dukemichaels

To be perfectly honest I don't have a biggest accomplishment yet. I just don't feel as if I do.

I always feel as if my last taking of a whitetail is my favorite and my greatest accomplishment. If this makes any sense to anyone else.

Justin

You meaning filming me shoot that doe wasn't your biggest accomplishment???? [:@]

npockat32

My biggest accomplishment is probably getting my older brother into bowhunting and his first year bowhunting he shot a decent 1o pointer...not huge...

But I helped him track it and it was so fun being with him and sharing that experience with him. I wouldn't trade it for anything. It has now helped me get closer to him and I love to teach him things I know more about than he does.

dukemichaels

It's up there and it was alot of fun. But really.. I haven't had it yet. I just haven't. Ask me this again in another 5 years.

Justin

We're no longer friends.

PA Bow/Flinter

I was thinking the same thing. Rybo....Congrats....someday I hope to have a streak like that of my own....primarily the 'no wounded' part. Kudos.

Buellhunter

My Best Buck



PublicFriday, 30 November 2007Dave Stueve', CAPTION, 'Edit', BELOW, RIGHT);" onmouseout="return nd();" href="http://www.doublelungarcheryinc.com/News/Latest/index.php?option=com_content&Itemid=46&Ret urnid=46&id=65&lang=en&task=edit" $included="null">




by Dave Stueve
There are many reasons why we hunt. We love the outdoors, we like a little venison on the table, and the camaraderie of fellow hunters, but every hunter knows that all of that pales compared to the deep satisfaction of that memorable instant when it all comes together, and life is being lived to the fullest. Like all things in life, preparation, practice, more practice, and a bit of good fortune are necessary elements in creating the perfect hunt.
Recently it all came together for me when I took my best-ever buck, a nice 11 pointer. It was a going away quartering shot at thirty five yards. A difficult shot, but I was well prepared when Lady Luck paid a visit. And luck did play its part. It always does. Firstly, I was fortunate, and honored, that my friend and customer, Brent, had very generously lent me the use of an excellently placed stand on his property. Thank you Brent.
Preparation for the shot involved practice on the indoor range here at Double Lung Archery. Lots of practice. Our thirty five foot indoor range is an excellent place to hone the skills that have to become completely intuitive for the bow hunter: we normally get just one shot. This morning, I had to work very quickly. Not a good time to start questioning my technique.
In the course of selecting, and testing the very best equipment for the Double Lung Archery store, I rigorously test, and often reject, many of the new products that continually appear on the market. The best of the rest are tested in the field. As I re-thought this hunt, I realized that I had upgraded virtually every piece of gear in the last year. I had selected a Ross Cardiac bow. In the quiver, I had G5 three blade broad- heads, threaded on Carbon Express Maxima 250, 27”inch shafts for strength and speed. Vanes are by Blazer which provide excellent flight control. For camo I selected the new Enigma pattern by Enigma Camo. For scent control I used No Trace base layers and a layer of Scent Lok.
Thus equipped, I met Brent at 5:45 am, and we went to his stand. I sat down in the rain. Brent wished me luck, left me at the base of the tree, walked back to his truck and went to work. For the next two hours I sat in the rain, not seeing a single deer, wondering as hunters often do, " what the hell am I doing, up a tree in the rain"? Sure wished I had brought my rain gear but it wasn’t raining when I left my house. Keeping warm and dry is so important: if and when a shot presents, we need to be relaxed, not shivering, ready to swing smoothly into action.
The buck came in over my shoulder. He stopped about 15 yards away, but I didn't have a shot. Damn. Then he stopped again at 35 yards, and I realized that it was now or never. The shot was far from ideal. Not only the distance, but the cover, and the position of the deer gave me about a 4 inch target. But, I had a hole in the cover to thread my arrow thru. Stealthily, I stood up in the stand, drew my bow, put my 35 yard pin where I wanted to hit and released my arrow, just as I had done hundreds of times on the range. The endless wait, the perfect moment of total silence as the arrow raced across time and space, taking all my hopes, skills, and years of preparation with it. The hit. Breath exhaled. The arrow plunged in between the last and 2nd to last rib at about 45º angle from the left rear, taking out the liver and the right lung. Total time between first seeing the buck and making the shot: less than a minute. The buck ran about a 100 yards, hopped a fence, did a 3/4 circle and fell over. I stood in my stand, in half disbelief, at what had just happened! I thought I was going to fall out of the tree with excitement. Good thing I was strapped in with my safety harness.
I couldn’t resist calling Brent to tell him the news! When he answered his phone I could hardly talk. I told him I just killed the biggest buck of my life. I think he was just as pumped as me. I waited for about an hour and a half before I went to get it. This was one buck that I didn't want to see jump up. Anyway I needed to wait for Brent to get back to help me load it on to the ATV. It was not a one man job for this hunter. One minute. One very special minute. I will always remember every single second of it. “That's what hunting is all about for me."

dukemichaels

But I like you.

Hoytail Hunter

Mine has nothing to do with what I did but rather what I didn't. This year while on the ground in the snow expecting only to see does, a Cabela's buck (B&C)tip toed towards me at last lightunknowingly. At 25yds I had the bow drawn at him and waiting for him to turn because he was at a direct frontal view. He never did turn until he realizedwhat thatthing trembling in thebushes was.... me.

Knowing my personal limits and not hitting the release because the nature of the shot was very low percentage took more discipline than what it took to harvest the mature buck of 2 months prior. If you don't know temptation, you will after something like that.I think I went home a hunter that January day of this year.

Dubbya

It began Tuesday evening when I was told I was to accompany the owner of my company to Dallas. He asked me to be at his house at 7:00am and we'd leave. I began thinking, "cold front, 30 degree low, the company lease is towards Dallas... etc." So I called him and asked if he'd meet me in Ardmore about 9:00am, he agreed then said, "you want to hunt the lease don't you?"... I agreed.

I packed my stuff including my "professional looking clothes" and went to bed. I woke up at 3:45am and headed south, got dressed at the lease and packed my climber to a tree that was perfect for the North wind. I'd seen a huge bodied deer out of this stand last Saturday but never could get a look at his rack. So anyway, I'm in a very thick pocket that is open all around me with thickets very close by. The platform on my Summit climber is about 6 feet off the ground (it's low, but if you could see the thicket, you'd understand). It's low enough that I hold my bow vertical while sitting to reduce movement when I see deer. Here are a few pics out of my stand...

To the NW


To the NE


To the South


As shooting light begins to make an appearance I tip over my can a couple of times with a few soft grunts. No action to start with, about 15 minutes later I tickle the antlers together and sit back. I was hoping for stuff to happen quckly because I'd have to leave the stand around 8:15 to make my meeting point on time. At 7:10 I see two does pop out near the big oak tree in the first photo (above). They slowly feed by at 4 yards, crossed my entry trail and never winded me. 5 minutes later the second doe looks back up towards the big oak, I'm already clipped on and ready to draw, I look up and all I can see are tines and big tines!! The does made a "U" shape and casually walked back to the North and the buck followed, but instead of following their path he cut the corner through the big thicket in front of me. I came to full draw at 35 yards and had 1 limb about 2" that ran across the vitals... no shot. I slowly let down as he watches the does and I call, and call again. He was interested but liked the ladies he could see. He followed them and I didn't see him again he was a perfect typical 10 somewhere around 140". I was bummed but happy to have seen him, and happy to know that my scounting had paid off.

By this time I have about 45 minutes to hunt. I knock the antlers together and grunt softly a couple minutes later I turn over the can and grunt softly again. 10 seconds later I hear heavy foot steps in the thicket back behind me, I quickly turn that direction and clip on my string. I saw the deer for a split second as he went through an opening in the other thicket, immediately I knew he was a shooter. He stopped and I could hear him thrashing a tree but I couldn't see him... so I grunt. No sooner had I lowered my call and I could hear him coming and then I see him at 30 yards trotting directly at me. I figured he's skirt the outside of my thicket and walk through my lane heading back into the wind, I was wrong. He barrelled into my thicked with his nose down, he went behind a tree at 17 yards and I drew back and moved my bow to the only lane I had on that side... 12 yards. His shoulder entered the lane and as he crossed I made a noise and touced the trigger simultaneously. The white blazers quickly disappeared, he high kicked, bolted, and went out of sight wobbling at 60 yards. I sat down so that I didn't fall 6 feet out of my tree and tried to calm down. I had no nerves until after the shot, I had to put in a "calm down" dip to keep my shakes under control... I climbed down (or stepped down) and walked 13 yards to my arrow... it was beautiful red and bubbly. I called the boss and and told him, his response was "alright I'm on my way, I'll bring someone to drive your truck back and we can go to Dallas." I followed the MASSIVE blood trail the 100gr Slick Trick had produced, I crested the hill and there he was laying in the oaks. I may have yelled out loud (I don't really remember). I took a few pictures with my self timer and some others when my bosses arrived... so here he is.

In all his 146 & 3/4" of glory (**(edit)** forgot to add the 3 1/2 kicker). He's a 4 on his right and a 5 on his left with a 3" kicker for a total of 10. He's sporting 23 1/8" Main beams and 19.75" inside spread. I couldn't be happier, I'm going after the big 10pt tomorrow!

Thanks for bearing with me through the long story!!