Redemption.........warning; long story and pic heavy

[jonscaife]

We've all been there. Those of you that haven't, the rest of us envy you, but if you hunt long enough you will experience it.

Two years ago on the second day of the general deer hunt I glassed up a beautiful 4x4 mule deer. What would be the biggest buck I had ever taken if it worked out. I had a fool proof plan. Wind and terrain where all in my favor and I executed a perfect stalk. He had no idea I was there. I had an almost perfect set up to take my shot. I waited for the buck to give me a shot and....BANG!...the buck drops. I had just killed the biggest buck of my life......or so I thought. After waiting a half-hour and texting all my friends bragging about the deer I just bagged, I headed off to finally wrap my hands around those antlers. What I found next made my heart drop into my gut. Where I had expected to find a pilled up buck, I found only a few small drops of blood. I followed the tracks and the occasional drop of blood for about a hundred yards expecting to see my buck at any point but didn't. I called a buddy of mine to come help me track this buck and waited another hour or so for him to show figuring I would give this buck some more time to die. My buddy shows up and we track this buck for miles from his tracks and would find only a small drop of blood every couple hundred yards. As the sun began to set, we followed this bucks tracks into what my buddy called "a super highway of elk and deer tracks". We made several circles around this area trying to find another drop of blood but to no avail. We finally had to call it for the evening giving into the thought of a few cold ones and a warm bed. I watched that area for the next couple days hoping that I would glass up my wounded buck and I could wrap my tag around him but he never showed up.

To this day I replay that day in my head over and over again. Was I patient enough with my shot placement? Was I shooting beyond my abilities even though it was well with in the range of what I felt I was capable of? Did I give the buck enough time to die? Was I thorough enough in my attempt to find him? In a situation like this it is very easy to second guess oneself. Many of you, I'm sure, can emphathize with the guilt associated with this kind of experience. Nobody wants to shoot an animal that they cannot claim.

I hand to check the box on my questionaire from azgfd.....I had shot an animal I was not able to recover.

 

This year, two years later, I draw the same tag. I know this unit very well and decided to hunt the same area. Opening day comes and goes with only a small 3x2, spooked and a looooong way off. With such little activity and the pressure of only having the first three days to hunt, I went into the second morning of the hunt knowing I had to get it done. I hike up to my glassing spot in the dark and wait for enough light to start glassing. I'm glassing for maybe 10 minutes when I spot a small buck. Just a small fork but I continue watching him knowing he probably wasn't alone. Sure enough a beautiful 4x4 feeds his way out from behind a juniper. Then deer just start popping out from everywhere. There must have been 7 or 8. All bucks. I didn't care about any of them......I just wanted that 4x4. As I start planning my stalk, I realize, these bucks are on the same ridge I took shot from two years earlier! Once again, the terrain and wind are both in my favor and I have an opportunity to execute a perfect stalk. During the stalk I'm able to keep the wind in my favor and junipers between me and the deer. I get to the area I plan to take a shot from, a small area without any obstructions between me and the deer but keeping me in the shade of a large juniper, shielding me from veiw of these bucks. I range the 4x4......370 yards. Well with in my range. As I prepare to take my shot another 4x4 feeds out from behind a bush. He looks bigger. Plans changed. I reposition my cross hairs on the bigger buck, waiting on him to give me a nice broadside look. He turns just enough......BANG! He takes a few step but is obviously hit. I reposition for another shot......BANG! He drops. This time I'm NOT taking my riflescope off him! If he gets up, I'm dropping him again. I watch him for what seems like 10 minutes....no movement at all. All of the other buck kind of trot off. All except the other 4x4. He sticks around wondering why his buddy wasn't getting up. I got a real good look at him.....a beautiful buck. He had REALLY deep forks. His frame was a little smaller than the one I shot but did his longer points make him a better buck? I started second guessing myself again....did I shoot the bigger buck? Did I take enough time to judge both bucks properly? Then it hit me....my buck is still down and he ain't getting up. And I will take this kind of second guessing over the other kind anytime!

Finally the other buck trotted of, spooked, but not all that concerned about what just happened. I wait another 30 minutes and go off to wrap my hands around those beautiful antlers.

The buck ended dropping within 100 yards of where I had taken the shot two years prior.....redemption.

 

This the buck as it lay when I first came up on it;

 

Then some more pics of it;

 

 

 

I called up the same buddy that had helped me unsuccessfully track the buck from a few years back, this time to he help me pack out. Here's a pic of me and him with the buck;

 

On the way out a jeep stopped to congratulate me on the buck. After talking with the 2 gentlemen, it turned out that his daughter and son where the ones with tags and they where both looking for their first deer. Well, it just so happened that my buddy and I had spotted a small buck on a ridge on the way out and told them about it. We helped them to the ridge and this young lady made a wonderful 170 yard shot. The buck ran for about 100 yards then pilled up. This girl was stoked!

 

What a day! To be able to redeem myself and finally take a mature mule deer, then to be blessed enough to be able to witness a wonderful young lady take her first deer, hopefully passing on a love of hunting to this random young stranger. I don't know what experience I will treasure most

And one last pic of the buck on my jeep;

[Antmo23]

Thats awesome! I hoping for redemption this year. Been chasing the same buck for 3 years now, I hope I get to tell a story like yours soon.

[AZHog]

Congratulations! Beautiful looking buck and love that you were able to help the young lady harvest her first buck.

[hoghntr]

L.O.L. i joked with my 6 year old that i was gonna put this years antlers on my sequoia 's hood. Nice touch on the jeep!

 

Congrats on a great buck and my wife needs her 1st deer if ya wanna help. congrats!

[PelaPapas]

Congrats! Beautiful buck you got yourself! Very cool of you to help that girl get her first buck.

[olmos1010]

Congrats on a nice buck.

[StraightTequilaNight]

Thanks for the pics & the story. CONGRATS!

[cramerhunts]

Congratulations on your buck as well as getting some redemption! Very cool of you to help out the youngster as well.

[Big Browns]

Very cool!!!!!

[randyolson]

FANTASTIC!! CONCRATS ON YOUR BUCK!!! NICE THING YOU DID IN HELPING OUT THE YOUNG LADY TOO!! A GREAT TRIP IT WAS BY THE STORY AND THE PICS!! THANKS!!

[jgraffaz]

Sweet story sweet deer, nice job

[Javelinasports]

Great story, Congrats!

[goinhuntn]

Cool story & pics thanks for sharing!!