Canuck_2

Geez Rocky - ya, good luck to you. Season just about done already, and we wait so long for it to arrive.

I came across a buck (4x4)& doe in town yesterday afternoon, and the buckmust have been in quite a tussle. He had a gaping wound in his neck with lots of blood. Then this morning I went for coffee at a friend's place out of town and a couple miles away from the sighting. He had got the same buck on his trail cam last nighton his hillside where there is a couple good deer trails. Sorry, I don't have the pic.

youngfart

[8D]Another Year Done [8D]
Happy ,Yes and No!!!I must say meeting you all, mind ya it was a Jack and Andy and Rocky show most of the year, was a blessing and Jack andI knew from previous years. Andy I enjoyedgetting to know you and sharing thoughts on the season,thanks a ton. I went out yesterday and had a brutal day on stand. I had yote's all around me all morning and magpies with in 80 yards of my honey hole.So at 11:30 I decided to have a look at what all the fuss was. The yote's had a young spike down and were fighting with the magpies.
So I left to the other place I hadn't hunted all season due to the lack of does on the property. Got there by 12 and as I walked into my stand I found a doe down by yotes too. I sat for an hour and was ticked and got down and went to the best spot I have there. Got 1/2 way their and another doe was down. Man the yote's are feasting on the game and I find that hard to believe as their is no snow so the deer should have no problem loseing the yote's.
I decided to give it one last sit and got settled in by 1:45, 2 came by and I saw movement out on the pipeline that streches out about 200 yards wide from my side to the other side. Grabbed the bino's and saw it was 5x5 but decided to give it a shot ,so I grabbed theantlers and bangedthem hard and ,what happened next was wild. He swung his head in my direction and started to move my way. I grabbed the bino's again and sure enough he was 1/2 way here already. I set the bino's up and hung the antlers and grabbed the bow and watched as he aproached 50 yards away.
Dang I underestimated his size, he was the nicest buckI had seen all year and was a perfect 5x5 out past his nose and with a great amount of mass. His neck was swollen and he looked like he was a pig,he was in great form for this far in the rut. Looked to haven't lost any weight what so ever. I wanted this deer so bad[:'(]. Well he looked my way trying to see where the deer were that were scrapping. I was standing waiting for him to come my way for ashot.[:@]Never happened[X(]. That in a nutshell was it to my season as he backed out and went back over the hill and out of my life for this year.
All in all it was the best season I've ever had as a bowhunter, 5 close encounters with 180ish bucks and all 5 were different bucks. 37 I could have shot, 140 -150ish bucks and I really should have shot one early. But when one's mind is made up and I filled my doe tags it was all a matter do I need the meat,no I didn't. Idid drawon Starr last week and have no remorse at all at not getting him. 3 years trying and finally had the shot and, whata twig can due[]. It was a trying year andmaking the new freinds inAndy was a plus and rekindling freindships with Jack is always a bonus. I decided after a guy on a quad came out to my location after the encounter with that buck I rattled in.I wasn't going to hunt this last day.I just need to get my body back in shape for sitting on the beach and sipping on a rum in a dug out pineapple on the beach and thinking of the thoughts of deer for next year. Thanks guys aswith you all as a teammy season wouldn't have been the same.
I will sit on the beach and finish my review for Diamond Archery on the bow they let me have calledThe Rockfrom Bowtech. It'll be harder than thought as I was supposed to hunt 3 other types of game with it but the change of jobs threw a curve into my plans. Hope they don't release me for next year. Good luck to you who are still hunting and I will be back by the 14th of December and will take up where we left off. Unless of course they have a computer I can use while their[8D].
God Bless & Hunt Safely
Rocky

GMMAT

OK guys....I scored on a nice 6/7 pointer, tonight. I'll put a tape on him tomorrow.

EDIT** - He's a 97-58" buck....and I'm proud of him.

Canuck_2

Rocky, you had yourself a whale of a season, whether you put a big one down or not - lots of adventures most guys would give their eye teeth for. Have yourself a fine time sipping those tropical refreshments. Cheers, Jack

GMMAT, good going! That's a verynice looking buck. What's the exciting story on him?

fshafly2

Rocky - I enjoyed your adventures up there in the frozen north... sounds like there will still be some hammers for you next year, good luck with 'em.

GMMAT - congrats on the buck!

-fsh

Canuck_2

I'm a little slow about getting this installed, but here's what greeted us Saturday morning. We figured the deer would be on the go after the storm, but we saw only a few and too far off. Now it has turned cold and perhaps that will bring them out of the woodwork.

GMMAT

Sorry for the delay, guys.

Here's the story on my buck.

The story...(Rob can change the name of the thread if he wants).

I set up in the woodlot I said I had to be out of when gun season started. I asked the guy gun hunting if he minded if I went in....and he said no. So....I picked a spot where I'd seen some good rubs....and went in. 4:00 I see a doe coming from behind me (upwind). She's got a slit down her spind like she got gashed going under a barbed wire fence. It was about 2' long. I thought about shooting her.....but she seemed fine, really. She walked away.

About 10 minutes later....I see a doe and a fawn running from my right....and back towards behind me. I never saw what was chasing them. Couple minutes later....two DOGS show up and start wandering the woodlot. The woodlot's only 20 acres...and they're seemingly all over it. They jump a doe and she high-tails it out of there.

Next thing I see come in is a doe from behind me and to my right. She looks like she's being pushed. I glance behind her and see a buck. After 79 sits.....he looks might fine, to me. I told Rob I'd never seen him....but I have. He's the one I saw in there a time or three.

He comes RIGHT BESIDE my tree....and doesn't spook. Now I have a dilemma. He's going to walk almost straight away....and if he gets more than 7-8 yds in front of me...I have NO shot. I let him get to 4-5 yds....cant my bow....aim to the left of his spine....and loose my arrow. It hits right where I'd aimed and buries almost to the fletch. I see this one hit.

He takes off on a dead run.....and when he gets to 35 yds or so I see a gush of blood erupt from the entrance wound. I hear him crash inside 60 yds.

I call Rob (which I always seem to do when I geta buck....lol). I was still shaking. We discuss it....and decide I'll take my time and go find him. I nocked another arrow....because I could hear deer around me. I remembered my pledge not to do that.....and put it away. I climbed down slowly....and followed a good blood trail right to my buck.

OK....so now I get to where I'd parked the ATV and my buddy is there waiting. He's the local TV weather guy....and he's 6'7" and about 260lbs. He wants to help drag....and I'm all for it! We both get on the ATV and drive it along the field edge (soy beans are still in the field). We drag the buck down to the ATV....and he's REALLY winded. I ask him if he wants to drive the buck back over (we'd already loaded him up)....and he does. He gets to the field edge and tries to cross the ditch (which is full of rip-rap)...and he "almost" turns the ATV over on him. If not for the basket on the back (drop basket)...it would have turned over on him. He's screaming at me from about 150yds....and when I get to him....he's pointed straight up in the air. He's shook. I'm frantic.

I get ahold of the front end and pull it back down. It takes a few times....but we finally get it righted. Wow.

In the midst of all this....my buck's head was hanging outside the basket....and the left G1 gets broken off. I went back and found it. I'd stowed my equipment (bow/stand/harness/etc...) in his truck...thinking he'd drive it over to the house for me. When we finish....he tells me he's forgotten and he's gotta rush to get home to take his wife to the movies. I tell him to go on.

So....I don't have a harvest photo with my bow....because I don't have my bow! I'll get a few, tomorrow....and post them up for the contest.

He's no "bruiser"....but I hunted my ass off this year...and I'm extremely proud of him. Here's my '08 NC 6-pointer.

There's two people I want to thank publicly for all of their help this year. They deserve a footnote for this deer. Gri22ly....and Dukemichaels.......I owe you guys a LOT.....and I'd have said that if I didn't score. Thank you guys SO MUCH. He's part yours.

Canuck_2

Great story, Jeff. All in all, you guys had one heck of an adventure.

Brent B

Hey guys. This has been one of the worst seasons i've had lol. Numbers are down here in Indiana the weather jus hasn't really cooperated. It was really warm the first week of Nov. and opening week of firearms it was very very very windy. I may have screwed up lol i passed up an 8 point at his ears about the last week of Oct. i knew i'd see something bigger...and i did lol. But the stupid thing was comin straight for me and he stopped and made a rub and scrape. Let me tell umy buck roar call had him ready to fight but instead of running in to me he jus looked in the woods and was very confused to see and hear nothing but grunts. so he walked back to his doe out of bow range and stood there for about ten of 15 min taunting me. I think he's a big ten point a kid at school saw him run across the high way one night headed towards our woods. I actually haven't seen a deer in a treestand since Nov. 15th lol thats how bad it's been. I moved both of my stands tonight. Tommorrow is the first day of muzzleloader season so i'll be headed out in the morning. I found a rub on a pretty good sized tree so i know the big guys still runnin around somewhere. well good luck guys and nice buck GMMAT

Canuck_2

Well team, I'm afraid I was nothing but dead wood to you this year. Today was the last day of our hunting season and I got zero deer with the bow this year. Late archery was from Nov 25 to Dec 10 and I was out at least half of the 16 days. Today was the only time I drew on a deer, a doe, and found there was not enough light (partly a function of my bum eye) to see my pins properly. So I had to let down and let her walk.

I'm still cheering for you guys who still have hunting time left. I'll see you right here and will be looking for your big buck pictures.