Trad Gang
Topic Archives => Memorable Hunts => Topic started by: KentuckyTJ on September 11, 2007, 08:45:00 PM
-
My story begins in mid August when I placed a trail camera in a funnel between bedding area and an alfalfa field. I very quickly got pictures of a bachelor group of three bucks. Morning and night like clockwork they would move in front of my camera coming and going.
About a week past of regularity when I decided to hang a lock-on stand in a tree on the North side of the funnel next to an overgrown field. 25 yards to my South was a steep banked creek that paralleled and made up the opposite side of the funnel.
I've been bow hunting for 19 years and things were looking good for my first velvet buck. August 31st the night before our Kentucky season opened I went out to the site grabbed my trail camera off the tree and went to the house to find three more mornings and evenings of the three bachelors. The only problem was that sometime between August 29 and 30 the best buck of the group and my targeted deer had shed the velvet I was so looking forward to running my hands over.
Opening morning found me slipping down the overgrown field toward my stand site. Once settled I watched as the morning came to life. At 7:15 I noticed movement at the opposite end of the field, a nice buck, and then another, and another. The item I had forgotten this morning were my binoculars so I couldn't be sure if it was the group I had come to know through my computer screen or not. They fed around for a while and then slipped back into the thicket they had come from.
At this point I thought my day had come to an end. But 10 minutes later I noticed one of the deer had returned. Then finally the other two came back in the field as well. At this point they fed around a little while longer and then slipped into the upper end of my funnel. My hopes were back up. With the thickness of the cover and not wanting to be spotted at the last minute I stood and began scanning for any sign of movement.
I stood for as long as my feet could stand it and then sat back down wondering if they had bedded or slipped away undetected. Finally at 8:25 I saw movement. It was the nice 8 point I've seen many times that was hanging with the 9 and a smaller 10. At that point I was sure these were the boys I was hunting. Then behind the 8 came the 9. They were angling over toward the creek and coming my way at around 35 yards. The 8 got to the creek and turned coming my direction. The 9 right behind came on the same trail. Unlike at the beginning of the morning the wind was blowing from me to the creek at this point in the day, and I just knew any moment the 8 was going to bust up the party. As soon as the 9 got broadside I grunted. He stopped and snapped his head my way as I was slowly pulling back the string. I got to my ancor and let the 2016 go. My 5 inch white fletchings were a beautiful site as they flew perfectly toward their target. The arrow hit a little high of mid-ship but perfect left and right. As the deer busted out of there I noticed the blood gushing out where the Muzzy Phantom had hit its mark.
I got down in the opposite direction and went to the truck and waited very impatiently until 10 a.m. to go get my buddy. We returned to my stand and walked the 23 steps over to the creek bank to the site of the impact. Immediately we found allot of blood to follow. After a short trial we found him expired in the edge of the field in the high weeds. Man I hope I never lose that feeling.
Hope you all have a wonderful season and are blessed as much as I have been.
T.J.
(http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa121/kyTJ/SUNP0036.jpg)http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa121/kyTJ/SUNP0036.jpg [/img][/IMG]
(http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa121/kyTJ/SUNP0063.jpg)
(http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa121/kyTJ/IMG_0940-72-2.jpg)
-
awesome!
-
nice story and nice animal!!
-
Wow I hope I have that kind of luck. Great job on picking a great spot. Congrats!!
-
AWESOME Covers It. LOL Congrats. :thumbsup:
-
:thumbsup: :notworthy: <><
-
Nice buck!
-
Congrats on a fine buck!!
-
Nice job! :thumbsup:
David
-
great buck, congrats!
-
Nice deer, sounds like you did your homework and earned em. Congrats.
-
Very nice all the way around!
Congrats!
-
VERY NICE BUCK! :thumbsup:
-
wow!! that is real cool nice shooting and congrats :thumbsup:
-
Beautiful buck. I like it when things go the way you imagine they will. Congrats.
-
Super job Tom!!!
-
Congrats that's a real nice buck and to have the before & after photos is iceing on the cake!
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
-
NICE Buck!
-
Congrats on a very nice buck.
-
Beautiful animal and nice job! Thanks for sharing.
-
Way to go Tom. Nice looking buck. Can't wait until Saturday.
-
TJ, Congrats on a great buck. I seen the pic over on the ky forum and wondered if maybe you were a member here.
-
Congratulations!! Don't ya love it when a plan comes together.
-
Congratulations Bluegrass Guy !!
DR
-
Congrats, It doesn't get any better than that!! :clapper:
-
Funnels are good..they make great cakes, keep excess oil off of your engine, and make great places to waylay deer :bigsmyl:
Congrats, that's a dandy :thumbsup:
-
Good deal Lucille.Kip
-
Nice buck, and good story!
-
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a322/Arrowworks/freakinawesomelo.jpg)
-
Congratulations on a beautiful deer and great story!
Claudia
-
What an awesome story, from beginning to end. Congrats thats a fine buck. Truly well deserved.
-
Great job, nice buck! :thumbsup:
-
Well done! Awesome buck, congratulations!
-
great story and nice buck...thanks for sharing
-
Have had two IM's asking to see the deer with his velvet shed. Here is the day before I shot him.
Thanks to all and good luck.
(http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa121/kyTJ/DSC03988-72.jpg)
-
congrats on a great buck.
-
Beautiful Buck, great story. My season begins soon. I cannot wait.
-Hillbilly
-
Great scouting, great shooting, great buck. Congratulations! :thumbsup: :clapper:
-
Great job, and great story!!!!!!
-
Nice buck and great story, thanks for sharing.
-
Ahhhhh, nice buck congrats.
-
Congrats on a great deer.Great story as well.Can you tell me which model of the Wildview Game camera you have? Thanks.
-
Sure David, The trail picts in the beginning of this thread are from the Wildview camera. The shed pic above on this 3rd page is from a home brew model I got from a friend that makes them. It actually uses a 4 megapixel little Sony camera and the quality is outstanding.
The Wildview touts 4 megapixel but as you can see it's not really. Not sure how they back that claim up. But for the money it's very easy to operate and the battery life is good. Takes 4 C batteries. The trigger speed is slow but again for $100 you can't go wrong with it.
-
Congratulations on the buck and thanks for the great story. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
-
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
-
Sweeet... Jeff
-
Great job on a NICE buck.Sweet looking bow also! :clapper:
-
Great scouting, super shooting and wonderfully told story. :thumbsup: