A Great Day with the Nitro in the Ms River Bottoms

[Will Cocke 2]

Well it has been an unusaully slow deer movement year this year in Mississippi.  On the 14th we arrived at the camp to find 65 degrees and not much wind at all. The camp I was at is on an intensive management program.  They must harvest 100 does this year.  With the intent of taking out a few does with trad gear I set out to hunt a plot that had not been hunted but maybe once all year.  When I got to the plot there were 4 deer standing in it at 2:45.  I was thinking they would not be moving early with the high temps.  When I got to the plot it had recently rained so I walked the edge looking for fresh tracks.  After walking the whole plot I finally realized there was no way to climb a tree on the plot.  They were all to big or needed a timber crew to cut the limbs.  By now it was 3:15.I remembered there being a locon from bow season in the woods behind the plot.  I eased back there and bumped a doe that started blowing her head off. There was buck sign scrapes and big rubs everywhere.  Well now I am frustrated spooked deer, sweating,  mosquitos starting to buzz and no thermacell.  I finally get settled in my tree around 4:00. Thinking I was not going to see anything I here what sounded like deer running trough water behind me.  Well after 10 minutes of no other sounds I sat back down,  as soon as I did I heard a buck roar.  Well now i am sitting there thinking was that really a deer?  About 2 min later I hear deer crashing the water and another roar.  Here comes the doe she trots by on a trail about 25 yards from me.  My heart picks up the pace a little.  About 40 yards behind her there he is, he lets out another roar (Heart Overdrive) he closes fast I let out a bleat (nothing) I let out another louder he stops at 25 1/4 away.  I anchor the Zipper Nitro 61@28 carbon foam cottonmouth skinned and pick my spot; loose the arrow.  For those of you who have never shot a Nitro I highly encourage you to.  It is the only longbow I have ever had that has a better cast of the arrow than any recurve I own or have owned.  They are super quick dead in the hand and shoot where you look.  The hit looks a hair back my legs begin to shake and I have to sit down for a minute.  I see my arrow sticking in the dirt coated red. Goldtip trad 55/75 wtih 50gr insert and a 250gr treeshark.   I check it out with my binos It looks good.  I ease down the tree to check the trail about 10 minutes after the shot. There was a blood trail that Ray Charles could follow. The arrow was perfect through both lungs and exited through the off side shoulder.  After  30 yards there he is I see his white belly. Abondon trail run to him.  I was greated with a great buck one of my best with trad gear.  I have had a great year with my Widows and Nitro.  I have been fortunate to harvest 11 does and this buck so far this season. Hope you enjoy
   

[ti-guy]

Nice buck!Congrats!  

[landman]

11 does..in one season.

[HawkeyeArcher]

Beautiful buck! Great job!

[Tater]

That's a great Buck...Congrats..!

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

that is an awesome 8! congrats!

[Will Cocke 2]

In Ms you are allowed 5 does.  But the state allows you doe tags to landowners trying to harvest higher numbers of deer for management purposes.  I am fortunate to have some great places to hunt. We also donate meat to local charities.

[ISP 5353]

Congrats on a beautiful buck!  

[KentuckyTJ]

Fantastic deer congrats!

[Gary Greene]

Nice buck!!!  

[Longbowlogan]

That's awesome!! Congrats on all the does and a great buck!

[joe ashton]

12 deer!  and that is a great looking buck.
Joe
PS here in Co that would take us 24 years!!!!!

[bruinman]

Awesome buck, congrats!

[BOHO]

wow. thats a dandy !!  congrats.  you are fortunate to have some great spots. congrats to you sir.

[South MS Bowhunter]

Will,

Great deer and story, what part of the state were you in?  I’m down on the coast and like you said not anything moving, nada nothing.  Trying to gauge when the rut will start here.  By the breeding map on the MS game and fish site it shows the dates of Jan 24 through Feb 6 2013 for the breeding dates.  Understand to back those dates up 2 week for the peak rut in the area, have you found the dates to be accurate in your area?

[Will Cocke 2]

John the place I hunt that I have hunted for 17 years is on the big black river north of canton.  Our rut there usually starts on or around the 23 of december until the first week of Jan. .  I heard a couple of chases this weekend (smaller bucks)  but nothing mature yet.  I think we will see some major activity this weekend. Some 4.5 and older bucks cruising and full chasing.  All of the big buck activity has been from 230-5 in the moning on my cams.  However I kill my biggest bucks post rut when they come back to whatever food is left.    The place I killed the buck has so many does it is hard to narrow down an exact date.  They chase there from primitive season on into January. Deer movement during the week (when cold) has been good but hot weekends and have not seen much movement.  Looks like we are finally getting some good weather so maybe it will pick up.

[steadman]

Great buck!! I can't imagine getting twelve shots at small game per year, let alone deer. Sounds like fun!! Congrats!

[Manitoba Stickflinger]

That's a great deer...congrats! Sounds like you're pretty deadly with sticks...that's awesome!

[Mark Baker]

Nice!  Wow, that's a lot of deer in a season...congrats.

[Tickbait]

Beautiful deer!  Sounds like an awesome place to hunt.