A HECK of a story for you!!!

[countrygirl]

This will be a long post...I may have to break it in bits and pieces.

We left on our yearly Missouri bow hunt on October 29,2007.  Enroute we had a flat on I 75 just outside of Atlanta on our tow vehicle...on the rear tire on the drivers side.  We were pulling a 3124 KS Trailmanor camper.  The semis speeding by kept blowing the truck off the jack and the Chrevrolet jack broke after the third attempt.  Luckily we had a small hydraulic jack...which lasted till we had the tire changed.  The hydrauic jack was almost tall enought to reach to do the job we had to put lynx leveler blocks under it for it to reach.  The truck was blown off this jack as well...but with the grace of God...we managed to finally change the tire.  The hydraulic jack began leaking the fluid out and we replaced it with a bigger one for the return trip home.

Now the fun stuff...

I was covered up in deer almost every day....there was only one afternoon hunt where I saw no deer.  All in all I had over 15 shot opportunities where deer were in range.  Some shots I did not take because there were not enough points ...it was required that at least 4 must be on one side.  Some of the deer were young does and I wanted them to grow..

On the first day... I had a shot at a 12 point....Tom had seen him and said he would score in the 180's.  The shot I had was through a
BUNCH of trash....I hit one of the many branches...I did get my arrow back ...I...missed the deer though.  He was a magnificient animal.

Two days later I heard the pitter patter of little feet...and a big ole roman nosed does came cruising by.  I introduced her to my Zwickey at about 16 yards!  She piled up very quickly and we have abou 140 pounds of great venison for sausage.

Tom said it looked like they were ready for prerut...so we moved to another corner of the farm where we had seen deer in the past.  At 4:00 P.M. the world turned deer brown in color!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was hunting in a saddle between two ridges...with a picked corn field in front of me and an alfalfa field behind me.  We call this spot the Park because it is so pretty.  There is a deep/steep ditch between the wooded saddle and the corn field.  Tom is hunting to the left
(West) and we could both see the corn field.

[Huntrdfk]

I love great stories, and this one already has a good start......    


David

[countrygirl]

At 4:00 pm we could see 4 big bucks chasing 3 does...I saw one come into the ditch from the cornfield and waited for him to approach.  He was a pretty deer and as I waited for him to come up to me so I could make sure he was not a 6 point or less...he dropped back down and back into the field.  Tom saw him come out of the ditch and later told me he was a pretty eight point.

I got my binocs out and could see Tom looking at me from 80 yards away...he is pointing for me to look behind me.

[John P]

I'll 2nd that......now dont make us wait to long!!!(please)

[twosheds]

I'm can't wait to hear the rest. Keep going

[countrygirl]

I like binocs but last year they cost me a 10 point when they tangled with my
bow string...so I use them sparingly and no longer hang thm around my neck.  

I look over hard to my left and I can see a deer's feet and body but not his head.  I reposition my bow because I was facing the wrong way...and held my breath as he started to shuffle forward.  As he moved forward I saw he was an 8 point....he got into bow range there was a HUGE tangle of branches between us...and he stopped and was intently looking for the doe that had jumped the fence to the alfalfa field about 20 minutes before.  I had to take the shot!!!  It was meant to be...I made a perfect shot...double lung and heart and he stood for a second and ran for thew ditch about 15 yards...he stopped and then crumpled........ after a few minutes he tried to get back up but he couldn't....and he rolled 8 times down into the ditch.

[countrygirl]

So now I am tagged out..deer wise...NO tag soup for me!  In my excitement to tell the story of me shooting my first real buck I left out some details...which were a TON of fun for TOM!

On this same afternoon...he spotted a 12 point buck on the other side of the bean field.  He watched the buck...tending a doe on a ridge between the bean fields and the wooded area we call the big woods.

[countrygirl]

You could see him laying 400 to 500 yards away...you could see his antlers shining ion the sun light without binocs...they are lying in a ridge of tall weeds between the bean fields.

[JEFF B]

wooooooo way to go countrygirl did tom get any thing?

[countrygirl]

Tom decides to stalk him....he grabs his ancient spirits recurve he dropped down through the deep ditch and starts his stalk.  He had to veer about 100 yards to the left to be down wind of him.  and he starts climbing and crawling up the terraces to him.  He kept stopping and looking for him with the binocs  beacuse once he got over there everything started looking the same.  He got over 3 terraces and through his binocs...he saw what looked to be a tree limb about 150 yards to the North of him.  The wind was gusty.

[Osagetree]

[drewsbow]

Great story Congrats ;0)

[countrygirl]

Every time the wind gusted he moved forward one or two steps...he moved very slowly.  At about 35 yards he got on his hands and knees and crawled to 21 yards away from the doe and buck.  He sat for 30 minutes waiting for the buck to stand up and stretch.  All of a sudden he was busted by the doe ...she jumped up and of course...........he followed...Tom took a shotbut the buck spun to his left and the arrow spun harmlessly by.  Tom said it was the biggest live deer he ever had seen...with main beams as big around as his wrist.  He watched him run off...but had a smile on his face and says it was a hunt of a life time.

[bbassi]

Originally posted by drewsbow:
Great story Congrats ;0)

It Ain't a story without pictures!        :D

You need to read the tradgang users agreement over again!    

[countrygirl]

He estimated the buck weighed over 300 pounds.  Mean while he had let me got to the park and set up for my hunt alone.  About 20 minutes after he missed....I had a doe and HUGE buck which I believe were the same deer they ran right below my stand at warp 90!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Then the fun began...the world turned brown with crazy deer every where.

[2 dogs]

good job and a great story but you could make it perfect with pics.

[SKYLER W]

  COOL!

[countrygirl]

The pics are coming....but not tonight.

We left Missouri on Saturday...stopped in Paducah, Ky. for the nightand decided to hotel it.  

We got our bathes and planned to retire for the night when Tom complained of severe chest pains.

He said it was real bad...and fell over sideways in bed.  His eyes were open and he was snoring....I started slapping his face and he was not responding.  I grabbed the phone and dialed the operator of the Drury Hotel and asked for rescue....they arrived in less then 5 minutes...ran a strip  on him....and loaded him up......he had to have the paddles twice once in the rescue and once in the er!  He had a heart cath done yesterday...and his arteries are good but he has to have his aortic valve replaced as soon as we get home.  We are in the Drury Hotel again.   He was release from the hospital today and his brother Paul flew up to drive us home.

The hotel has been great ....the comped the bill for the original night and then drove me to the hospital....and offered to send a paid cab to pick me up when I was ready to come back.

We had realatives camping in Sikeston Missouri 65 miles away and they arrived Sunday morning ...so I spent Saturday night in the hospital....and the last 2 nights in their motor home.

This has been a wild trip but thank God ...one with a happy ending......

[Osagetree]

I hope he is fine?  

[Blackhat]

My prayers are with you and Tom.