OK a little reading material...

I had G this weekend so we stayed at my Mom & Dad’s and he stayed with them during the day (about 20 miles from J's house). Sunday the 13, started out terrible! – Alarm did not wake me up and I was an hour late! As I was driving back on the lane (our farm is land locked and we have an access lane through the neighboring farm) I saw a shooter buck in the CRP heading in the direction of the east stand (which I was going to hunt). Two bucks and a doe jumped the fence from the CRP into the lane then into the timber to the west of the lane. Crap already! – late enough I will be missing all the action! Parked, put on my bibs and was on a knee just finished lacing up my boot when I “felt” something, looked back to the lane and saw a tall racked 12 pt about 100 yards away at the edge of the pasture. I lean over and crawl (step?) on all 4’s in the direction of my gear. The deer just screams back into the timber. I finish getting ready and head off to my stand and luckily had an uneventful trip into the stand!

About 8:30 a doe and buck comes in from the North. He comes in to thrash a tree 5 yards from the stand. He is a respectable buck, but he does look young, but I start thinking about having to go back up to work to finish up a project later that afternoon, and the 10 other projects that need to be done (this is where one really starts to hate work!) and the fact that my next three days of hunting have basically been washed out due to work… so before he thrashed the tree, I watched my yellow quick spins follow a muzzy through the boiler room! He runs about 25 yards, slows and walks another 5 and falls over.

I call J on the talk about – he wants to sit for another hour and a half – no problem! – I start looking through my binocs to find the arrow, well better check him out again, oh forgot about the arrow – check him out again, oh yes arrow, screw the arrow I will find it later! Crap he was a pup – would like to have shot him next year, screw that it’s going to take a chisel to get the smile off my face!!

9:40 talk to J on the talk about, he is going to wait 15 min or so and head out of his stand and will meet me at the truck… I’m outta here – see if I can find my arrow, check out my buck little closer and meet J at the truck. Can’t find the arrow – will look for it a little harder later – go check out the buck quickly, smile is now harder to get off ! Head up to the trucks. I am have my outer layer off and packed back up when J calls – he is leaving his stand, I will head into his house to change clothes and will meet him there. I am chatting with him on the way – see what kind of range we can get with them today (2.5 miles to his house).

On his way back to the truck he hears what sounds like two big bucks fighting so he sneaks over that way – drops straight north keeping a big ridge between the fighting and him – then starts sneaking in over the ridge. He gets to the top of the hill (at this point he is overlooking the stand I was in that morning and witnesses two HUGE bucks fighting 15 yards directly north of the stand and end up pushing each other down into the ditch. There is another buck there also (he estimated him apx 145) checking things out, then another one about the same size is walking straight at him 12 yards. He gets his bow ready for self defense if nothing else. The buck catches his movement and runs off while the others are still at it. He turns on his camcorder (have a stabilizer mount for one) and gets a quick video of the one still there which just happens to be standing directly over the deer that I shot, but does not get any footage of the brawl going on in the ditch…But of course I am not still in my stand!!!

I am still pumped – like William – this one is bigger than both of the other ones combined!!

Mike

Just sent it your way! Thanks

...Hmmm let me seeif I am reading this right. As of today 11/14/05 seven of your squad of 10 have scored on bucks??? HUUCHIEMAMMA, you guys are almost untouchable now! What an incredible display of Wack'em and Stack'em!!! Your average is somewhere over a 111 inches per person??!!! Outstanding!

I realize you all haven't officially won yet but it is safe to say the "fat lady" is clearing her throat!!!

In the "Battle of the Bone" you fellas are bashing and slashing the rest of the field!!! Talk about pressure!!! The three gentlemen that haven't scored yet have got to feel it more than the whole elite 8 team put together!

Man I gotta tip my hat to you guys. You all have had an amazing season.

Nive buck Mike... Nice...

YES YES YES, Yea baby!!!! TEAM XX coming thru.

Way to go Mike. I knew it was just a matter of time for you. Great story. Congrats.

3 more guys and we clean sweep. I know we aren't done putting bucks on the ground.

Congrats again to all our team members who've scored, and to those who just haven't scored YET.

YOWSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA ....


Right on Mike, great hunt story and I cant wait to see your BIG OLE SMILE holding that buck. (cant see the pix!!) can someone email it to me???

t[email protected]


XX strikes again!!!!!!!! 7 for 10 guys!!!!!!! RIGHT ON!!!!!!!

Mike - Congrats on the awesomebuck - Team XX is dropping the hammer onbucks all over the place. It sounds like your hunting has been awesome. Hopefully J can follow suit and take out that 12 pointer.

In the name of fair competition, this team should be forever banned from future contests. Hehe

Mike - I'm glad you mentioned it, b/c it slipped my mind already that I had to dub those tapes for Hoosier. Man, I'm losin' my mind. Like I said, I have four, but if my memory serves me, one or two of them are better than the rest. Man, I've gotta get it in gear. LOL

Rybo - Here's to taking out that fall bird next weekend, and making it a complete "tag out." I'd went out a couple times before work, but haven't managed to get one into shotgun range.

Hey Troy, I sent you the picture as best I could... Computer hung on the first attempt so if you get it twice sorry..

As far as pressure for the three that are left.. Well.. Maybe a little but more like an itching to join the fun. I am heading out tomorrow morning and will try to hunt most, if not all the day.. I'm sure my wife will have other things on the plate but they are going to have to wait.. I am just about all healed up and it is time to go back out.. Hopefully the wind will cooperate.. Talking snow one of the next two days as being a real possibility.. I better bundle up.

Anthony

Hey Hey, thanks Ryan W. and Anthony (IL)for sending me pics of Mikes buck!

Mike Awesome buck buddy!!!!!! I have to admit, those shirts look pretty darned good out in the Iowa farm country!

Dang guys I better start working on those rattling antlers!!!!! Weshould win this competition... 4th quarter is here for us... Time to strap it on and finish this thing up right! Best of luck to IL, SUM and BUTTON!

IL, best of luck bud! I hope you get to hammer one tomorrow..

Wow guys, great job. You are kicking our butts!!! We may be down, but we ain't out (yet). [8D]

Congrats again to all you guys, great deer! This is what makes the contest great!