Thank you Riverwolf and others. I still feel very fortunate that it all came together so well.
I had been seeing him on cameras since September and although there were other nice ones, he became the target for obvious reasons. On the night he came in I was in a fav stand along a drainage that bisects ag and CRP. A great natural funnel where I have had many successful hunts in the past. Like most hunts on this property I saw many deer and filmed a few smaller bucks hitting my mock scrape. It was warm and calm so just a really great hunt.
As light faded to near “go home” time I started to quietly get ready to get out when the steady crunch crunch of approaching deer was heard. Initially I hung up my bow and thought I was just going to have to sit it out while they filter through. Not wanting to spook any deer from my stand.
On second thought, it’s still light enough to see and shoot, I better keep my bow in hand. And then he pops out from behind me and walks right under my stand and stops. I am literally looking between my boots and through the expanded metal at the rack and thinking, “it’s him!”
This is a relatively low stand so my guess is around 6’ between his antlers and the bottom of my boots. Somehow I remained relatively calm as he aggressively was sniffing the ground and my tree for what seemed a very long time but in reality was probably 2-3 minutes. He, at one time, turned all the way around and half of his body(back 1/2) was outside my stand so I was thinking he would walk back the way he came because he had smelled me. The whole time he is sniffing the tree and ground loudly. I was so sure this was going to be another “almost” situation of epic proportions. And then he turned and continued straight away from me on his original path.
At roughly 8yds he turns ever so slightly quartering away and I eased the string back and let go. It was dark enough that arrow flight was impossible to track so I truly wasn’t “sure” I hit him or where but his reaction and how he ran told me he was a hard hit deer. In seconds the tell tail sound of a deer going down was heard.
I sat down and collected my self while realizing what just happened. Gave thanks and finished gathering up my gear. At the impact sight I found no arrow and no blood but wasn’t surprised as I assumed it was buried in the opposite shoulder. I walked towards where I head him crash and casting my light in an area I’ve recovered multiple bucks shot from this stand I see antlers sticking up out of the brush. Pics are where he was when I walked up on him.
Jess Stuart takedown 45@25(love this bow)
Arrow dynamics nitro stinger enhanced w weed whip string
As always a Wensel Woodsman on the business end
Arrow was still in him and no worse for wear. The head already had three notches so it gets a fourth and goes back in the quiver.
His Euro mount is decorated for Christmas and hanging above me as I type 🎄
Topic: Got the one I was after tonight. (Read 4697 times)
