Fellas, I don't know where to begin about today's hunt, so I'll start from the top.

This morning, I get up a few minutes early to wayback it into Mister October's home farm. Now that the leaves are off, I planned on hunting aninteresting spot this morning - imagine asoutheast facing hillside that drops into a river bottom - super thick the whole way down. Now, at the top of this ridge, there's a rocky outcropping, with a small bench maybe 50 yards downoff the top, then it breaks over into the thick nasty stuff along the river bank. Along this break, there's a faint deer trail with a few rubs littered around on it.

The plan was that the winds were supposed to be almost nonexistent today, so I was going to play off a buck trying to walk that ridge, using the thermal uphill breezes to scent check the thick hillside below. This is the farm that has been getting pounded with pressure, so I figured thatthis isolated backside might be the ticket since I know the other guys are too lazy to walk in there. There have beena ton of huge rubs and scrapes popping up out around the fields, so the hunters are staying out there, but it's all nightwork.

So, I set up in a telephone-pole straight cherry tree (maybe25 feet)and at 6:10, I get a deer coming around the hill grunting. My cellphone starts ringing. I didn't know what to do, so I check to see who's calling - it's the wife. I answer, hoping no emergency. Well, turns out the shower faucet won't shut off, so I'm trying to hurriedly (and quietly) coach her through shutting the H20 off as this buck is approaching.I keep putting the phone down and trying to see this deer, and he finally emerges - a small buck (not sure howmany points, but really small, maybe a spike?). I resume my duties as tele-handyman as the buck strolls under the stand.He leaves, grunt softly the whole way, things get quiet.

Fast forward to 7:15. I hear footsteps behind me, so I turn around to my right (maybe 5:00) and there he stands. Mister October himself. Closing the distance - 70, 60, 50, 40.... This buck is bigger than I thought - a monster. The biggest buck I've ever seen from the stand. Think 20-22'ish outside (2-4" past each ear), nice brow tines, 7-9" G2's, 10-11" G3's, 6-7" G4's with big bladed tips. He had a massive rack, so there might have been some junk around the bases, but I wasn't concerned about anything but making a good shot.

So I stand, turn and draw, he closes to 30 and is 90 degrees to my right, at a steep angle down over the hill. He walks into an opening, and I know he's not coming any closer. I give a soft grunt with my mouth. He didn't hear it. This time,he was about to pass through my last opening, so I really let out a good BRAAAAHHH(which sounded like a cat coughing up a phlegmball). He freezes, but keeps his head turned the other way, scent checking that uphill breeze. He's totally relaxed.

I take a deep breath, make sure my feet are stable, settle the 30 yard pin right on his chest. I double check myself that I'm not torquing the bow or doing anything stupid. I eyeball the pin into the crease behind the front shoulder and squeeze....

TAAAWANG!!!! - the bow about jumps right out of my hand. The deer jumps and nervously starts looking around. Arrow is off into orbit somewhere.

I look down at the right angle-brace on the metal brace onseat of my Summit Climber, and see abig metallic gash across the metal. It only took 2 seconds to realize what happened - the bottom cam slammed the seat when it went off. At this point, I don't even know if my bow is operational, but this is the buck of a lifetime, so I nock another arrow. He's clueless and just wandering back from where he came - 40, 50, yards... I give a grunt, he freezes and looks back. An eternity passes, and he starts walking away again.... 50, 60, 70.... I pull out the growl and give it a good toot. He wheels around and freezes again, just glaring out through the woods... nothing there.

He gave me a good tailwag and just turned and walked out around the bank... And there he was... Gone.





So, tonight, I get the joy of taking my bow to the shop to see if it is still in working order. I drew it a few times, and it seems ok. Man, I am totally sick. That's one of the two bucks that I've dedicated my season to, and to blow it on something that stupid... Just leaves an empty feeling in your gut.