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Nightmare turned dream come true!

Hoytmania

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
11,518
167
Gods Country
I have been wrestling with this for a while and through some fellow TOO consulting I have decided TOO bring this over hear.

A little history first. I got my start on hunting forums over at OS. I was a member over there for about 2 years before TOO was born. It was a major help to me in improving my hunting and my train of thought on hunting, but I can contribute a lot of that to people that are here. Most of the relationships that where developed over there have carried over TOO TOO. I have some very fond memories from that era that I want to share with my brothers over here. That last thing I want this to seem like is some kind of bragging. These are nothing more than simple memories for me, and I hope that you all can find enjoyment in these memories. From here on out, is the thread that literally changes my hunting life. I think it speaks for its self...


Well it all started out with a thread that I posted on Wednesday about finding the buck that I am going after. I hung a stand at that property on Thursday and hunted there yesterday and got nothing but soaking wet and saw nothing.

I went back today and was having a pretty uneventful morning. Just saw a few does in tsome really thick brush. Then about 8:40 It all started. I was in a little block of woods that is only about 2 acres, with a cut bean field on one side and a cut corn field on the other. I saw him out in the cut bean field. He was about 200 yds. away. I grunted at him and he just kept walking. I have the BUCK ROAR from Primos and really got into it. He turned and headed straight to the woods. He got to the edge of the woods and stoped looking to see where it came from. After a few minutes of looking and not finding anything he turned and started heading back the other direction. I grunted a few times again and hit the can call. He stoped and looked back again. He then turned and came into the woods. There is a revine that runs down the middle of this little block of woods. He headed stright to that revine. I did not realize that there was a doe down in the revine that he had scented. Once he was behind her she started bringing him right to my tree.

I started positioning myself for a shot. I was 25 ft in the tree and where the deer where coming through was in the revone and was about 15 ft below the base of my tree. so I was trying to figure out the compensation for the angle and the tragectory. I got to full draw and the doe froze up. She didn't see me draw she saw my truck sitting about 100 yds. away. After being at full draw for what seemed to be a few minutes she finally started to move again bringing the buck to where I needed him to be. Once he got to where the doe had been standing he stoped. i put the 20 yd pin right behind the shoulder and let her rip. This is where the nightmare began.

He jumped the string and the arrow went right over his back. Literally shaving his back. He took off across the revine and stopped broadside at 50 yds. I know I am going to catch some flack for this next part, but just finish the story and save your judgments for later. Please and Thank You.

I practice shooting my bow at 20, 30, 40, & 50 yds. and can hold a pie plate pattern at 50 yds. So I put my 50 yd pin right behind the shoulder and let arrow #2 fly. It struck a twig and strayed off to hit the deer in the hind quarter. I just gut shot the largest deer I have ever seen in my life. PUKE A FREAKIN MOOSE!!!!

He took off running with my arrow sticking out of him. Up to the edge of the woods with the cut corn field. He stood there for a minute and then took off running down the edge of the filed and the woods till he disappeared. By this time it was 9:00, and I needed to be at church by 9:30. So as I was collecting my thoughts I proceeded to climb down out of the tree.

I went and got my first arrow. Then walked over to where the deer was when I shot him. I walked up to the edge of the field where he stopped and stood. I found blood and peaked down the edge of the field and saw nothing. I figured the best thing to do at this point was to head to church.

I sat through the longest church service that I think I have ever sat through. Went to my Brother in laws and had lunch, and then went out to track this deer.

I followed the blood through the corn field to the end and found where he had stopped and had left a decent pile of blood. I tracked blood very slowly into this deers backyard. Which was nothing but a huge thicket. I tracked all the way to where I found he had bedded down. There was a pile of clotted blood on the ground. He had ran probably about 400 yds to get here and had gotten up and moved some more. At this point my heart sank, and my first thoughts where he is gone for good. I decided to call in for reinforcements. I called a friend and he came to help track.

It was so thick where we where tracking this deer that we sometimes had to crawl through the thickets. He made it from the thicket and into a open field. We still had found no arrow. So I figured that the arrow was still in him, which I considered to be beneficial. As long as the arrow is still in him every time he moves he is causing more damage. He crossed the open field which was about 100yds into a block of woods. The blood that we where finding was very fresh. It was cold to the touch but had not started clotting up yet. So I know we where pushing this deer. We got to the edge of the woods and found were he had stopped and there was a substantial amount of blood. I questioned my friend if we should just back out and come back after dark.

We stood and contemplated it for a moment. I decided to glass the woods with my binos and see if I could see anything. I noticed there was a large tree down about forty yrds in to the woods, and the blood trail was heading that direction. I said lets go see if he is up by the tree. We got to the tree and saw that he had jumped the tree. As we where standing at the tree I asked my friend if he saw that rock with all the blood on it. I said is that a deer or a sand stone? He said that is a deer. I could not see his head because it was behind a tree. So I proceeded to stalk the next 60 yds at full draw just in case he jumped up to take off. Once i got to ten yds I could tell he was done. DRT!!!!

I could not believe that I had found the deer.

Sorry about all the detail to the story. I just don't know how to tell it any differently.

So now for some pics.

IMG_0126.jpg


Main frame 10 with DOUBLE DROP TINES & one small kicker(HOWS THAT FOR TEAM DOUBLE DROP TINE!!!!)
IMG_0135.jpg

IMG_0131.jpg

IMG_0127.jpg


IMG_0129.jpg

Here is my thumb and middle finger not touching around his left main beam.

IMG_0133.jpg


Here is my thumb and middle finger around the base of his left main beam.

IMG_0134.jpg

Oh and the arrow was still in him when we found him.


Since JD asked, and the first time the thread was posted I didn't have the mount back yet. It only makes sense TOO add him in here.

DeerMount007.jpg
 
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bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
Awesome read Steve! It's always good to relive old stories like that. I remember that like it was yesterday, just a stud of a buck!!! There's no doubt that there were some great friendships forged on that site back in the day. Forums are so much more to me than a simple hunting website. This is a brotherhood of like minded individuals and it's a special thing getting to share in all the great stories we have today, and continue to generate over time. I think that philosophy got left behind over there. This group of guys makes the best damn virtual campfire I could hang around! Thanks for sharing this story again! Gives me an idea for something else we could do around here!!!
 

huntn2

Senior Member
6,090
157
Hudson, OH
Well said Jesse!

Thanks for sharing the story of that stud again Steve. That buck has been one of my favorites shared on the forums. Congrats again.
 

Fluteman

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,094
146
Southeast Ohio
Great story Steve! You glad to see you mention the team name with the first pic. That was so ironic! Great buck for sure man!
 

Schu72

Well-Known Member
3,864
113
Streetsboro
Great story. First time read for me. Had seen a few photos in the past, but hadn't heard the story. Thanks for sharing.
 

Hoytmania

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
11,518
167
Gods Country
Thank you very much for all the thanks. It really means a lot to bring this story over here. Aholdren the answer to that is yes, I am going to bring that story over sometime soon. I didn't want to just post them all up at the same time.
 

aholdren

Senior Member
Supporting Member
5,178
151
South East Ohio
Thank you very much for all the thanks. It really means a lot to bring this story over here. Aholdren the answer to that is yes, I am going to bring that story over sometime soon. I didn't want to just post them all up at the same time.

I for one cant wait cause I remember the story and the pictures. Really looking forward to reading it again and seeing the pictures of that awesome buck.
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,739
274
North Carolina
Steve I enjoyed the heck out of your story.... That is a bruiser of a buck and I can only hope too get one like that some day.... You and you a lone are the only one who knows his limitations and don't let anyone tell you any differant..... Congrats buddy.....