On track to kill a deer a day in '07
 

Well, I went ahead and used my buck tag finally tonight... nothing super special, and I didn't even take any pics. He's got a huge body, and an absolutely beautiful double-white throat patch. I think I'll have him caped out and re-mount another one of my mounts that originally had a double-white throat patch, but I messed around and didn't get it to the taxidermist in time and had to use someone else's cape for it. I was never happy with the way that mount turned out, so here's my chance to have it redone, and with another double-white patch to boot!

Some interesting things I got to observe tonight though... The buck was following behind a spike and they were starting to head away as they passed by at about 50 yards or so... I turned them back to me with some very soft and sporadic grunts and when they both got over near me, they started lightly sparring... First time I've ever got to see that, believe it or not.

It looked like they were about to leave the area again so I put my back against the trunk of the tree and slid halfway down before coming to full draw -- that gave me the window I needed to shoot through to avoid some branches. The buck picked up the slight movement even though he didn't seem to be looking my way at all, and it alerted him enough to try to duck at the sound of my shot. I caught him a bit higher than I was aiming, and dropped him in his tracks, though I wouldn't call it your classic "spine shot." He was definitely paralyzed from the midpoint back though.

His will to live absolutely amazed me, and I'll never forget it. Every so often he would sorta growl, but not exactly like on the MADD or Primos videos... He dragged himself probably 15 yards with just his front two feet before he finally presented another shot. I sent it right through the boilermaker, and yet he still kept his head up for several minutes after, even though I could see blood seeping from his chest.

I climbed down, packed up, took my stuff back to my Jeep and brought back my game cart. I was amazed to see his tail move as I walked up to him, and when I came close to his head, he actually opened his mouth and hissed at me. Yep. He did it twice. Absolutely amazing. Now the hissing could have had something to do with the big hole all the way through his chest; he could have been trying to growl and was sucking air, because he had a 1 1/2" wide Rocket Aerohead hole all the way through it... He expired a few seconds later.

He was also really rank, like he was still in rut. That was surprising, too.

Well, I'm done buck hunting this year... It's been a long, hard season with probably between 150-200 hours on stand this year. Funny thing is I blew my best chance at a solidshooter buck the very first night of the season when I had a 140-class pop out into the field I was watching at 25 yards just as I had picked my bow up after climbing down from my stand a tad bit too early. I gotbusted drawing on him by another deer trailing in behind him. I'm still not over that yet... :)

RE: On track to kill a deer a day in '07
 

Great news Greg, and a good story to boot. The season is winding down and I hope I have the same luck on Fri, probably my last day of the season. We do have turkeys to look forward to.

RE: On track to kill a deer a day in '07
 

Congrats!!! Every deer with a bow is a trophy. Can't eat horns anyway.

RE: On track to kill a deer a day in '07
 

Congrats, thats a lot of hours on stand and I know it must feel rewarding after that much time. I have a lot this year too on stand but unfortunately haven't been able to get out for the PA late season this year......I plan to get out one last time on the 12th to try and fill my remaining PA doe tag. They are still hitting my turnips pretty hard there so with any luck I will have one more in the freezer.

RE: On track to kill a deer a day in '07
 

Congrats!!! Way to put in your time and get your buck.

RE: On track to kill a deer a day in '07
 

Good job and story,, its feels good to fill a buck tag this late in the season, Im still trying to fill my last buck tag, and have been getting close, but hasnt happened yet. You should have taken some pics to share with us. congrats

RE: On track to kill a deer a day in '07
 

Too bad your done for this year, it's only january 1st! lol, your going to have to wait for the 08 season to go again[8D]just kiddin. Great story and congrats on the buck!

RE: On track to kill a deer a day in '07
 

Way to go Greg, great story. Alot of hours can wear on ya cant it? and yes they can be real tough sometimes.
Im still stabbin away till thursday then its back to work and im done. just cant get a big boy close enough. This morning was interesting, itsthe first time i had seen no deer in awhile, but the turkeys were going crazy. I had never heard one gobble in Jan. and had two toms gobbling for about twenty minutes and the hens were yelping and cutting for 1 1/2 hours, I guess they were celebrating the new year[8D]listening to them made the time fly by and got me in the mood for some spring action. funny thing is they were gobbling right where i killed my tom last spring.
Dan

RE: On track to kill a deer a day in '07
 

squirrell, I can still go out and shoot a doe... in fact, Dad's got an "order" in for one. :)Don't know how many more times I'm gonna get to go out, though.

Tonight's deer was pretty expensive, too. He snapped off both ACC shafts in him, and both were tipped with Rockets which are basically throwaway heads... (awesome heads, just don't try to replace those blades... I've spent HOURS doing that. Never again.) So... two ACC's and two Rocket broadheads: $40 or so. As Will Primos would say -- Dangit, man! ;)

RE: On track to kill a deer a day in '07
 

how amny points man i didnt see it