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Deuce Revisited

formerbowhunter1023

Now Posts as Jesse..
0
0
SE Ohio
I take my fair share of shit over this deer. Some of it comes from people that just like to bust my balls 'cause "it's just a deer". Some flack comes from people that don't know or understand what it is like to go through something like this. And some comes from people that just don't understand getting wrapped up in a deer on a personal level. This whole ordeal bordered on being a spiritual journey for me and I love to talk about this deer as a result. I honestly believe I will never again hunt a deer of this caliber. In addition to that, I also believe I learned more and was given more by not killing this deer than I would have had I actually killed him. This is a revised and updated version of the final story I wrote on him after his death. I hope those of you that know the story, enjoy reading it again and I hope those of you that are new to the story, feel the emotions within the story. Thanks for letting me relive it one more time...


“Nice buck…Wow! Great spread…Cool drop-tine on that buck…Oh my God!!! It’s him…”
Those were the thoughts running through my head that Saturday night as I stood in front of the check station “Trophy Wall” scanning through the pictures of the bucks that had been checked in since my last visit. The last picture was of a deer I would know anywhere. It was Deuce…

The Beginning

The thoughts running through my head at that moment on that infamous Saturday night were eerily similar to the ones that ran through my head at a photo kiosk in a Wal-Mart in Ripley, WV on a late June afternoon in 2007. “Good potential…Great doe! And healthy fawns…Oh my God! It’s him…”

I had spent the evening before checking cameras and getting my food plots lined out. I decided to stop at Wal-Mart to review my pictures and print off any that were worth keeping. I was hoping to see pictures of a buck I caught crossing through my original food plot early in May. I noticed in those pictures, that he had two scars on his front-left knee. On the newest picture, I was able to see that he had a split brow-tine on one side and a triple split on the other. It wasn’t long before I decided that “Deuce” would be the deer I would hunt during my 2007 season.



The hunt is on…

It was a long, hot summer after that picture and to make matters worse, my new friend never visited my mineral site again. I was beginning to rethink my new found “quest” when he walked back into my life on the opening week of bow season. It was late September and there he was in all his glory. Everything looked in tack and I could count 12 scorable points. And if I was not already excited enough, I could see my treestand in the background of the picture! I was certain the shredded trees all through the area surrounding my best stand, belonged to him. I felt it was just starting to come together.
For the next two months, he avoided the camera. I had made every move that I felt was safe to make and here I was sitting empty handed. It was now mid-December and our second gun-season had just concluded the day before. I headed to the farm to pull the cards from all my cameras and replenish my winter feed site. As I was checking the first camera, my four-wheeler ran out of gas. It proved to be an unfortunate set of circumstances that created a chance encounter...

As I rounded the head of a brushy draw that I had just driven by, I caught movement below. Holding nothing but a memory card, I watched as he bounded away from his bed and stopped broadside at 50 yards. The first thought that ran through my head, “Oh my God. It’s him.” Then it quickly turned to, “Where was he when we pushed that yesterday?!?” I was dumbfounded and upset at the same time because I had bumped him. But he gave me a new piece to the puzzle and it would prove to come in handy down the road. When I returned to the four-wheeler, I bumped him from the sanctuary next to where I was stranded. This second encounter, seemed like it was purely just to rub it in! But if that wasn’t enough… When I checked the pictures on that camera, I was “blessed” with the only daytime picture of his career under my stand the day prior. Thanks to 20mph winds and freezing rain, I had stayed home to spend time with my then fiancé, now wife Tracie. Had I hunted, that was the stand I was hunting. It was a mistake that still haunts me.

Just flaunting himself a mere 30 yards from my stand…



At this point, I felt he was using that brushy draw to bed in when the weather was nasty. I hung a stand and a camera at the main creek-crossing where everything pinches down. I hunted 17 evenings in January and endured nearly 50 hours of brutal cold, wind, sleet, and general misery and was left with a hearty bowl of tag-soup when it was all said and done. Over the month of January, he walked within 25 yards of my stand no less than 21 times. At his closest, he showed up 5 minutes before legal shooting light and I was nowhere to be found. Out of that series of pictures, I was left with what will always be my favorite…



What will 2008 bring?

I was able to get pictures of Deuce into February of 2008 before the well went dry. It was another long, grueling off-season with plenty of practice, new food plots, all new set-ups, more cameras, increased feeding, and a steady supply of fresh minerals. I planted a new food plot of turnips and brassicas just for the late-season and hung two new set-ups that were right in what I was coming to believe was his “core-area”. I anxiously waited all spring for that first velvet picture to pop up on my computer screen. I had a gut feeling he would be back. And as he had done three times before, he did not let me down. By mid-May, he had stopped to pay me a visit…



The addition of a BuckEye Cam wireless system to the arsenal that summer made it much easier for me to stay out of his core area. One mistake I took from the 2007 season was that I was too anxious to get a hold of the latest picture and I pressed myself to stay off the farm in 2008, and out of the minerals, unless I needed to be there. I only replenished my minerals when I could do it in the rain and all the effort paid off with a series of photos that allowed me to watch him grow throughout the summer…

June



July



August

 

formerbowhunter1023

Now Posts as Jesse..
0
0
SE Ohio
Let the hunt continue…

By this point, the hunt for Deuce had reached a level I had never expected. I had developed a profound respect for this deer. I struggled with whether or not I should continue to hold out for him. I had other properties that could produce deer of this caliber at any moment. But what about the story? It was now all about the story. One of my life’s mottos is: “Anything that makes a good story is worth doing.” I wanted to write the final chapter to this “fairytale” and it would be one that would allow me to show him the respect he deserved. I was hoping to play a role in one of the best stories I would ever be apart of. But the hunt that led me to actually hold his rack in my hands was not the one I hoped to write home about…

Prior to leaving for our honeymoon this September, I heard rumors of a giant deer that had been hit down the road from our farm. I could not imagine that is would have been him. What was he doing down there? There was a small part of me that hoped it was him so I could move on and rid myself of this “demon”. But at same time, I hoped he would walk back into my life like he had always done in the past.

Over the course of the first month of our season, I continued to hunt where I thought I would see him. I was running four cameras at this point and moving them every 7-10 days trying my hardest to get back on him. As my fears of his unlikely demise began to grow, he did what he was now becoming famous for doing and on October 29, 2008, I believe he stepped in front of a camera for the last time while he was alive. He was crossing the bottom directly between my two new set-ups and he walked within 25 yards of the one I expected to kill him from; and no more than an hour after I had climbed out of that very stand. I was getting ‘o so close!!! This was the last of over 200 pictures taken of him in 8 different locations on our farm…



The end of an era…

I turned to my buddy and said, “It’s him. Dude, it’s him.” The clerk behind the counter gave me a strange look and went on to tell me that the young man in the photo with “my deer”, lived up the road. The deer had been hit by a car on October 31st and his dad brought the photo in earlier that week. All I could do was shake my head. I was numb. For the rest of the weekend, I wrestled with what I should do. Is buying the rack the wrong/right thing to do? Do I really want to see him stuffed in a freezer or just the skull cap? It was like I had lost an old friend and I was at a loss for a way to cope. And then another turn of fate paved the road for him to come back into my life for one more picture…

“Bad news”, I said as I walked into my uncle’s house later that night. “This kid found Deuce on the side of the road on Halloween.” I handed the camera to my uncle and he said, “I know that boy. I coached him during football last year. I’ll just give his dad a call and see if you can go over there and see the rack.”

Photo from the Ohio State Highway Patrol report on the accident…



Not long after my uncle started calling around to get their number, I was talking to the boy’s father telling him my storied past with this great buck. He invited me over and I graciously accepted. I made an offer to buy the rack over the phone and I really felt he was going to accept. We stood on the garage for an hour and I left an offer of cash and a brand new Mossburg Silver Reserves O/U on the table. His stance was that he had lived there for 30 years and he had never seen a deer that big before. They were keeping him. My story did not matter to them. And to make matters worse, they took cheesy photos of Deuce with a bow draped across his body, then proceeded to post picture on MySpace saying the boy killed him during bow season; they ruined the cape by parading him around for a week in the back of the truck; and took him to a guy to have him mounted that had only mounted one deer before and he screwed it up. Not the respect I wanted to see him get. Tough to tell from this pic, but the mount is horrendous…



Saying goodbye…

If you have never immersed yourself in the hunt for a particular animal, then you probably cannot grasp the emotions that I felt during this entire saga. I engaged in one of the greatest battles of my life hunting this deer. The passion and fire I possess for the sport of bowhunting, was taken to a new level during my hunt for Deuce. I’m sure that every villain respects his worst enemy in some way; I think you must in order to survive the conflict. For two years of my life, Deuce was my worst enemy and my best friend all at once. I have the deepest respect for what he was as a whitetail and I like to think that I can respect him on a deeper level. This was an interestingly cerebral war and it taught me a great deal about me as a person and as a bowhunter. I feel like I know him the way I would I know a good friend. And a small part of me thinks that maybe he had come to know me on that level as well.

So once again, I say goodbye old friend. I tried to buy you the lifetime of respect I felt you deserved. But unlike all the photos you blessed me with over the years; I will only be able to offer you this particular moment of respect. One picture is all I wanted for old time’s sake and one picture is all I got. Thank you for the memories. And don’t worry… I cried like I thought I would.

 

formerbowhunter1023

Now Posts as Jesse..
0
0
SE Ohio
From 145" 12-point to 183" 18-point in one year...

And one more element to the story, this deer survived to see another year despite being at 12 steps on November 14th, the day before I found out Deuce was dead. I just couldn't bring myself to shoot him thinking I was that close to finishing the story the right way...

 

Tree Monkey

Member
1,825
0
NW ohio
Awesome story!!.....Some people just don't understand hunters or hunting but that story does a good job of exposing the levels of respect alot of hunters have for the deer they hunt. A much deeper and honorable level of respect than anti-hunting people could ever dream of!
 

huntn2

Senior Member
6,090
157
Hudson, OH
Still a great story Jesse. Glad you didn't give to breif of a version.

Did you ever raise a flag calling them out for posting pics of the kid with his bow and deuce? I feel like I remember something about posting the police report/picture or something....
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
It's an epic story, man. One that I'll never forget that's for sure. The saga that is/was "Deuce" is one of the biggest reasons I became so glued to OS.com, resulting in me getting to know a hell of a lot of good people. For that I am thankful. Telling your story gives Deuce all the respect he deserves buddy.
 

5Cent

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
12,290
212
North Central Ohio
Jesse, I still enjoy the story and I will never forget that look on your face that night, how I wish I didn't have to see it. I know I wasn't exactly the support you were looking for at the time, but I couldn't let you just give up so easily. I know you poured your heart and soul into this deer, and a GREAT deer he was. But I will stick to my moto of "things happen for a reason".

I believe that you and your hunting knowledge & respect have been improved triple fold from hunting this ol boy. BUT, I truly believe that your location, your gained knowledge, and your new resources will put a deer as equal or better on you wall for a story that you will tell with a smile on your face. A smile that comes from the heart of a well hunted buck, with an ethical kill that a deer of this magnitude deserves. I can only hope to be there during that harvest and enjoy in the ups that are much higher than your lowest lows......Keep pursuing my friend, as this is an addiction! It's a beautiful thing and that is what you have to realize....
 
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hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,720
248
Ohio
#

#
Yesterday 09:29 PM
huntn2

Still a great story Jesse. Glad you didn't give to breif of a version.

Actually, I think this is the "short" version. Sorry Jesse. Had to lighten the mood. I read the whole thing again word for word and took in every picture. Seen it before, but well worth seeing and reading again. What a classic. Much like JBrown, it is also one of the main reasons I was staying glued to OS at the time. I had just decided to hunt white tail after years of kicking it around, so I was absorbing all I could on that site. The story of "Deuce" and the buck in my avatar are reasons why I am hooked so hard into the sport now. Maybe I will post my story when I have time. Probably later this week. Busy week ahead.

Thanks again for sharing.
 

rgecko23

*Supporting Member*
7,466
0
Massillon, Ohio
Dude, that still sucks to read that story. I klnow how much you put into killing that deer, and after that i gained alot of respect for you on how you handled that situation. You have a good story for the kids one day...
 

formerbowhunter1023

Now Posts as Jesse..
0
0
SE Ohio
Thanks fellas. It gives me joy to know this story gave something to others and not just me. I love the stories and the telling of the stories as much as I do the actual hunting. Sometimes, I think I just hunt to have the stories! ;) It really does mean a lot to me to know that this story meant something to someone other than me. It was a wild ride that's for sure!
 

swantucky

The Crew
1,594
122
Swanton, Ohio
I love the stories and the telling of the stories as much as I do the actual hunting. Sometimes, I think I just hunt to have the stories! ;)

Duh!!! Give it another 10 years, the kills stack up and the meat eaten. The stories and the time alone in the stand or, with friends, or with family are what you remember. Its not the deer, if it was about scores and kills we would hunt at night with rifles.
Its about the work, the hard cider, the cornhole, the fish frys, the phone calls when a young kid kills one off your setup, the laughs, the beerz............................
 

JD Boyd

*Supporting Member*
3,173
0
Urbana
That's to bad it had to end that way... I'm sure you guys remember all about this buck and I.
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100's of pics of this deer numerous times I saw him and even had one shot at him and I blew it. Then I find his sheds christmas eve and christmas day. WOW.... Then I find him dead new years day after suffering what I later discovered a gut shot. After I find him dead I go back through trail cam photos and realize I had photos of him skin and bones and shed one side. At least I did end up with his sheds and got a shed mount done so I can put his horns on it whenever I want.( I've got three other sets of sheds from 200 inchers so if I can find 3 more I can change it every day of the week.) LOL
 
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finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,855
260
SW Ohio
Awesome story!!.....Some people just don't understand hunters or hunting but that story does a good job of exposing the levels of respect alot of hunters have for the deer they hunt. A much deeper and honorable level of respect than anti-hunting people could ever dream of!
I felt pretty much the way TM did when I read your story Jesse. You epitimize what hunting really means to folks like us. My bro and I have hunted together for nearly 33 years chasing these awesome creatures and they have gained our absolute respect and admiration. We've seen them come and we seen them go over the years but the memories of the pursuits and obsessiveness we hunters endure as these seasons rack up, are what matters most. I'm sure "Deuce", knew of you and was doing his best to stay one step ahead of ya. It's just a shame it didn't turn out that way. Goodluck in pursuing your next "Deuce.
 

rgecko23

*Supporting Member*
7,466
0
Massillon, Ohio
duh!!! Give it another 10 years, the kills stack up and the meat eaten. The stories and the time alone in the stand or, with friends, or with family are what you remember. Its not the deer, if it was about scores and kills we would hunt at night with rifles.
Its about the work, the hard cider, the cornhole, the fish frys, the phone calls when a young kid kills one off your setup, the laughs, the beerz............................


awesome!!
 

formerbowhunter1023

Now Posts as Jesse..
0
0
SE Ohio
Duh!!! Give it another 10 years, the kills stack up and the meat eaten. The stories and the time alone in the stand or, with friends, or with family are what you remember. Its not the deer, if it was about scores and kills we would hunt at night with rifles.
Its about the work, the hard cider, the cornhole, the fish frys, the phone calls when a young kid kills one off your setup, the laughs, the beerz............................

Little fugger almost didn't give me enough time to get dinner prepped!!! LOL! That was a memorable weekend to say the least!!!
 

Stump

Ass Regulator
BR...
Thanks for tellin that story again...gave me sumthin to cry to this mornin :smiley_cry:....there's ghosts in them woods that'll haunt ya till ya die...least yours has a name