MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS)
 

Well as some of you may remember from last year that I have been hunting a huge tall tined 10 pointer on public land here in West Virginia. I devoted this season to trying to harvest this deer and only this deer. Last season he gave me the slip and after weeks and weeks of scouting and moving my trail cameras around I was finally about to pin point his travel route. I found his sheds in the spring which helpedme locate histravel route. In fact this buck lived in 2 hollows that was connected by a huge funnel. A highwall ran in between these two hollows and there was one 30 yard crack in this highwall that forced the buck to travel through to get from one funnel to the next.

In my entire life I have never saw a buck that was so consistent in his travel patterns. I could place my trail camera in this funnel and get his picture every single day. It was crazy how predictable he was. So I knew it was only a matter of time for I was able to harvest this gaint main frame typical 10 pointer.

I hung my stands in August and I last got this picture on October 13th. I pulled my cameras out of the area as not to spook himbecause I already knew his travel patterns. I saved all of my vacation and took the entiremonth of November off to hunt this buck. With cool weather on the wayand the pre-rut heating up I knew it was now time to make my move and hunt the stand in the funnel.

On my way in today my worst nightmare came true. 100 yards away from my standin the very funnel that I was hunting him I found my buck laying dead withhis head caught in between 2 trees. He was trying to make a rub and got the 2 trees wedged in between his tines and was unable to free himself.All that was left of him washis rack. Iwas speechless.All I could thinkof was all those milesIhad walked trying tofind him and all those nights I laid inbed wondering if I was really going to get the chance to harvest this buck.I huntedthe stand today and saw 2 does and had a 4 pointer walk right undermy stand and work a scrape. I couldn't help but wonderif maybe thislitttle guy was his son, so I just let him walk.

I guess the only question is now what do I do with the rack? I was thinking about maybe gettign a European mount or maybe gettinga cape and just getting a shoulder mount. I really don't like the idea ofmounting a deer that I didn't actually harvest but had this deer lived 2 more weeks I feel certainI could have harvested him!

Here is the firstpicture I ever got of him last season:

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-7/274721/11point3.jpg

Here is thefirst picture I got of him in hard antler last season:

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-7/274721/11pointmonster.jpg

Here is this year's first velvet picture:

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-7/274721/Big10.jpg

Hereis the rack after I found it:

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-7/274721/Big10Rack.jpg

RE: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS)
 

Jeez, What a bummer! Nice 10 though, to say the least. Let the fork grow up and see.

RE: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS)
 

Wow, what a buck, and what a shame. On the bright side though, you still have the horns and I think that you should at least do a european on him being that he is such a great buck. Hopefully the little guy you saw has the genes and you can start the saga over again.

RE: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS)
 

Wow that sucks, how long do you think he was stuck between those trees? Did he break his own neck?

RE: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS)
 

What a deer, what a deer. On the positive, it is pretty neat that YOU found him and not someonel else that just viewed him as a "big deer." Good luck on finding his brother.

RE: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS)
 

I reallyhated to hear that new's ,that's the one and only thing that can really bother us as hunter's with a buck that we so desperately want to take with our bow's .We work all the angle's ,such as scouting and cam's and working scrape's ,and just as you think you've got him figured out ,this happen's .The positive thing is that you have his remain's such as his rack ,so I have him done in a Euro mount and place him on the wall just where you would have put him in your plan's.

nubo

RE: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS)
 

jeese that sucks!!! that was a beautifull deer to say the least. i'm sorry it turned out that way for you. hopefully he passed his genes on to others.

RE: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS)
 

From the sounds of the work you put in, I would at least do a European mount and put some pics and possibly a story to go with it around him. It is sad to hear such a great buck could not be taken by someone like yourself who put his time in and learned all you could about the deer. I am very happy for you though, that you found him and you have his rack. You deserve that and I appreciate the pictures and story behind such a magnificent animal. I hope the 4 pt is his son and offers you a chance to harvest him down the road. Good luck!!!!

RE: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS)
 

Tough luck for sure. Sound's like you would have got a shot at him to. Well I guess it is time to find another.

RE: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS)
 

Amazing, simply amazing!

Man, tough call on the choice of getting a cape or Euro-mounting him. With all the work you did, and as obviously special as he is to you, I think I'd hold out until I got a cape and make a full shoulder mount of him.

Bummer, I'm sorry you didn't get to feel the privilege of actually taking him with your bow, but likedwd said, I'm glad it was you who found him.