nice deer John...
Ben... am I not thinking correctly or are those brow tines abnormally long?...
looking at it again, that is 2 different sets of horn... quite a unique trophy...
I guess I can tell that story. In the past few years I have kinda lost the taste for predator calling but got back into archery hunting. Last year I did a lot of hunting but missed out on some very local area during the rut because I felt there was better hunting on my bosses property. stupid me. I hunted there hard and skipped out on the local stuff for fear of missing decent bucks at the bosses. I picked up a new bow earlier this year since my last bow was outdated. I wanted something I could shoot a single pin with the arrows I wanted to shoot. So I picked up a used 2014 carbon spyder. I loved how smooth it shot from the get go. I practiced pretty much all the time all through the summer and was grouping well out too 40 yds. by aug and sep rolled around I started shooting from unknown distances between 35 and 20 yds and was confident I would not need to move my sight at all for the different yardages. I figured if he was at 40 I would have time to move it.
The season came and if I could be in the stand I was. We actually had two really nice bucks on trailcam. We also had several others as well but the two "shooters" were a big 8 with a broke off main beam past its g3 and the other was the wide 6. At the end of his beams they flattened out to small crab claws but he was wide and tall on his g2's
third day of the season I got home late but wanted to observe. It was still very hot out anyway. I doned full camo anyhow grabbed the hoyt and took a walk. Half way to my observation point I jumped the wide 6. He was a massive 3 or 4 year old buck. Definitely a stud of a body. I watched him walk away only being 20 feet away when I first jumped him. He did not flea in haste. I kicked myself in the rear for maybe messing up my only chance at this buck.
I had not hunted very much a couple nights here and there but every night I was out I had seen deer or buck. I did not want to mess up the area and only hunted it when I had the right wind. About 3/4 through October I got layed off from work and a lot of people told me to hunt and enjoy the time off. I was not really happy with my situation so I started looking for employment again. Meanwhile I did schedule time to be in the woods. It was the week of early muzzleloader that I got my chance at the wide 6.
Thu morning broke clear and I was sitting on the ground with flo orange. I had a small doe come up behind me with the wind blowing right at her. She blew a few times but got over herself. Slowly walking up through the woods I noticed another deer in the woods up yonder. I glassed him with a pair of binos around my neck and I seen he was a small basket rack legal buck. I picked up my iPhone and was messing with it when I noticed the basket rack had another deer with him walking down my way. I got ready and I knew the further deer was the wide 6. They were standing 50 yds away and I was ready. the small basket didn't like me and ran after stomping a bit. I figured that was it for the wide 6 he would follow as well.
I was wrong. He quartered toward me and walked. Closer he came then he went broadside. He was between 30 and 35 yds. He went behind one of the massive white oaks and I drew back. On the other side he stopped and fed. I let her fly. It happened so quick the arrow flew true but I was unsure where I hit him from top to bottom. I knew front to back was about right. I figured I got mid to high lung when I heard the whop. I watched him run up over the hill and I shook. I immediately texted a buddy and my father. I walked up grabbed my arrow and was devastated. It was wiped clean. Only chunks of meat and fat coated the arrow shaft and I figured I hit him higher then I had thought. On my way out to give him time I found good blood when I crossed his exit path. I marked the spot and waited for 5 hours.
When I got home I got a call from my manager asking me to report to work on Monday. I was thrilled. I had work and I had just arrowed the biggest buck of my life. I got back out there and the good blood ran out 40 yds after I found it. It went to drops and the pins I walked 8 miles that day covering local fields and woods looking for him. I knew in my gut however this deer was not hurt because of where he ran he should have been laying dead if it was mortal.
I was sick upset and mad. Everything I had read said that the rut should kick in on October 31 and run good till the second week of November. I had a hunt scheduled for November 4 thru the weekend. That wed morning I planned on hunting but didn't figure I would get a shot at anything. The big 6 still weighed on my mind.
The time had changed and I was unsure of the exact time the sun came up. SO I ended up sitting in the dark for 45 mins longer then I usually do. As it became daylight I seen a big deer stiff legged walking across the horizon. I couldn't get him to stop or turn. Little did I know the next hour would be the best hunting I have ever experienced in my life. Up until I seen the 6 I arrowed I had seen 5 other buck and a handful of doe. I had just seen the basket rack buck from weeks prior push a mature doe crazy all around me and I had to chuckle to myself as the two little ones she had during the summer both button bucks watched and had no clue what was going on. Finally she broke free and the basket walked away. As I watched him walk off I noticed other bucks chasing to my right.
I was looking through a pair of binos when I noticed a buck approaching out of my right hand peripherals. I seen the big Y's and figured it to be the big 6. I looked him over and seen no wounds. As he was heading away I seen he had massive brows. I told myself looking at the deer he was a more mature deer then I had been seeing. Still not the stud the big 6 was but if he came in my range he was going to get stuck. I got ready and watched him as he checked out two scrapes and rubbed a tree. He was 30 yds away when he turned to my right and was broadside. I drew and waited till he stopped. Between two trees I could see his leg and his rib cage. I let the arrow go and watched as the buck ran 30 or so feet and stopped. I was upset I had hit him back far. I had no idea how it happened till I went back to get my arrow and see a couple twigs on the one tree. I could not even see back that far on the deer and still managed to hit him 2" behind the ribs.
I knew he was hurt bad. I watched through binos and seen blood pouring out of him. Then he walked away casually. I thought I heard him crash and then all the deer that were in the woods around me left. I slipped out and waited for my father. 2 hours later we took up the trail. I was surprised when we had good blood. I trailed him for 60 or so yards before I found the first bed. It was made as soon as he was hit and I probably jumped him when I got down out of the tree. we followed him across the same field the big 6 had went weeks prior but this one turned and ran through some real thick stuff. Which kinda made me feel good that he was searching for cover. We were taking it slow and really watching till I came to another bed. At this point I knew he was probably only right in front of us. I told dad I'm pushing him and for him to stay back on the tractor trail. He really started to weave though some thick stuff. dad was following me on the trail and he seen a big pile of blood I worked my way down to him and there he lay not more then 20 feet away dead.
I wasn't happy with the shot that happened but was puzzled how I hit him back behind the ribs when I couldn't even see that far. the only explanation was I hit the twigs and got lucky. we got him home and skun out and to the butcher shop to hang. It was 75 deg out by then. we packed up and headed north. Sunday when I got back I checked the trailcam to see the wide 6 had became a regular to that camera on the other side of the property and to this day he is still around. From the wound on him he should be dead. High lung and should have hit the back bone as well. I'm still dumbfounded that he is still alive. I hope he makes it through the winter or dad gets a crack at him.
Now the buck I shot I never seen till that day. His bases are weird. The brows go straight up like it should have been a spike then the main beams formed at the base and went out. He was 16" inside spread and is very tall. He is getting a European mount done by a member and officer of the club.
