The season was already a good one with the harvest of "The Big 9". "Trident" made this season pretty dang special... breaking my own personal best from earlier in November. Nearly 340" of antler within about a week, but two fully mature deer which is even more important to me. Total combined shot distance on the two.... 16 yards. Up close and personal kind of year. 
I almost harvested this deer in 2014 when he was his biggest and his flier point off his right brow tine extended to the top of his rack. He just never closed the distance that November day in 2014. I never saw him last year in 2015 or any other day for that matter until I harvested him. I had 4 pictures of this deer in in 3 years. Four.
The deer was a true ghost and most likely only ventured into my neck of the woods on rare November days, although I will never know for sure because I designated that area as untouchable other than one or two hunts a year under the right conditions. He is just a really cool OLD fully mature deer with a dark rack.... just a huge bodied deer.
I shot the deer @ 8 yards thru some thick stuff and had a bit of an ordeal recovering him due to broadhead deployment before impact and bad penetration. That included walking up on him still alive at 10 yards only to take his picture, come back with my bow, and find him gone. He didn't go far but it made for a long sleepless night!
He went 169 5/8" with 17 scorable points with the stickers. Though I had very few pics, he was always instantly recognizable with the double throat patch. I am truly grateful. It wasn't that long ago that the dream of shooting deer of this caliper was a far distant dream.
I am done for a while. Plenty of things to catch up on while I wait for muzzleloader. Who knows what might happen then.
Good luck to all still in pursuit!
I almost harvested this deer in 2014 when he was his biggest and his flier point off his right brow tine extended to the top of his rack. He just never closed the distance that November day in 2014. I never saw him last year in 2015 or any other day for that matter until I harvested him. I had 4 pictures of this deer in in 3 years. Four.
The deer was a true ghost and most likely only ventured into my neck of the woods on rare November days, although I will never know for sure because I designated that area as untouchable other than one or two hunts a year under the right conditions. He is just a really cool OLD fully mature deer with a dark rack.... just a huge bodied deer.
I shot the deer @ 8 yards thru some thick stuff and had a bit of an ordeal recovering him due to broadhead deployment before impact and bad penetration. That included walking up on him still alive at 10 yards only to take his picture, come back with my bow, and find him gone. He didn't go far but it made for a long sleepless night!
He went 169 5/8" with 17 scorable points with the stickers. Though I had very few pics, he was always instantly recognizable with the double throat patch. I am truly grateful. It wasn't that long ago that the dream of shooting deer of this caliper was a far distant dream.
I am done for a while. Plenty of things to catch up on while I wait for muzzleloader. Who knows what might happen then.
Good luck to all still in pursuit!
