Finally my story on my Dream Buck
11-08-2006, 02:09 AM
#1
Bartender
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 6,634
Finally my story on my Dream Buck
Ok I have finally calmed down and got some rest. I would like to start with the day before my hunt Nov 2nd. I got out to late and was on stand 07:15 am and didnt see anything. So Friday, Nov 3rd I made sure I was out before light which I arrived on stand 05:55 am. Same stand as day before. About 07:00 AM i was using a branch to hit the tree I was in and using the estrous can and turned around to sit and seen a doe standing out in the middle of the brushy field I was watching. I though crap im busted but she seem to be looking to my left. I was facing west looking at her. Well she moved towards me and jumped a creek in front of me to the northwest and decided to move north. I tipped a can twice and she turned right around and headed towards me. Well she got about 20 yards out in front of me and I pulled back and she busted me and was gone to the south. So I sat for a few minutes and looked at my clock and it was 07:07 am now. I put on my mask and different mitten type gloves because it was 23 F out. I got back up and started hitting the tree a bit with the same stick and tipped the can a few times again then sat down. I looked to the northwest and holy you know what. About 50 yards to the north of the trail where I seen the doe come on was biggest deer ive seen on stand and maybe in IL where we drive and cant huntand onlylook at them. (Lake county IL). So I sat and just stayed calm and he slowly moved down towards me and stuck his head in some weeds which I think was on the trail the doe used. He crossed it and proceeded towards me and to the south on the otherside of the creek. He got about 35 yards to just a bit right of me when I started to pull back (Heading south still,im facing west) and half way pulling he looks my way I stop in mid pull. He goes back to moving so I let my bow down. He jumps the creek and now is in front of me about 25 yards and I pull the bow back and im having trouble getting my anchor because of this new thick mask and stinkin mittin gloves. (Kind that put hot pockets in). I finally get the bucks shoulder in my sights even though I have the bow more directly in front of my face/lip instead of to the side and release. I see the buck jump to the right and can see the hole behind the rib cage. Now I finnaly crack and am besides myself thinking shot went into the lungs. The buck doesnt run but kind of jogs like a big cow. Im on the phone with my brother before that buck gets about 300 yards away and stops and kind of looks to the south again. We agree to wait until he arrives to track which takes about 35 minute drive for him. I call co worker for help also. Ive kept my eye on him the whole time also and he walks into the woods and I can see the sun just gleeming off his right antler and his head moving left to right. Im thinking he going down, which I was wrong to find out, just heavy antlers.
I decide to get down and walk to the otherside of the creek and no arrow at all. Im thinking maybe I seen the arrow in the buck when he ran.
The shot by the way was right about 07:15 am which the day before I arrived at, makes me wonder. Finally my brother and co worker/friend are both with me at 08:40ish. I start to walk to the creek and brother finds arrow on my side of the creek. I forgot I pulled half way back when he was on the otherside. Well we find blood and start the track and it leads us with a nice trail to the fence line about 600 yards to the west. We see where he jumps the fence and there is blood at the edge of the green field but then it stops. We check that field, corn field and woods to the west and nothing. I get on my hands and knees where the last blood was and by this time my brother is back on the otherside. I look at the fence line and there is 2 runways that cross 5 feet apart. I tell my brother to look to his left (he facing west me east) and he sees blood going to the north. He walks about 20 yards and it had laid down. The buck either jumped the fence decided not to cross green field and jumped back over and laydown. It also could of came up to the fence decided to lay and when we walked up took off and jumped the fence on the other runway.
I looked at that fence and it looked like he jumped then jumped back over because the way the blood was on the east side when heading west and other runway on the west side heading east. So now the blood stops after the deer bed and it got to be about noon with no luck and my bro had to go to work and we cant find anything. So my buddy comes down from near Mauston, Wi from work and helps me about 03:00 pm to search and it gets dark and nothing. So friday night I tell my brother to hunt saturday morning and we can hook up about 09:30 and search. So im up till 02:00 am and then slept to 06:15ish. He chirps me on the phone abour 08:20 and says F it lets look for it because he cant stop thinkin about it. So I drive my 23 minutes and meet him and we search to about 09:45ish and by this point I have pretty much given up and had closure. Well his phone rings and his buddys says when a buck gets hit back (He thought liver hit by blood on arrow) it might go lay in a creek to cool its wounds and claim they get a fever like humans. He says follow that creek wherever your allowed to go. My bro says F it since he has knee high boots he jumps in the creek and starts following north about 100 yards from where I shot.
We get about 300-400 yards and he hells holy sh*t. I like a idiot go what?
Your buck and im like dont mess with me mike and he says no look. I almost fall to my knees I could not believe it. He was on the same side of the creek as my stand and pretty much circled (Big circle for sure) 3/4 the way around to where I shot. 10 more yards and he was into the corn field that was half picked. I was besides myself of course and just plain couldnt believe we found it. I owe my brother big time for keeping pushing to search. Never give up thats all I can say now and do a few prayers also.
It turned out it was a liver/gut shot. 2 things ive learned if I dont see my deer down within 100-200 yards back off and wait at least 3-4 hours. 2nd practice with whatever you may wear because I know I pulled to the right once I thought about it. Sorry about the long story but I had to tell it and get it out. Enjoy the pics. Tony
14 pointer, 23 inch spread tip to tip
I decide to get down and walk to the otherside of the creek and no arrow at all. Im thinking maybe I seen the arrow in the buck when he ran.
The shot by the way was right about 07:15 am which the day before I arrived at, makes me wonder. Finally my brother and co worker/friend are both with me at 08:40ish. I start to walk to the creek and brother finds arrow on my side of the creek. I forgot I pulled half way back when he was on the otherside. Well we find blood and start the track and it leads us with a nice trail to the fence line about 600 yards to the west. We see where he jumps the fence and there is blood at the edge of the green field but then it stops. We check that field, corn field and woods to the west and nothing. I get on my hands and knees where the last blood was and by this time my brother is back on the otherside. I look at the fence line and there is 2 runways that cross 5 feet apart. I tell my brother to look to his left (he facing west me east) and he sees blood going to the north. He walks about 20 yards and it had laid down. The buck either jumped the fence decided not to cross green field and jumped back over and laydown. It also could of came up to the fence decided to lay and when we walked up took off and jumped the fence on the other runway.
I looked at that fence and it looked like he jumped then jumped back over because the way the blood was on the east side when heading west and other runway on the west side heading east. So now the blood stops after the deer bed and it got to be about noon with no luck and my bro had to go to work and we cant find anything. So my buddy comes down from near Mauston, Wi from work and helps me about 03:00 pm to search and it gets dark and nothing. So friday night I tell my brother to hunt saturday morning and we can hook up about 09:30 and search. So im up till 02:00 am and then slept to 06:15ish. He chirps me on the phone abour 08:20 and says F it lets look for it because he cant stop thinkin about it. So I drive my 23 minutes and meet him and we search to about 09:45ish and by this point I have pretty much given up and had closure. Well his phone rings and his buddys says when a buck gets hit back (He thought liver hit by blood on arrow) it might go lay in a creek to cool its wounds and claim they get a fever like humans. He says follow that creek wherever your allowed to go. My bro says F it since he has knee high boots he jumps in the creek and starts following north about 100 yards from where I shot.
We get about 300-400 yards and he hells holy sh*t. I like a idiot go what?
Your buck and im like dont mess with me mike and he says no look. I almost fall to my knees I could not believe it. He was on the same side of the creek as my stand and pretty much circled (Big circle for sure) 3/4 the way around to where I shot. 10 more yards and he was into the corn field that was half picked. I was besides myself of course and just plain couldnt believe we found it. I owe my brother big time for keeping pushing to search. Never give up thats all I can say now and do a few prayers also.
It turned out it was a liver/gut shot. 2 things ive learned if I dont see my deer down within 100-200 yards back off and wait at least 3-4 hours. 2nd practice with whatever you may wear because I know I pulled to the right once I thought about it. Sorry about the long story but I had to tell it and get it out. Enjoy the pics. Tony
14 pointer, 23 inch spread tip to tip
