no sooner gets ahead of me and says "Hey, get up here and put your hands on him".....I'm saying no way, he's like yep. As I get up there he shines the light ahead about 15 yards and there he laid. A true beast as viewed from behind but as we reached him, he got to see the true beauty of this animal. I didn't let either of them know it had such a beatiful drop on the left side, let alone whatever was going on with the right side. It was then that I got to experience what the trail camera didn't show...it was amazing!! This is the first time I have ever came up on a buck that I harvested to find that it was much bigger than what I realized. My son in law couldn't believe how much I was down playing this deer as we discussed everything trying to track it. My oldest son then called and was coming down to help us as well. He too commented on how I was downplaying everything on the phone. I had to tell them I knew it had something going on but not this. Truely a deer of a lifetime!
Like I said earlier it has been quite a while since I took a buck. I take a doe a year for sticks but enjoy the hunt as much as anything else. I have already been blessed with a 200 inch deer which made my decisions to pass others much easier. Now having a second won't change a thing. I actually hesitated on even posting on here. I listened to Skips podcast the other day and I agree with him at this point in my life on alot of things. Just getting rewarded with this magnificent deer is quite an accomplishment. I've been a life member on here for a long time. A site that has been tested and held true through the thickest of arguments and people that had no intentions of other than jealousy and starting fights. The best of you are still here and I appreciate everything you have done on here for all those years. So this is for you to enjoy and I hope you all get the opportunity like this in your experiences. I did post it in the members contest but was suggested to bring it to the harvest report as well.
I think we have 3 years of sheds from this guy. This year he blew up. He was always a good looking 10. Last year put on good mass, but like I said this year just blew up.
24 scorable points
228 2/8
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