The cap on a great, but interesting, season

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Well...I was finally able to get one of the good bucks that I have been watching on the trail cams. It's been an interesting season...started great, with a nice 9-point (to that point my personal best) and a couple of does (thanks to a land owner permit before the season) with the new Mathews Z7. Following bow season, there was a series of land disputes regarding boundary lines and family allowing others to hunt without the owners permission which led me to take my stands down until it all gets resolved...didn't want to get caught up in the middle and start losing equipment. Luckily, a friend of mine has a good deal of cropland that he allows me to utilize. Not ideal...as there is no wooded land, but at this point, hunting the hedgerows became my best, if not only, option. After looking around the first property and not seeing the amount of sign I would have liked, I went to the second...knowing that this is one that I hadn't used to this point as it is the most wide open. After looking around for a while and seeing a decent amount of sign, I decided to walk up one last hedgerow before trying to figure out where to place a stand. I started thinking to myself, this would be a lot easier if I just walked up on some deer. Low and behold, when I looked up, there was a doe standing about 75 yards away. I looked through the hedgerow into the neighbor's field, and there was a nice buck that had been following her. Yep...this will do! I stood there not wanting to spook them, and watched as 8 more deer came out into either my field, or the neighbors just before dark. I went back a few days later to place the stand, and as I was putting it into the tree, a doe and decent buck jumped out of the high grass in the neighbor's field. As it turns out, while the neighboring field was relatively open, it did have some high grass on either end with short grass in the middle.

The first time I sat in the stand was opening morning, where I planned to sit all day. At first light, three bucks emerged in the neighbor's field and were there for nearly 45 minutes...I was relatively surprised that I didn't hear a shot, as there was someone in a stand in that field. At about 10:30, I found out why he had passed on those as he was able to harvest a nice buck right behind me...damn! I sat there the entire day and saw 20 deer, including 5 different bucks. I had several doe and a small 6 point come in range, but nothing that I wanted to harvest at that point. I went over two more times, and saw deer each time, both in my field, as well as the neighbors...with many nice bucks walking around chasing does, but nothing that I could get a shot at on my side. Luckily, on Tuesday, just before dusk, a nice buck walked out behind me in the neighbor's field. I let out a couple grunts (despite some pretty intense winds) to which he picked up his head, but never changed direction. I followed that up with two bleats, and he turned on a dime and started trotting toward me. I've never had great luck with calling them in, but it certainly looked like it might pay dividends this time! After adjusting my scope for a closer range shot (about 50 yards) I steadied the gun and waited for him to step into the field for what seemed like forever! He finally stepped out and gave me a broadside shot and dropped in his tracks (for the moment). I could see that he was still moving, so I quickly packed up to go down for a kill shot. As I approached, he got up and started running...OHHH NOOO!!! Luckily, he didn't go far and I was able to get close enough to put another shot in...and let the rejoicing begin! Having hunted land for years that never saw big bucks do to too many hunters shooting anything in sight...this was by far the biggest deer I had ever had the privilege to harvest. It will be a hunt, and a deer, that I will be remembering for a long time to come...as he is going on the wall. I plan to go out a couple more times to take a couple friends out, and because I just can't get enough of sitting in the stand...but nothing will compare to that moment!

I greatly enjoy reading everyone's posts and looking at the pictures posted on this board...it's great to have a place where we can all celebrate/commiserate depending on the season. Thanks to all and best of luck to those that haven't yet harvested the big one...I learned now that with patience...your time will come!

Him on the trail cam

[Legacy]

[ray koziatek]

Great job , the best part of any hunting mag. is always the story of the hunt (for me)..

I think its great to have so many Great stories at our fingertips ...also we get to interact with the story (yup its comming) ok for years ive heard of the buck that drops like a fly only to get up and run ,,,seems like their is a no kill zone just above the brisket area ,buck drops ,runs away and little blood ..just curious of your first shot placement ?? Thanks for sharing your hunts,,

[FX]

Great story and deer! Congrats

Shawn

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Tom,

GREAT season buddy !!!!! And you realy contribute on here GREATLY with your stories and pics. Nice adaptation & patience of what you were dealt with.

I am having the most fun/learning year i ever had because of PATIENCE. Letting deer go and observing them is INVALUABLE !!!!

Best of luck eating all that venison.

Hey that last picture looks like the deer is 4 FEET behind the vehicle or it could be a cluttered garage optical illusion.

Jerry

[ray koziatek]

hmm closer lookin ill bet he was running down the road in reverse and its a road kill..

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Ray...you are correct. First shot was just above the brisket...he wasn't going far...but he also wasn't fading fast either. As for the road kill...man..that would have been a lot easier! And with the rack on the back...he'd fall right into place!