Trad Gang
Traditional Bowhunting/Archery Videos => Tarz Antics => Topic started by: Terry Green on July 11, 2011, 06:53:00 PM
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OK....I owe a story....due to several issues, this story got delayed in telling. But, maybe this will rev up the the calling of the coming fall season.
This hunt also runs parallel to yet another hunt in similarity to Curt Cabrera. Curt and I both have killed a 300+ pound hog, both have killed fine bucks out of not one, but two of the same trees in TX, and both of us had great success on our 1st pheasant hunt. This hunt saw me following him again in the result of the animal.
It was early October, and I was in middle GA hunting the property of a friend of mine. My job was to take a cull buck off the property. An over the hill buck most likely, but that wasn't the only type of bucks that needed culling.
The 1st evening was told to go check out an area no one had ever hunted, a big block of softball sized pines with a dirt road on one boarder, two narrow strips of hard wood bottoms on two other boarders, and a big block of hardwoods on the 4th boarder. I was to check the pines and the narrow strips for sign and set up in the most likely place just to 'check it out' to see what was moving through. I was mostly guinea pigging and was to report back. Killing a buck was probably not in the cards, although I'd hunt where I found the most sign and surly take a stab at it.
I was walking a dim road that split the pines with one of my longbows looking for sign...sometimes hard to see in a block of pines, most sign in the pine seems very subtle most of the time. This particular pine block was very open and you could easily see 60 yards and beyond in places, especially when you leaned down a bit.
I got about a 150 yards down the road and I noticed 3 trails close together coming off a rolling knoll. There were several of these knolls along this road and a few sparse trails I'd already passed. Not sure why these 3 trail were so sanded up, but for some reason or another they were very heavily traveled. I took note and moved on. This was before the time change, and about 5:30 on that Friday evening.
I traveled on and came to the narrow hardwood strip that was perpendicular to the dim road, and I went left to check out this 40 yard wide strip that had another block of pines bordering it on the other side and a food plot about 60 yards away through that block. Nothing, just some faint trails and only a few tracks in the food plot that was basically burnt up from lack of rain that August.
So, I back tracked down the hardwood strip to intersect the other hardwood strip boarder that 90 degreed it. Once in the new strip I began to see more sign...but nothing that really cause me to set up. However, at one point, I saw 3 trails that crossed this strip that were heavily used, and I turned right. I confirmed my suspicions as these 3 trails lead directly to the knoll with the 1st three trails....I made note again.
I traveled on down the strip and sign was marginal at best.....
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:campfire:
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I then turned left and exited the hardwoods to traverse the short trip through yet another strip of pines to another dim road to double back. This road bordered large pine and mixed hardwoods....mostly large pines and short saplings.
Another dim road had a doe standing in the middle of it looking at me, but I paid her no mind and laid down more track toward a small shallow pond that was beyond the food plot I'd mentioned earlier.
Still seeing sparse sign, I slowly snuck up to the pond that was in a depression and what a pretty sight I saw. A spike was wading in the pond and getting a sip every now and then working his way across the 40 yard pool. When he got to the edge, I watched him horn a downed tree limb and could see his reflection in the pond. I watched him, and I watched him in the pond, and so did he. What a treat.....
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Great story. Now what's the rest of it.
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:campfire: :coffee:
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I watched the Spike as the wind changed with a grin on my face....I was about to be made, and see his reaction. He tried his best to creep out of the pond bowl and into the thick pines. Funny, once he got about 15 yards into the pines it was back to business as usual....he began grazing leaves on a vine like he was well hid in that thicket.
I wasn't in a bad place at the moment really, if the food plot had have been bountiful. There were trails and rubs from years gone by in full bow range, and I had a brush pile on one side of me and a really bushy short cottonwood on the other with the pond to my back. I was out of 'the line of sight', and could see well enough behind the cotton wood and the brush pile to see anything that circled the pond in my direction, and when behind the cover I could square and be ready for a shot on any of the trails. Including the one REAL close to me if circling the pond was their intent.
At this point I really needed to make a decision on where to hunt, stay put, or go with my gut and go back to those open pines and try to 'hide in plain sight' to cover those 3 trails. I've ignored my gut before and paid for it more than once, and have learned its best to heed it. But I needed to travel some ground pretty quick as there wasn't a lot of daylight left....so I cut a shuck to the rolling knolls...
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:campfire:
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this is gonna be a GOOD ONE ...
:campfire: :coffee:
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:campfire: Keep it coming :)
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Ok...quit Lamb'n it, Tarz! :) :) :)
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OK...on a side note about 'gut feelings'....I remember plenty of times my gut paid off, and when I ignored it and saw the repercussions of my error in ignoring it.
Once in the Cohutta Wilderness I thought I had the best set up...wont get into that, but I was in an ambush spot for sure. However, I kept being 'drawn' to these 3 trees growing very close to one another all leaning away from each another allowing a bowhunter to lean against one and have plenty of room to shoot right, middle, and left of the other two trees all the while being hide. Don't ask me why I was being 'called' by those trees, but I was.....and I didn't move.
Sure enough a black bear came down the lead just out of range of me...but 15 yards from the triple trees and he stood there broad side milling around perfectly broadside from THAT ambush spot.
I did close the gap on him...and stalked him for some 60 yards before I stepped on the 3rd dry stick from the severe drought and he looked back and decided it was time to leave...and leave he did...lesson learned for good this time.
Now...back to the hunt in progress...
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:campfire: :coffee:
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Once I got to the tri-trails I checked the wind and where to set up. I chose the west side of the likely area and got down in a little ditch off the side of the small hill. There was ONE 8 foot maple sapling there still full of green leaves and I put it between me and the direction I thought they'd come. I was about 15 yards off the dim road and 15 yards from the transition of the open pines and the hardwood strip that made for some visual cover due to the nature of those transitions being thicker. If something came from that way I was covered for sure as long as I stood still.
I was hoping the deer would come from my left because I could see in that direction pretty well. I figured the deer would hope across the dim road and gallop back into the pines and settle just about broadside from me....and I would be set for a 15 to 22 yard shot as these trails all ran close right along the peak.
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I didn't have much time left...but sure didn't need it...the action started about 10 minutes after I got set up...dang near didn't get there in time.
I saw 'over the rise' just on the other side of the dim road a rack and an ear, looked like a nice bone colored 8 point with lots of character marks. That's all I could see, but did see the 'rack' cross the road and disappear behind the knoll. Yes, there was a 4th trail, but not as used, and this buck was no doubt on that trail, but would it turn for some odd reason and come to me cutting across my tri-trails?
Well, it didn't, but all of the sudden there was another buck coming over the knoll along the boarder to my right. He must have come out of that narrow thick bottom and turned toward me to stay out of the 8 points way. Now get this, all I could see was a butcher knife spike on his right side as the left side of his head was totally shielded from the pines. I just knew this dang spike was going to blow it for me as he was headed right toward me and kept coming. Still all I saw was the one spike till movement caught my eye....
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Here comes a young sporty 6 point behind him and about 3 yards to his left, my right, and he was gaining on him. However, his approach route left me a little exposed and he saw me and locked up. He didn't look me over long and wheeled around and trotted back over the hill. Not sure what spooked him about me, but something sure did....he wasn't THAT close, and I hadn't moved a muscle.
Anyhow, this alerted the butcher knifed spike and he turned broadside to me and looked over his shoulder at the exiting spike wondering what he was doing. This is when I saw the rest of his head gear and immediately I raised my bow....this buck was a freak. He had four on his right side and sensed something sticking out of his ear on the left side other than the spike, but I paid that no attention as I started my draw while his head was away sensing he was going to allow me a shot....
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As I reached half draw he looked ahead and started walking, and I kept drawing. He stopped and looked right at me with a softball sized pine running up in front of foreleg and neck and another pine the same size splitting his body in half. This left a nice window to split and center the vitals. My 70# MOAB sent the arrow right between the pines and into the buck, and man did he bottle rocket out of there!!!! Back across the dim road he sounded like a horse as he disappeared into the pines, and I could hear him even after I lost site of him. It sounded as if he veered right a bit....then silence.
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That's when it dawned on me. This was not a little buck, but one that was full grown. I just realized how big his body looked in my mind when he was standing there. He had a broad squared off body and a very unique rack....more so than I thought.
Like when I walked up on 'Bride of Horse Tail'(when I killed a big fat 300#+ sow like Curt Cabrera), I immediately thought of Curt again. Curt had killed a nice racked freak buck in TX, and once again I had followed along Curt's path. I now had a freak buck of my own.
What also made this so special is I had never hunted this area before, and only hunted the one spot I felt in my gut was the right one. In less than just a few minutes it all happened, AND I was on the ground. More pics of this freak rack to follow.....
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/freakbuckpostfield3.jpg)
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Really cool looking !!! Congrats Terry !!!!!
:clapper:
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Nice deer Terry, he will look good on the wall
doug77
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In the meantime....my taxidermist got me taken care of so I could take more pics of this buck's unique rack.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/freakbuckrackb.jpg)
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/freakbuckracka.jpg)
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/freakbuckrackc.jpg)
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/freakbuckrackd.jpg)
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/freakbuckracke.jpg)
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/freakbuckrackf.jpg)
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/freakbuckrackg.jpg)
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/freakbuckracki.jpg)
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Really cool bonus pic coming up....shows how big the buck really was...he was way bigger than his rack.
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Thanks for a great story, Terry! :clapper:
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OK...now you've seen the field photo and the close ups of the rack....now, thanks to the pic the property owner got of the deer during the summer, you can see how the buck's body dwarfed the rack.
Here he is sporting his rusty summer coat.....
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/freakbucklive.jpg)
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Thanks for taking us hunting with you Terry. That was great.
:clapper: :clapper:
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Very cool buck indeed. He is a bruiser.
Congrats Terry and thanks for sharing.
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Great story. I wonder if he passed those genes on to his offspring?
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Great story Terry! Thanks for sharing. We need some hunting stories this time of year!
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Great story... And what a strange deer...
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thanks for bringing me along on your journey.
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Great story! I felt like I was right there.
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:campfire: story!
God bless,Mudd :archer:
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Well done & well told! Nice deer. Much thanks.
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Terry, thanks for the story. That rack is cool.
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Thank you for sharin' the story Terry!
That buck is a unique trophy.
Have a great 2011 huntin' season!
Shoot straight, Shinken
:archer2:
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Thanks for the story Terry! Great buck! :thumbsup:
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Great story Terry! Thanks for sharing and good luck this rapidly approaching season.
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You gotta love it when our instincts are strong enough to help guide us in the hunt. It`s even better when our experience allows us to recognize it.
Being "drawn" to hunt a specific location is the ultimate excersize for a bowhunters heart. At that moment, I turely believe we are as "connected" as we will ever get.
We may not always NEED to hunt for the meat, but we do NEED to hunt for the connection.
Great story, and a tank of a buck. On the ground, with a stout bow and an arrow straight from the heart!
Thanks for sharing! :campfire:
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:campfire:
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Great story T!
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Great story and buck Terry. Its was good to be back in the woods for a moment.
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Nice buck Terry, and a very well-told story. Did you happen to notice any injury or deformity to the buck's back left leg? I killed a similar but smaller buck a few years back, and a nephew killed a buck that looked like yours - mine had a deformed hoof (although I didn't notice anything unusual in his gait before I shot him) and my nephew's buck was limping/favoring that leg.
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Great Story and a awesome buck thanks Terry.
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Great buck T! Great story also! I've always regretted not following my gut on many a hunt also, now I find it's always best to listen to it!
Side note: Is that a wall pedistal mount, and is that some more of Curt's work? If so, I had two different shots a great bucks at Solana last year that were going to get the same treatment, but the "Texas Boogy" swarted both!
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Thanks for the story :thumbsup:
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Mornin' Guys.....thanks for the comments.
Originally posted by Hud:
Great story. I wonder if he passed those genes on to his offspring?
He sure didn't that Fall Rut..... :readit:
Originally posted by Bonebuster:
You gotta love it when our instincts are strong enough to help guide us in the hunt. It`s even better when our experience allows us to recognize it.
Being "drawn" to hunt a specific location is the ultimate excersize for a bowhunters heart. At that moment, I turely believe we are as "connected" as we will ever get.
We may not always NEED to hunt for the meat, but we do NEED to hunt for the connection.
Great story, and a tank of a buck. On the ground, with a stout bow and an arrow straight from the heart!
Thanks for sharing!
Bonebuster......you obviously 'get it'. :campfire:
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:clapper:
Great Story, Cant wait to make it to GA only a few more weeks....
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Thanks, Tarz!! You do pen a good yarn. Felt like I was right there!
While the buck is a "keeper" for its unique character, the real "trophy" may just be having reached that mature hunter point where you can step outa your hustle-bustle life so quickly and slip into "ultimate predator" mode!
Being able to "slow down" and become one with your instincts, recognizing those gut feelings and then having the maturity to heed them...
...dang, Hoss, that is the real trophy in this hunt IMHO. Excellent!
I remember walking into strange country as a much younger man and having that "sense" take over...now I fear I have "learned" enough that I try to "assess" versus "sense."
I'm a poorer man for it. My best congrats on going with your gut and having such a magnificant experience! :thumbsup:
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:thumbsup:
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:thumbsup: :clapper:
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Great story tell'n Mr Green .... makes me want to go get on some camo and sneek around the woods for a few days. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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Great story and pics!
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Good Stuff! Good story telling and pics. I have to say the most impressive part for me was you were on the ground. Taking a mature white tail from the ground doe or buck is quite a task. Congrats again! Keep the good stories coming. Terry I have to ask? What is that animal in your avatar? I have squinted and stared and just can't tell?
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David....that's an Angora Goat I got on one of the TX Sweat hunts...the 2008 Hunt I believe.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/arrarak1.jpg)
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Thanks for the quick response. That is quite impressive too!
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Great buck! Great story telling!
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:campfire: :clapper:
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Heck of a story man! Pumps me up! Your an inspiration to us all for sure!
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Great writing, great buck Terry. Taking any mature whitetail from the ground is such a tough task. Being 'called' to a spot is such a real deal for me too. 3 three biggest whitetails I have ever killed came after I was headed to one stand, then my gut brought me to another. Good stuff there and thanks for a much needed hunting story boss :campfire:
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I'm headed out for a bit...wont have access to the internet for a while, but wanted to add this...
I think those that have been lead by there gut know what I am about to say.
Heed it......its the pinnacle of confidence in hunting.
I found the same thing in bass fishing long ago...don't ask me, don't want to go down that road as its 'off topic'.....but trust me.
Back in my early years, I knew were I was going come hell or high water...and I was successful.
Nothing wrong with that....but don't doubt your gut. Hear me now...and learn early...when it calls, don't walk...but RUN. Yes, that can be taken literally as it was in this case.
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:campfire:
Thanks for sharing the story, Terry! Good hunt & a good buck! Now I'm even more geared up for the fall! :archer: I'd much rather be out in the woods than here in the cubicle... but for now, I guess I've got to get back to work...