Gunshots, an Orange Vest, and a Buck of a Lifetime....Sort Of...

[Guru]

Stay with here for a while....you'll see what I mean...

This has been a great season, although I have not caught up with a decent buck yet....I've passed several.

I did kill a doe back on Oct. 5th and also killed a coyote in Missouri.

But my season was absolutely made last weekend...I watched over Cade's shoulder as he released a great shot that resulted in his first antlered buck(his fourth deer with a stick,at 14yds. old). Nothing I do or kill this season will touch the feelings I have about that day. From here on in, everything is just a bonus...

After a great sit yesterday in Westchester Co.(bowhunting only)that showed some chasing, and a couple passed up small bucks. I thought for sure this was the day a good buck would show himself...not to be...I still haven't been close to killing a good buck

I still have 2 buck tags, and a couple DMP anterless tags.

This morning, I couldn't go to my place in Westchester....so it was time to join the gun season that started here yesterday...of course, I'd be carrying my bow.

There's very few places that I feel safe to hunt during the gun season, and Dads stand behind his house is my favorite little honey hole when the orange army invades.

It's been good to my in the Past...

[Ryan Sanpei]

I tried to cheat and checked your fb page.  LOL!!!    :D   Didn't work...

[Guru]

It's was cold this morning....about 18 degrees as I dressed in mom and dads driveway....layers!!!

With the help of my little red headlamp I easily found my way to dads stand. it was fresh as daisy....I had not hunted it all season, I'd only been in there to check that everything was ok with it back in Sept.. It's a double ladderstand...

Quiet!  It was so quiet...strangely quiet....I can remember texting my buddy Tommy  how quiet it was...not a single gunshot in the distance....for hours...and not a single deer either....

Then, about 8:20 or so, I heard a distant shot, then another, and another barrage....hmmmm

Then over the next 20 minutes of so every few minutes in some direction, there was some shooting...

I thought to myself....I guess the deer have started moving....

A few minutes later...almost as if on cue, I noticed movement to the east of me up in an overgrown orchard...

[wooddamon1]

[Guru]

At first, I thought what I was seeing through my bino's was a coyote walking toward me through the brush...

But seconds later, as it cleared the brush I could see this was a deer, and one I wanted to shoot!

I turned...switched on the video camera....checked with bino's again that this was a deer I wanted to shoot....oh yeah!

I took my bow off the hook...

[stiknstringer]

[Guru]

The buck was coming right down the trail that intersected the trail I used to get to the stand....but....hanging at that junction....were the two frozen Tarsel glands from the buck Cade shot last week....the buck closed...

Would he pay more attention to the tarsal's,or my residual scent where I'd crossed and freak out....I was about find out...

Bow ready, feet set, fully concentrated on what was about to happen....it was coming together...

He came out behind the last tree that blocked any shot opportunity, here we go...he's about to get to the tarsel's...........he stops for a sniff!

[Jim Brennen]

This will be good

[oldskool]

   

[Butchie]

[Ric O'Shay]

Wait, where is my coffee cup?    

[Ryan Sanpei]

NICE!!! Keep it coming Brother!!!

[KyStickbow]

This is gonna be good!!!

       

Bisch

[Guru]

Somehow the bow got drawn...because next thing I know, my arrow is through him and blood bursts from the wound as he takes off!!

He wouldn't make it far, the 250gn. VPA had sliced it's way...at about 60yds away, he flipped over backward....after 30yrs behind the bow, the feeling still hasn't changed...I texted dad...

As I packed up, I couldn't help but marvel at what had just fallen to my arrow....I'd only ever seen one deer his equal in all my years!!

I took my time and tried to get everything on video and pix...

You can see the tarsal hanging at the very top of the picture...
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Chartreuse turned blaze orange...
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Cut hair...
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Although I knew exactly where he was, as I always do....I followed the bloodtrail to him.
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Here's where the "sort of" in the title comes into play...
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In over 30yrs. of hunting I'd only seen one other adult buck that had nothing but "nubs" for antlers!

 The reason I looked him over so carefully as he closed in was because I didn't want to knowingly shoot a button buck fawn, I could easily tell he was not...stout body and neck...

 So, with less than 3" of antler he was considered "antlerless", and was a candidate for one of my DMP tags, and I wouldn't have to use one of my buck tags....all this went through my head before the shot...and any deer taken with a stick during gun season is pretty cool....I'm thankful for the opportunity!

Cool...
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[wooddamon1]

Congrats, never seen one like that before! Cool!      

[KyStickbow]

I've never seen one either...but a bow kill in gun season is a trophy no matter what...congrats brother!!!

[Guru]

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Compared to a VPA 1 1/4" 250gn'r...
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He's a pretty buck, not a mark on him, beautiful colors...
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So there you have it....my "sort of, buck of a lifetime"....don't know if I'll ever see another like him....

Thanx for following along...

[Stone Knife]

Pretty cool Curt, congratulations.

[kennyb]

Way to go Curt! Very nice trophy during gun season! Congrats!

Kenny