Wow, I'm honored to be "Up Top"!
I had a couple of encounters with this buck last year, but no shot. He only had one short droptine then.
I actually had targeted another buck that was the biggest I'd gotten on trailcams this year. I had not gotten a pic of this guy and last year I only got pics of him on scrapes.
Last year, I missed a 185" NT, after I watched him for 20+ minutes 10 yards away on the wrong side of a propertyline fence. I choked, hit my stand with the bottom limb, was hyperventilating, buckfever all the way!
The morning I got this buck, I hunted a stand in the woods, hoping for a chance at a doe. The wind was wrong to hunt where I really wanted to. It was warm, no scent control, canvas boots, sweating like I was running for my life when I sat down.
In the dark I immediately heard deer walking below me. I couldn't even drink my cold water... As it became daylight, I saw some small bucks, crunching acorns and pignut hickories.
Then a doe, I was on my feet, tensed waiting for the right angle... No shot, then a couple more does, again close, but no shot.. I was psyched and ready, adrenaline pumped for an hour and a half.
Finally deer had cleared and I got to sit and drink my water.. I then saw movement 50 yards out again, another doe! I was trying to figure which side of my tree she was coming, when I heard a twig snap behind my tree...
I looked over my shoulder and saw the velvet hanging and tall tines, big body, knew it was a shooter. I got to my feet, picked up my bow, and now the deer was gone.. He was now on the other side of the tree..
I turned around, and he was quartered away walking slowly at 12 yards, I drew and shot, the arrow disappeared, seemingly a little back from where I wanted to be.. The buck didn't flinch or kick or speed up, just kept the same direction and pace. I nocked another arrow, and he finally turned at about 45 yards and stopped, it was thick, and I felt I had to try to get another arrow in him. I drew and shot, hitting him in the shoulder, he took a couple steps and fell over.
My first shot was lethal, exiting tight beside the offside shoulder, and he was falling right there.
I looked through my bios, and realized then that he had droptines! They were dark and looked like hanging velvet... It all happened so quick, BF didn't have time to get me!
I'm shooting a 52# Herway XRTD longbow, carbon express maxima hunter 250, 100 grain brass insert and 100 grain muzzy 3 blade bh. 535 grain arrow, 175 fps.
I checked a trailcam up the ridge from there yesterday, and had a pic of him a few hours before I shot him. He may have came under me in the dark that morning!
Topic: Joe up top (Read 649 times)
