I finally killed the buck I have been chasing for a year

[bowsniper]

Guys, on Saturday the Lord blessed me with this buck. He grosses at 90 3/8.

 

 

I have been watching this buck for over a year now. Last Summer I couldn’t hunt him because I broke my wrist while I was hanging my stand two weeks before the season opened. Last December, I chose a poor location for my stand, and he was scenting me out and would not come by. (Despite being completely encased in scent lock!) When I wasn’t sitting my stand, he would come by and I’d get a picture of him.

 

So this year, things slowly fell into place. I spent weeks selecting a stand location. I was in the field almost every weekend since July. The first thing opening morning, a bear tried to climb up in my tree with me. He was standing on his back legs, pawing at my ladder with his front legs. I threw sticks down on him but he would not leave. I was more than a little nervous. Finally, I spit on him and he caught my scent and bolted. Bad breath can be a good thing! Later I saw 2 turkeys. Lots of does every day, and a few spikes every day. “My” buck came by on the second day, an easy 20 yard shot. I was not overly excited and took my time until he gave me a good broad side. I was so sure that I nailed him with a good hit, I called a few people to brag, and then took my time packing up my gear and lowering it from the stand. Then I found the arrow and it was completely CLEAN. I wish I could have seen the look on my face! (Lesson: Before you pack up your set up, GO CHECK THE ARROW!)

 

Sunday he came by again, but would only give me a front quartering shot, so I passed. Later, a smaller 4x4 came by. All though I wanted the bigger buck, I really wanted to get home to the wife and my two boys, so I decided to settle on this one. He gave me a nice broadside at 20, and I shot over him! I was shocked! I have made 35 yard shots before on animals when I was a lot more excited. I went home seriously questioning if I should be bow hunting. I had zero confidence in my shooting ability.

 

Somehow, a few weeks earlier, I had messed up my shoulder, and I had been barely able draw my bow. (When you get old, body parts start breaking down for no apparent reason.) In my backyard, once I could draw back, I could shoot accurately. I didn’t want to dial down the weight from 70 lbs. and resight so close to the season. I was worried that I might spook the animal just trying to draw on him, but once I got it back, I thought that it wouldn’t affect my shooting, but apparently it did. Last week, after my missed shots, I figured out that I was I was gripping the bow and release so hard to draw, that it distracted me from good form in a pucker situation. The shoulder was doing a little better, and I spent last week working on good form, so I went back up on Saturday.

 

“My” buck came by about 2:30 on Saturday. He was quartering, but finally turned enough broadside. As soon as I shot him, he bolted over a hilltop to into a thick ravine, and I lost site of him, but I heard him pile up. I waited the prescribed one hour, and then looked down into the ravine. There was good blood, but it was hard to see on the ground covered with brown oak leaves, and the cover was very thick. So I got down on my hands and knees, trying to follow the blood trail, praying to Lord that He would lead me to the buck. Well, He did, about 150 yards from the stand, in thick cover, just an hour before dark. I had mis-judged his slight quartering angle, so I missed the far side lung, and he went a little farther than I would have liked. Thank You Lord for a great hunt and buck!

 

That night I called up a buddy who had been hunting almost every day since the opening day without seeing a buck. He had never taken a coues, and would be very happy with a spike. He had been sitting stands 12 hours a day for a week, and was ready to give up so he could get ready for an elk tag. I had been seeing a large spike (12 inches) everyday, and Mike had been hunting so hard, I though that he deserved a chance for it. Mike drove half the night to get from his stand to mine, and in the morning I guided him to my stand. Within an hour, he nailed the large spike! He was happier than a 7 year old on Christmas morning! Congrats Mike on your first coues!

 

Mark

[runningbird]

wow what a great hunt and story!!! congrats

[sgha]

Persistance pays off, congrats on your buck!

[coues7]

MARK A GREAT BIG CONGRATS TO YOU! YOU DESERVE IT.

[Switchback]

Congradulations!

[DesertBull]

awesome!

 

[TREESTANDMAN]

NICE JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is a beautiful buck. So cool that you killed the exact buck you were after.

[KGAINES]

Great deer and story, congrats to you.

[Kilimanjaro]

nice buck!!

[jamaro]

Great Job...

Jason

[Ron G.]

Congratulations on your buck! Great story too.

[azyoung]

Congratulations! Great story thanks! Real nice buck

 

azyoung

[Coach]

Great Job! Thanks for sharing the story with us.

[AZP&Y]

Nice Pope & Young BUCK!

 

 

Looks like you're a believer in Scent Lok?

 

AzP&Y

[bowsniper]

Nice Pope & Young BUCK!

 

 

Looks like you're a believer in Scent Lok?

 

AzP&Y

 

 

AzP&Y:

 

I wear Scent Lok, and I have spent a lot of money on it. But the more I use it, the more I think that it has little or no affect.

 

Mark