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MD 11pt. Thanks Poppy.

I was fortunate enough to take a nice buck in Maryland on Wednesday Oct. 15th 2008. Truth be told, I was off to a slow start to the season. Havent been out much due to several different reasons. However, I have concentrated most of my time to my land in MD. I have several shooter bucks on trail in the area, and knew I wanted a crack at one of them. What happened the last 2 weeks caught me completely off guard.

My Poppy passed away a couple weeks ago, and I have been dealing with what comes along with all that in regards to legal things, family emotions, etc. We have all been there. So needless to say I wasnt able to get down to MD or out hunting much at all since opening week in MD. Which that opening week was successful with killing two does, which earned me a second buck tag. I also had a encounter with a nice 10pt that i have on trail but just didnt come in close enough. Well things went cold there the next few days, withthe shootingof two doe, and the farmer cutting the crops in the surrounding fields. So I will fast forward to last week.

Things began to settle down a little bit, and I got a call from my brother Matt. He said he seen a big buck(biggest he's ever seen! a giant! He's new to hunting 5yrs or so) So I'm thinking ok he has probably seen one of the few 120" 2.5yr old 8pts we have on trail, considering every deer he sees is a MONSTER! haha he will learn. But then he started describing the buck to me, sounded like the wide 10pt i seen during opening week. But he says he counted 11 and big. Either way, I figured maybe its time for me to get down there, since he had already filled his buck tag with a small 5pt. So off I went to spend some time relaxing, in the woods to clear my head and enjoy what I like best, being in the woods. So monday i see a couple doe in the morning, nothing after. That evening I sit my old faithful stand, and about 30-45min. prior to dark, i am glassing and BOOM! there is the buck my brother saw. Same hedge row, same spot, same time he said he seen it. Problem: its approx. 500 yards from my stand, about 30yards from where I drive my truck back and park. LMAO. So I know well enough not to chase him and blow him out of the area. But one thing is certain, hes not the 10pt we have on trail, Matt was right this time, he's an 11 and big. Body and rack big. So I wait good and long till its real dark and make my way out back to the truck and give this buck ample time to go on his path. I immediately get back to my brothers house(he lives 20mins from our land in MD) and start checking trail pics, sure enough we dont have a single one of this buck. So I call my buddy brian and tell him all about it, and decide hey its best to sit tight in my stand and see what happens, as we know its a good spot. Next day tuesday Oct.14th happens almost the same as monday, except replace the 2 doe with 2doe and a big bull spike(I seen this spike opening day, biggest spike ive ever seen, has to weigh close to 180lbs.) None the less im getting frustrated. That night I call brian and I tell him, im moving at lunch on wed. and setting up on the hedge row, and going for broke.

Wednesday Oct. 15th, stayed up a little to late the night before, and didnt make it in at 5am as planned/normal. But I headed out about 9am, got my truck parked and grabbed my backpack. i cut a different way accross the field then normal this time, not really sure why. And started to head up the tree line towards my stand, and when I reached the corner I looked left and Holy Sh*t there he is! He was walking on the same tree line as me about 30yards from my stand, walking directly at me. So quick step into the woods for cover, and kept my eye on him. He stepped into the woods as well and is acting like he has no clueim there. At this point obviously adrenaline confusion etc im shaking like a wet school girl at an outside shower in a campground. I kneel down and wait, and here he comes, he gets about 40yrds as I did keep composure enough to grab my range finder on my hip and hit 2 spots in the woods ahead of me. The buck reached a point, i grunted, i grunted louder, JESUS STOP! I whistle. He stops. I let her fly perfect pass through looks like double lungs. So I let him sit a few minutes, i hear him crashing through the woods, after what seemed like an hour(really maybe 20min) I find blood, my arrow, thanks to the easton tracer's, and follow blood trail. Well I walk up on him and see him coughing up blood and bedded. Im approx 30yrds, I decide its a good decision to try and put another in him to quicken the process.(Yes im a hunter, and I enjoy killing big deer, but im also humane and hate to see things suffer anymore then needed) So I draw and release, was like he timed it. He stood and turned as my arrow hit him, directly in the right quarter. I dont have to tell you the words coming through my head now. Off he goes again crashing through the woods. A 250+lb deer isnt hard to follow when hes bleeding likea siv. I find him again approx 150-200 yards from the 2nd shot. this time hes coughing worse blood is pouring out of him, but hes still sitting up and in panic. At this point im above him as there was an embankment, approx 20 yards. I shoot again, perfect heart shot, this time he doesnt move, he lays down flat and expires in less then 2 minutes.

As I begin to call people and my brother to help drag this horse! im fist pumping and hooting and hollowering. Needless to say we have to let this area sit a while now, every deer in 5 mile radius knows my voice ;) The buck ended up weighing over 250lbs dressed. Butcher estimated him at close to 300lbs on the hoof. And the rack measured 152 3/8" Gross score. More pictures in Team 14 thread.

Just Saturday I was out with my buddy Brian, and talking about the whole hunt again, and he said you know bud, a whole lot went right for you to get that buck thats crazy. And it sorta dawned on me, yea it did, I took a seperate path accross the field, I was late getting in, that buck didnt spook, he walked a whole different path then he normally does, right past where I should have been sitting, and it still came together perfectly, but totally different from how you would have ever planned it. And I couldnt help but think to myself, thanks Poppy. Something made that deer come the way it did, and all those events happen the way it did. And Im pretty sure I know I was given a little extra help last week. Sorry this story is long, but I figured I would share. Now its time to get after some PA bucks, or Ill have to change my name to MDBuckBuster11 ;)

I wish everyone goodluck and a safe hunting season.
Signed Damien