Sorry so late guys, but I am proud to say that on 10/18/09 at approximately 7:00 am I connected with Mr. "LongBeam". He is currently in the freezer, his cape at the taxidermist and his antlers sitting on my desk at work. I have a great story for you...its going to be long but I'm sure u will enjoy. Here it goes...
I was capturing pictures of him one week prior to opening day walking southbound in the morning to check several mock scrapes I put out. He was coming from one large field (located to left of my stand) to a smaller field (located to the right of my stand) through a small grass cut out which connected the to fields. I placed a ladder stand 25 yards off the middle of the cut out in a narrow finger of timber. The pics taken were anywhere between 5:30am - 6:50 am, in the dark. So with that said I was heading in to my stand around 5am.
Opening day he never showed his face but had several does walk through and some turkeys which kept the morning going.
10/18/09 I get into the stand around 5:15am and get situated. At about 6:50 am something caught my eye in the field to my right I couldnt make it out because it was still heavy grey light. After turning my head back from focusing on that field WHAM!!! (like a ghost) here he is walking down the road southbound on a mission. Note: I only have one good shooting lane down to the cut out. As I grab my bow and try and swing it around to draw he is walking through that shooting lane. I completely miss my oportunity to shoot the him and now I'm watching him browse around in the opening of the field. I have no shot and am desperately looking for an opening in the brush and branches to slip my arrow through. He then starts to walk to my right and at that moment I remember seeing a hole in the the thick stuff from drawing back on a turkey the day before. I find the a hole in the thick stuff and I draw back as he's walking right for it. Now the shot is probably going to be a 35 yarder and I try stopping him at full draw... he doesnt stop and keeps walking through. He then stops in thick stuff at looks in my direction and AGAIN I have no shot. Now at full draw Im stuck in a stare down with "LongBeam". I shoot a Katera 70# and after 2mins now I start to shake and he's not moving, still staring. I slowly bring it back down without spooking him. He then catches my wind and turns completely back around and is now heading back at the same opening. I go back to full draw and stop him with one "Mernt" and LonBeam stops perfect in the middle of the opening. I set my thirty yard pin on a spot just a hair back of his shoulder and wait....and wait, attempting to calm my nerves and get off a good shot. I start a slow, steady squeeze and whomp the arrow is off. WHACK!!!! and he mule kicks and bounds off into the woodline on the opposite side of the field. I dont know where it hit him but I know he was hit hard. I sat one hour in the stand before getting down and the rest is history....200 yard blood trail I am able to grab the horns of the biggest buck of my life. Thanks for reading sorry so long....pictures are coming soon.
__________________ Hoyt Katera 70#
27" Draw
Gold Tip Big Game 100's
RAGE
Scotts release
Trophy Ridge Three pin
Scent-Lok leafy deluxe
Nikon Bino's
Nikon Range finer
Remington Ghost Trail Cams Wildgame Innovation Trail cams
Hunter safety system
__________________
"I come home with an honestly earned feeling that something good has taken place. It makes no difference whether I got anything; it has to do with how the day was spent." Fred Bear
"LongBeam" is down. 10/18/09
There should be a rule about posting good stories like that unless you already have the pics ready.
_ _ _Death Comes Out the End of This Thing _ _ _
