My 1st Buck of 2007
 

I posted my buck in the bowhunting contest and received a lot of great congrats from everyone. A lot of people asking for more pictures and the story, so here goes.

Saturday morning I was hunting a really thick creek bottom area. It is grown up in hedge, locust, and briars. It is hard to see more than 20 yards in some areas. My stand is right on the edge of the really thick stuff where it opens up to hardwood timber. The bucks typically come out of the thick stuff in the morning and head up into a couple of draws to bed down or search for does during the rut.

I got into my stand around 6:20 and sat in the darkness for 20 minutes. There was a very slight wind from the south, coming out of the thick stuff. When it was just starting to get light a raccoon came down the creek spashing around in the water. I had been watching him for about 5 minutes when I heard the distinct sound of antlers. Not antlers hiting other antlers, but antlers hitting a tree. It wasn't like a buck was making a rub, but rather just hitting his rack against a tree. I could tell it certainly was not a small 1 1/2 year old buck, so I knew there was a chance of a decent buck showing up. I thought the buck was about 80 - 100 yards away.

No more than 15 seconds later, I hear a deer coming up through the thick stuff. All of the sudden there he is at 15 yards. It is just starting to get light, and he is in the thick stuff. I could tell he was a decent buck, but I wanted to make sure he was at least 3 1/2 years old before I shot him. He took a couple more steps then heard the raccoon in the creek and froze. I had a clear look at him head on, so I looked at him through my binos. I could tell he had g4's, good mass, and good g1's. Those are the first 3 things I look for. I made up my mind to take him.

I knew he was going to take 3 more steps and be in my shooting lane. After a 10 second staredown at the raccoon in the creek, he turned and headed into my shooting lane. Right as a drew he stoped slightly quartering to me. I put my pin on him and released. I heard my arrow smack him, but it was so close that I didn't see where it hit him. He took off crashing through the thick stuff. I saw him stop at about 80 yards, then after a 5 second pause heard another crash. He had either just went down for good, or took off running through the thick stuff.

Right then it started to rain! After 10 minutes I got down and looked for my arrow. I could not find my arrow, any blood, or even any hair. It was just a light sprinkle, so I got back up in my stand and waited another 20 minutes. I was sure I had drilled him, so I started walking where he had ran off to. I could not find any blood anywhere! I was starting to think maybe I had drilled him in the shoulder. I decided to go look where I knew I saw him stop for a couple seconds.

As soon as I got to that area, I saw some blood. I looked over and there he was laying in the creek. As I walked up on him, I realized just how good he was. When you are really high up in the tree and it is just getting light, it is difficult to judge them, especially tine length. I'm really glad I didn't pass him up!

I killed this buck less than 100 yards from where I had photographed him this summer.

He grosses in the mid 160's. He also helped me pass a personal goal of mine that I've had for several years...the 900 club. With this buck my top six bow kills gross over 900". I guess my next goal is the 1000 club!

The best news of all is that I still have 1 buck tag left in IL and 1 buck tag left in IA.

I'm still really pumped about taking this buck. As a thank you to everyone for all of their kind words so far, I'd like to send out a few free Trophy Pins. I know I've had quite a few customers order from my website through this forum. The first 10 people to PM me with their name and address will receive the Trophy Pin of their choice.

Thanks!
Scott

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

Summer pic.

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

Harvest pic.

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

Its about time.......geez. I was getting ready to call for a story or SOMETHING. You just breeze into the contest page with a ho hum lady da, 165" buck without a word. [:-]:D

Congrats man that's an awesome buck, and my hold on the top spot was fun while it lasted. 11 whole days. !LOL :)

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

Fantastic buck teammate...you put us on the board for team 21...!

Great story too with the summer picture. Congrats again. :)

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

Heck of a story, helluva buck. Big congrats to you man. Well done. Good Luck the rest of the season. (nice pic to boot) CONGRATS.

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

congrats man, beautiful buck!

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

You the Man!!!! Great Buck and Great Story. Congrats.

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

WAY TO GO MAN!!!!

CONGRATS!!!!!!

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

Wow...very nice buck indeed...a big congrats to you.

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

He grew a little more from that summer pic you got of him.

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

Wow, what a beast. A huge congrats!!

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

Very, Very nice. Congrats.

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

Congratulations on a great buck!

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

I know the feeling. I did not realize how big my buck was either but yours scores a little more[8D] Congrats on that Slammer.

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

Did you drill him in the shoulder like you thaught? Great buck, congrads!

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

Nice job Scott.

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

No, I hit him right behind the shoulder. The arrow took out one lung, liver, and exited through the guts. It was hanging in the deer by the fletchings. The guts blocked the exit hole and there was no blood. He died within 10 seconds of being shot though.

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

awesome man..congrats!! thats a dandy

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

Congrats...

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

Sent you a PM Scott. Congrats Again!!!

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

Great buck, he is a beauty!

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

thats ol mossy horns!!

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

Very impressive! Congrats on a great buck :)

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

Dude that is an absolute MASTODON. I read the score on the "Official Score Card" and I was like......is that for real? Man that deer is huuuuuuuuge. You just completed a dream for most bow hunters some people forget that when they kill large deer consistantly. That is a feat not easily accomplished. Job well done my friend.

SteveO....Out:)

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

What a great buck Scott, Congrats!

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

Congrats on a great harvest!

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

That is a beautiful buck! Congratulations!

He sure did pack on some lbs and inches from that summer pic you got of him. Looks like a very mature deer. How old do you think he is? 4.5?

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

Yeah, I would guess him at 4 1/2years old. The summer picture was taken on July 4th, so he still had lots of growing left to do. I'm always amazed at how bucks can fluctuate their body weight by up to 100 lbs every year. It just seems crazy to go through that cycle every year.

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

Dude that must have been fun dragging that monster out of the creek bed[&:]

Is your bow the old mathews FeatherMax by Chance?

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

wow. very nice buck. congratulations.

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

The only good thing about dragging a big buck out of the timber is that you are still riding a high from shooting him!

The bow is an Ultra 2. I did shoot a FeatherMax back in the 90's though and loved it. Sold my FeatherMax for an UltraMax, then upgraded to the Ultra 2. I'm not sure if I'll ever get rid of my Ultra 2.

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

Awesome buck, Congrats.

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

Congrat's that is an awesome deer.

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

Beautiful animal Scott. Great job man!

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

That's one heck of a great buck MK M ,congrat's on a great buck and a fine story to boot .

nubo

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

Nice Buck, good story! Congrats!!!!

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

That is one pig of a buck. Congrats

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

Congrats on a great deer!!! Do you know the weight of that deer? I would have to think atleast 250.

RE: My 1st Buck of 2007
 

Once again I must say that that is an awesome deer! Congrats!