2LuckyHunters Report post Posted March 20, 2019 Before January 2019, I hadn't taken a buck with a bow or taken one with a rifle since 2016. For 2017 and 2018 rifle seasons, I told my husband if I couldn't find one at least 85", I was going to pass. Coues meat is my favorite, but we had enough for the two of us with his bucks. Passed a handful of nice bucks on both hunts and had a couple blown stalks during the bow seasons. Opening morning of the 2018 rifle hunt, I glassed up 2 bucks a little over 500 yards away. The biggest was about a high 70's, maybe 80". Not wanting to shoot, we continued to glass. About 25 minutes later, we hear 2 guys walking up on us. My husband asked if I wanted to tell them about the bucks and I said sure. He tells them the distance and asked if they wanted to take one and the guy said "you bet!" We had him look through our optics that were a tripod so he would know where they were. He gets set up with his rifle and my husband gives him the range. He shoots and isn't even close... hits 3 feet below the bucks feet and way right. The buck doesn't even spook because the shot was so far off the mark and the other buck just continues to feed. He's getting ready to fire again and my husband told him to hold on and shoot our rifle. It's dead on... I took an antelope with it with one shot at 709 yards. My husband sets up the gun and dopes it for him. The guy slides behind the rifle and can't find the buck in the scope. After a few looong minutes of my husband dialing the power on the scope up and down for him, he finds him and is ready. We get in our binos, tell him just hold right on him and smoothly squeeze the trigger. The gun sounds off and the buck takes 5 steps and is down for the count. The guy is so excited! I think he thanked us and shook my husband's hand about 6 times. lol It was a great feeling to help someone and see them so appreciative and happy. Fast forward to January 2019..... We are on the archery javelina hunt and I always have an OTC deer tag. We have put in almost 4 miles and the pigs have given us the slip twice. Back in December I had sprained my ankle and it was still pretty sore. I told my husband I needed to give it a break, so lets glass a little bit. We set up the tripods and are only in the glass about 3 minutes when he says those words we all love to hear..."I got a buck." What follows was even better..."He's a good one." We didn't have to do "rock, paper, scissors" to figure out who gets to go after him, because he didn't get an OTC tag this year. Lucky me! The buck was feeding in certain direction and the wind was good. To make an already long story short, I was able to position myself in front of where the buck was trying to go. I was in the shade and had good cover. I had time to tell myself..."Make this count. This doesn't happen every day. Stay calm, aim and follow through." I had ranged a few areas where I thought he was going to come out as it was real thick. At the 40 yard clearing, he walked right on by. I can now see he is coming straight at me. I'm watching him through the brush and with the terrain, he's either going to keep on his path or turn and come broadside in front of me at 25 yards with a clear shooting lane. Well...he turns. This is it...it's gonna happen! Everything now slows way down...it was the strangest thing. Almost like slow motion. I can see him on the other side of the brush. I draw my bow and settle in. I see his nose clear the brush, then his eye. He has no clue I'm even here. Now his neck and then his shoulder. I place my pin in that sweet spot just behind the crease and follow him. My bow fires, I don't remember touching off the trigger. It hits it's mark. He spins and blows out of there running straight away from me, so I can't see the exit. I watch him disappear and crash into the brush. I'm trying to see if he comes out on the other side of the brush...he doesn't. I still haven't moved and I hear some huffing sounds that are either him or some pigs then all is quiet. I wait about 15 minutes and decide I can slip down and see if I can find my arrow quietly. I find it and good blood right away and mark it. My husband stayed up on the top of the ridge, so I figure I better go get him and let him know I hit the buck. From where he was at, he couldn't see me, but he heard the arrow hit and heard the buck take off. The second he sees me he asks "Well?" I will never forget the look on his face when I told him I hit him and it should be good. It's now getting late in the day and we're worried about it getting dark. Lucky we had one bar of service to get a call out to a great friend to head our way in case we needed help finding the buck in the thick stuff. It's now about 40 mins after the shot. My husband and I get down to my arrow where I marked the blood and start slowly tracking through the brush. A few drops here and there, nothing, then a big pile, then back to a few drops. I'm not gonna lie...I was wondering what the heck? Maybe I didn't hit him as good as I thought. Then, "There he is!" He is off to the left....in the thick brush...and he is done! I couldn't believe what just happened! From where he was shot, he went about 60 yards. So many things have to go just right. I'm so thankful it was meant to be for me! We had him hung in a tree and skinned when our friends got to us. 2019 has started off almost like a dream. Let's hope the good mojo continues. With 9 bonus points I have drawn an early archery bull tag. Please keep your fingers crossed! 15 1 2 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jim Report post Posted March 20, 2019 Congratulations on a great buck. Good luck on your elk hunt. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesPursuit Report post Posted March 20, 2019 Great story, great shot, great buck! Congratulations! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2LuckyHunters Report post Posted March 20, 2019 8 minutes ago, jim said: Congratulations on a great buck. Good luck on your elk hunt. Thank you! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2LuckyHunters Report post Posted March 20, 2019 3 minutes ago, CouesPursuit said: Great story, great shot, great buck! Congratulations! Thank you! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DCS Report post Posted March 20, 2019 Great buck and awesome writeup,good luck on your hunts this fall. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2LuckyHunters Report post Posted March 21, 2019 57 minutes ago, DCS said: Great buck and awesome writeup,good luck on your hunts this fall. Thank you! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yoshi Report post Posted March 21, 2019 Congratulations! Beautiful Buck!!! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sigfour Report post Posted March 21, 2019 Great write up and great buck. Congrats to you on your buck and to your husband for having someone to share hunting with. Thanks for sharing 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Will K Report post Posted March 21, 2019 Awesome Buck. Looks like you made a perfect shot. Congrat's. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildwoody Report post Posted March 21, 2019 Awesome buck, quit the achievement.. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fireplanes Report post Posted March 21, 2019 Congrats, invited me for dinner. 😋 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2LuckyHunters Report post Posted March 21, 2019 12 hours ago, sigfour said: Great write up and great buck. Congrats to you on your buck and to your husband for having someone to share hunting with. Thanks for sharing Thank you! We are both blessed to be able to hunt together. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2LuckyHunters Report post Posted March 21, 2019 8 hours ago, wildwoody said: Awesome buck, quit the achievement.. Thanks! A little luck goes a long way. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2LuckyHunters Report post Posted March 21, 2019 10 hours ago, Will K said: Awesome Buck. Looks like you made a perfect shot. Congrat's. Thank you! The shot was right on the money. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
