My first P&Y
Shot my first P&Y on Nov. 9th. I have passed a lot of guys this size (including one tonight!) over the years, but I have never put one on the wall yet. I have had the "let em grow" mentality for years now, but I am not seeing much results hunting public land and a couple very small pieces of private land.
I scored him, and also had the taxidermist score him, we both come in at 131.5"
He came in around 0745 at about 30 yards and worked a scrape, but passed the main trail that I was hunting over and headed the other direction. About an hour later three does came in to the same scrape and they worked over his licking branches. They stuck around for 30 mins and then headed south. An hour later they came back in but this time on my side of the fence and the buck was in tow. They walked him 12yds from my stand, on the left side (right handed), and he stopped in my shooting lane on his own.
It all just seemed meant to be, so I let the string drop. Hit him a little farther back than where I was aiming, but it still got double lung and liver. He did not leave much of a trail because the angle of the shot was steep and the exit was a little high, but he filled up quickly and piled up within 50yds. It was an awesome hunt; I wish they were all that easy!
Sat dark to dark today in IL. Dead all day until the last hour. I had bucks chasing does all over my turnips. Passed on another 130" 8 tonight, and was unable to get a shot off at a 150"+ 10-point. He punked out a tall 8, in a side by side spin with ears back and hair up. Looking back, I should have snort wheezed at him since he had already run one buck off.....Next time.