50 years ago

[Bigslam51]

He said it was about 3 or 4 bean rows away so very close and he was on the ground.

He made a natural blind if I'm not mistaken. He said the buck stared right at him for a minute.

 

[Hortontoter]

Quite a feat. Four bean rows is up close and personal.

 

["J"]

I shot a buck (very small) @ 15', off the ground and I couldn't stop shaking for a week lol....

If that monster would came by at that distance I'd of lobbed an arrow into the first tree around..... Hard too hit what you're shooting at and crapping you pants at the same time....

 

[finelyshedded]

I remember Mel's great deer featured in NAW many moons ago! Yes, Brad Jermans and Bon Kontras bucks both net 201&1/8 and both were on cover of NAW as well.

 

[GoetsTalon]

That's awesome right there!!! Great rant Giles!!!

 

[xbowguy]

I shot a buck (very small) @ 15', off the ground and I couldn't stop shaking for a week lol....

If that monster would came by at that distance I'd of lobbed an arrow into the first tree around..... Hard too hit what you're shooting at and crapping you pants at the same time....

So THATS the warm/fuzzy feeling these Monarch killers speak of! That adrenaline rush would be off the scale.

 

[bowhunter1023]

Here's a question: Do you think it was easier to get away with hunting deer, particularly a deer that size, from the ground back then? Prior to the boom of archery and hunting in general.

 

[giles]

Here's a question: Do you think it was easier to get away with hunting deer, particularly a deer that size, from the ground back then? Prior to the boom of archery and hunting in general.

Yes! For the simple reason of the Internet.

 

[runhunter]

Hard to argue with old school, when nothing mattered except enjoying the sport. What an impressive animal, story, and picture. Never get tired of seeing it.

 

[Strother23]

What a great story.. Amazing buck

 

[Outdoorsfellar]

Back then, most deer didn't even know what a deer hunter was. I wonder where those antlers are now.

 

[Boarhead]

I believe he still owns them they just had him on NAW tv not too long ago.

 

["J"]

I think with all the technology we have these days it's far easier for the average guy too take a deer....

But with all that technology we haven't beat his buck yet.... Is it out there? Probably so.... Will it ever get beaten? Hasn't yet....

 

[Big_Holla]

Pretty cool!!

 

[brock ratcliff]

Even when I was a kid, bow hunting was different. My dad and a group of buddies would take off every Saturday morning and go hunting, all carrying their recurves and WWII type camo (which btw, is still the best there is, IMO). I don't think any of them ever did anything beyond hiding where they had found some rubs or trails. They would talk about seeing a deer for a month, if they actually did. I also do not think any of them actually thought they had a prayer of killing a deer, though they did occasionally shoot at one, but very rarely. The practicing in preparation amounted to all of them having three hay bales stacked up in their back yards, they would shoot some, but I probably shoot more in any one month than my dad has in his lifetime. It was just different, at least for them. They enjoyed hunting, even though they did not hunt as most of us do. Mel Johnson, from what I've read about him, was a little more serious than dad and his friends, but still I don't imagine he would have put in the effort we do...and maybe he did.