This story started back in 2016 with this trail camera picture down on creek bottom hedgerow.
This buck was named "Hedgerow" because I, or anybody else, never seen him anywhere but a hedgerow that stretches several hundred yards along a creek bottom. I literally solely hunted this buck in 2016. We played the cat & mouse game all along that creek bottom hedgerow that year. The closest that I had him was at 50 yards. Hedgerow out witted me at every turn. I remember watching the gun hunters that year try to drive him out to only miss him on the run. Fast forward to the 2017 season, I seen him twice off the stand 75 yards at his closest in the same hedgerow. Once again the gun hunters of the neighboring property try to drive him. This is where I totally gain admiration for this buck Hedgerow. I can see Hedgerow on the edge of some tall grass along the hedgerow. The hunters take their stands, the drivers get into position and all I can say, "Well Hedgerow, looks like that have you surrounded this time". I was actually routing for Hedgerow, run as fast as you can old boy. The drive starts. I watch the drivers approach Hedgerow. I lose sight of him, the drivers make their way past where I last seen him just several minutes prior. The shooting commences but no Hedgerow that I can see. Then there, I actually see hedgerow behind the drivers! How he got there without being noticed is beyond me?? But after the 2017, there is no sightings of Hedgerow anywhere by anyone until first week October, 2019 when a neighboring farmer asked me whatever happened to that hedgerow buck I was hunting? I said, I don't know Dude,(Dude is his name), maybe the yotes got him, maybe EHD?? Who knows? Then he looked at me and said, I believe I flushed him out yesterday with the combine and he headed towards your way. I just smiled in remembering our cat & mouse games.
Fast forward to November 3rd, 2019 evening hunt. I decided to hunt a section of my property to where that hedgerow meets up with my big timber. I still have standing corn along my timber and hedgerow as well. I decided to try a back way into my stand through a neighboring property and a creek that divides our property. I had to negotiate the steep walls of the creek bed the make my way the 75 yards or better to my stand at the bottom of a wooded hill about 40 yards off my standing corn field. As I was climbing to my evening perch, I couldn't help but think of what Dude said and "what if Hedgerow is still alive?" There I sit until 3:45PM I noticed some leaves rustling at the movement of two fawns that made their way from the wooded hill side to down underneath my stand. I just sat there and watch them make their way to the standing corn. Then about 20 minutes later I seen a deer moving through the corn. I started glassing to see it was a young 6 pointer feeding his way through. I lightly grunted at him to where he jerked his head up. He then made his way directly under my stand to where he made several rubs and one scrape. I just watched and learned. Then out of nowhere those 2 fawns come barreling in from the standing corn soon followed by a very loud bellow and grunt. I start glassing the standing corn looking for the source. THERE!! I see buck with a split tine, just like the split G2's tines of old Hedgerow but it's so hard to see the details because of the standing corn. Could it be,,,,??? UGH!! Darkness comes and I ever so quietly make my way back the way I came in. Come the morning of November 4th, (yesterday), i found myself wishing that I could be in that stand but I had to take my Polaris Ranger to get serviced and get a snow plow mounted. My mind would not stop racing with the possibilities of that buck being Hedgerow. I drop off my side by side and drive back getting a game plan up for the evening hunt. I eat lunch and get ready. I load up my four wheeler and head out. I park and check everything, especially the wind. As I making my way to my stand I consistently check the wind because creek bottoms are a nightmares some days. Yesterday winds was some what gusty. I put out some James Valley and make my way up to my stand around 1:30PM. The winds started to die down around 3:30. A little after 4 I start hearing something in the corn so I start glassing and there,,I see movement. I can it's a decent buck but again I can not see the details until he makes his way to the fields edge. I see the buck has two split G2's just like Hedgerow. I can see he's on his downhill slide, past his prime and not as big as he was but there's no doubt in my mind, it's definitely Hedgerow. He starts making a rub, then scrape,,,checking the air constantly. I've been here before with Hedgerow and know from prior run ins that if I grunt, he will without doubt circle down wind of my position. Then he lets out a loud long grunt. I felt he was going head back into the corn so I decided to try something that I never tried before, to be belligerent! So I snort wheezed at him without a grunt! Here he comes ears pinned to the back of his head, licking and grunting. Then at 25 yards, he stops and stares into the timber. There is no shot possible. Then I can hear a buck behind me grunting, I never look, I just keep my eyes glued on Hedgerow. Then ever so slowly and methodically he starts making his way down the trail to my stand. He stops at 8 yards broadside of my stand. I'm facing the tree, I draw slowly as he steps into the clearing. I let him extend hid front leg and release!! My arrow disappears high in the shoulder crease as he crashes down underneath my stand heading to the creek bed. I watch him make his way out of sight with blood dumping from the lower opposite shoulder crease. I listen, then I hear a very loud crash. With that I had to take a seat to regain myself. With a shaking hand I place my bow on my bow hanger and look at my blood soaked arrow buried in the ground. At that moment I gave thanks to my Lord for giving me such a day to remember. I had to sit there for 15 minutes or better before descending down off my stand. I can plainly see the blood trail from several yards ahead. I start making my way down the blood trail towards the creek trying to be quiet as possible. The blood trail was unreal to say the least. I make it to the last place I seen him to find a blood soaked logged. I scan ahead,,THERE!! As I found him.
After I found him I text my wife, "bring the tractor and tow straps"! Took us two hours to get him across that creek and up the creek bank on the other side. Weighed in at 244lbs and aged him at 7.5 years old, my dad said he was 8.5 years old. We both checked his teeth, molars. Better pictures to come and thanks for reading the story of Hedgerow and me.
Martin Mamba 55#@28"
Goldtip traditional shafts
Zwickey 2 blade Deltas
James Valley Full Rut Gel
Topic: A great ending of a season and a well known buck! (Read 5323 times)
