Originally posted by adkmountainken:
Awrin,
ya can't post a picture like that and not tell the story man!!!! NICE deer!
Thanks to all for the kind words. going to see if i can bloody her this weekend, she's hungry!
Ok brother! Her ya go, this is my story that I wrote for a Michigan Bow Hunters article.
October 20th was a windy one, so I picked a spot that would shield me from it a bit. I had a ridge behind me that would be hunters suicide because of rising thermals in the day, but I knew that the thermals would be heading down-hill in the evening, and I had my climber about 25 ft above the marsh I was overlooking at the bottom.
The ridge, combined with the marsh, made a sort of funnel that the deer had torn up running betweenthe two. There was a tiny stream on the edge of the marsh also, which was the icing on the cake for this spot. Did I tell you it was
WAY the heck out in B.F.E!!!! Quite a walk, but thats how I get away from the other hunters.
I set out two Q-tips soaked in doe pee. One on the ridge side, the other on a trail next to a stream. I climbed up into my tree and settled in by 2:45pm. I watched all sorts of wetland birds go crazy and squirrels chase each other.
I sporadicaly called, about once every 45 min with a doe call and a couple grunts. I didn't want to get crazy yet, so I kept the calling soft. About 5pm I looked over my left shoulder and saw what I thought to be a deer milling
around in the marsh. I could see antlers, but it didn't look like anything too big. I called and lightly rattled but nothing came of it.
At 6:30pm two raccoons were playing in the stream and I was wondering where the deer
were. 6:50 pm all was still, no wind, and I was thinking this was going to be a bust. The cresent moon, which is my favorite, appeared and I studied it, asking it where my deer are,LOL!
At the same time I saw a deer about 60 yds away in the marsh. It looked like a huge doe, so I softly gave a doe call. The deer headed my way slowly. At this point I still thought it was a doe, until he crossed the stream in front of me!
I seen his rack and felt myself start to fall apart as I usually do when a nice buck comes in. I kept in mind, just pretend it's a doe. It was nearly impossible to wait. I almost took a long shot, but forced myself to be patient and wait.
He made his way in front of me and gave me the most perfect broadside shot I could have ever asked for. I pulled back on my 50# Shrew Sabertooth, made sure to anchor, and let the string slip. I watched my arrow zip through his lungs and it came out his armpit on the opposite side. He took off bulldozing the ground.
I sat there shaking so bad I thought I was going to fall out of my tree! I listened to him run and then silence. I prayed please
Lord let him fall!!! I heard a crash and wanted to do a back flip on my stand! I waited for 1/2 hour and slowly got down. I took my time cause I didn't want anything to go wrong at this point.
I tracked through the marsh he took
off in, and then went into a small peninsula of trees, the last spot I seen him. I looked in with my flashlight and there he was. I was totaly speechless and instantly began to thank God for this awesome animal. It took me 2 hrs
to drag him back to the van, he was a pig!!!
I got home and ran into the house and got every one. I don't think they beleived my till I opened the back door. My daughter said, "Holy Crap!!!" We took pics and I was up till 2:30am getting him butchered.
I have spent the last 10 years hunting heavily pressured public land. I've sat through some of the worst conditions for many hours, had hunts botched by all sorts of scenarios, or just plain missed on big bucks. Although he isn't a world record breaker, to me he may as well be. I've stuck with my traditional gear, even through gun season, because I wanted my first big one to be taken that way.
I can't tell you how many good ones had been in shotgun, or even compound range, but I have to get them within 22yds for my comfort zone. Ahhh, it's time to call the taxidermist!!!! I can finally take down the flowery picture that hangs where my buck should be!!!!