In my World that is!! :D
Now dont go spoil it and jump to the pic. Ya-gotta read the story first!!
Like alot of other folks who love to chase the Whitetail Buck I had a long and wonderfully tortuous season. I endured great days and bad ones. I had some equipment malfunctions and lost my beloved insulated coveralls out the back of my truck one early morning when I forgot to close my tailgate and drove off. They were quickly replaced by a new down pair from Cabelas.......that were tooo noisy when drawing a bow.
I finished the last 10 days of the season wearing only longjohns, fleece and 2 wool sweaters. Luckily it warmed up to the low 20's in the AM and it didnt get windy.
As far as the farms go where I hunt I cant complain. The usual basket 8's and smaller bucks seemed to be replaced by alot more impressive antlered bucks. Not so much in body size but definitely more bone runnin around. Most hunts were a blast and many a close calls were encountered. Lots and lots of video footage of nice bucks too (I really enjoy that). I witnessed 2 different buck fights (first I've ever seen) over a hot doe that were brief but violent. Got the end of one on video too! Great season!!
Yesterday I was up at 4:30 as usual and cleaned up and headed out. The morning was typical. Lots of does and small bucks in close and off at a distance (area is fairly open allowing good viewing). A few 110-130 bucks (130 is real big where I hunt) seen on the periphery. One of these nice bucks was spotted about 150 yards away across the property fence and about 40 yards inside cover in an old dry beaver pond. The sun had poked through and he was lit up like a angel and he was buisy rubbing and licking a branch. Then he freshened a scrape. I witnessed all this after I got my camera trained on-im. Then I rattled and grunted some. Meanwhile some other does and basket racks/spikeys had come from his cover across the fence and crossed the open field into my cover. They came right on by me with the little bucks pestering the does and posturing to each other. Two other bucks that were a year older (nice little 8 point and a 14 inch spindly 8) also came by and offered some video footage and took part in the rutting activity. Great stuff. The last time I checked on Mr. Big between close deer encouters I was surprised to be able to see him bedded. He was still glowing in the sun. About 20 minutes later and things still a-happenin the two decent bucks that had come by reversed course and came by again from the opposite direction. It was when I checked on their progress behind my tree that I spotted the "Big Boy" coming across the open field heading into my trees about 120 yards to the north. The video camera roled. He was coming on the same general route that many of the other deer had taken and they all came within 5-25 yars. I was hoping he'd use his nose and follow the small herd right up and by me. Once he entered the trees I could still monitor his travel and the first thing he did was a stiff legged walk in the wrong direction. There he goes I thought. It turned out that all he was doing was runnin off one of the smaller 2 bucks. Then he turned around and came back towards me and the second smaller buck. The 14" 8 point gave him a wide birth and my big boy kept a-comin. Now he was 80 yards and offered a great few seconds of close in video footage. Still.......he was lit up like an angel. Pulling back on the zoom I left the camera running for a while and he keeps coming, now about 60 yards. I knew I wasnt gonna dare try to get any shot on camera because it takes too much movement and when it looked like he was going behind my tree I flipped it off to conserve my 20 minutes of film that I had left. He was now at 50 yards and bird doggin in a zig zag fashion. On he came. He never did cross behind my tree but stayed pretty much behind it but a little to one side. Luckily it was the side that allowed me to lean way out and shoot almost but not quite strait behind my 12 inch Aspen tree. He came to 20 yards and hit my boot tracks. I had worn a scent pad into my stand and I think he was getting mixed emotions if you know what I mean (love or life). When he backed up I thought it was over but all he did was start to loop around giving me a wider birth so to speak. After moving about 5 yards in a semi-circle he was about 22 yards and broadside and just a few yards away from being too far behind my tree to get a shot. Then he stopped!! More like a pause really as I only started to register a shot opportunity when he kept-on. Now dangerously close to being behind my tree he did stop after moving only another few feet. The one inch Aspen sappling superimposed on the crease behind his shoulder all but guaranteed I wasnt gonna get my shot on this side of the tree if at all. Then something pretty amazing happened. My Angel Buck leaned forward. He didnt move his feet at all but it was like he was leaning forward to catch a scent. He leaned enough so that the sappling was now at mid body or more back. My arrow flashed and appeared at his side. He made a heck of an attempt to jump the string but luckily the shot would have probably been low had he stood still and I caught him mid-body. He was angling severely away by the time the arrow arrived and the arrow started to exit in the meat of the opposite shoulder. He was down quickly and although screened by some limbs, within site. I got the very end on my camera and embarrased myself by a raw display of big buck emotion after he was still. Basically, I couldnt believe what had happened to me. It was over......I did it. What a feeling.
I've dubbed him the Angel Buck because of the way the sun played on his body and horns that morning and because a good Tradgang friend had said a prayer for my whitetail adventures only days before. Seems to fit anyway. Thanks, Justin.
Topic: My new World Record Whitetail (pics) Video Update!! (Read 5519 times)
