Christmas in November
12-13-2005, 01:17 PM
#7
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Asheboro, NC
Posts: 114
RE: Christmas in November
I was lucky enough to harvest this deer on Nov. 25 of this year. I had found what I believed to be his scrapes and rubs earlier in Oct and Nov and had not actually hunted the tree I was in when I shot him until the day of the kill. I had hunted the general area 3 or 4 times with no sighting of him but I did manage to see several small bucks as well as numerous does. I waited for the perfect wind before hanging my loc-on in the honeyhole.
Then on the day after Thanksgiving I slipped into stand around 2pm. Hoping that calling might help the situation I turned my can call over twice after a short rattle/grunt sequence around 3pm. After anxiously looking through the thick woods for any movement for an hour I decided that I would put the calls up and hope for the best. At around 4:45pm I noticed a doe walking in my direction. She was coming off the ridge where I had found all of the sign. She worked her way toward me and stopped in front my stand at 20 yards and looked back in the direction she had come. When I glanced in that direction I noticed a deer maybe 50 yards behind her and I thought I saw white above its head. The deer was standing still so I eased by binoculars up to get a better look. What I saw in my binos took my breath away. I immediately put them down and watched the doeas I eased my gun up. As I was bringing my gun to my shoulder the doelooked directly at me and stomped her foot. The buck was quartering toward me and there were some small saplings between me and him but I knew if I had to I was going to shoot. She took 3 big leaps back in his direction and he started looking around nervously.I decided to go ahead and shoot because I didn't want to have to shoot at a moving target in the woods.
At the sound of my first shot he turned and starting running parallel to me heading for the creek that I was sitting over. I managed to bolt my gun and get two more rounds in him before I lost sight of him. I dropped the gun and tried to find him in my binos. I could see his tail flickering around as he stood still. Just as I was thinking that I should raise my gun and shoot again he took off down the creek coming in my direction.When I got him in my scopeI let him have it one more time and he went down. I regained my composure raised both hands and gave thanks to God, then rushed down the tree so I could check him out.
I have to admit, I'm a sucker for big antlers. You see I have been deer hunting since I was 8 years old and it took me 20 years to get my first wall hanger. Okay maybe the first deer that I mounted was only a 7 point with maybe 90 inches of headgear but to me he was the world record. Since that time I've been fortunate enough to mount 5 other deer, each one being larger than the last. In 2001 I shot 125 inch 11 point with my muzzleloader and he was the largest buck up until then. I went to Pike Co. Illinois in 2003 and hunted with IMB Outfitters and shot a 141-inch 8 point with my muzzleloader and last year went to IMB's Iowa camp and took a 169-inch perfect 10 also with my muzzleloader.
When I walked up to the buck I knew I had killed a monster buck. And to think I did it in North Carolina at my hunting club. This means so much more than the two I took I on the guided hunts. Don't get me wrong I really enjoyed those hunts and plan on going back with my bow next time when I can save the money. Anyway my taxidermist aged him at 4.5 years, weighed at 186 lbs. live weight, and he grosses 158 NT B&C. Needless to say I was happy!!!
Then on the day after Thanksgiving I slipped into stand around 2pm. Hoping that calling might help the situation I turned my can call over twice after a short rattle/grunt sequence around 3pm. After anxiously looking through the thick woods for any movement for an hour I decided that I would put the calls up and hope for the best. At around 4:45pm I noticed a doe walking in my direction. She was coming off the ridge where I had found all of the sign. She worked her way toward me and stopped in front my stand at 20 yards and looked back in the direction she had come. When I glanced in that direction I noticed a deer maybe 50 yards behind her and I thought I saw white above its head. The deer was standing still so I eased by binoculars up to get a better look. What I saw in my binos took my breath away. I immediately put them down and watched the doeas I eased my gun up. As I was bringing my gun to my shoulder the doelooked directly at me and stomped her foot. The buck was quartering toward me and there were some small saplings between me and him but I knew if I had to I was going to shoot. She took 3 big leaps back in his direction and he started looking around nervously.I decided to go ahead and shoot because I didn't want to have to shoot at a moving target in the woods.
At the sound of my first shot he turned and starting running parallel to me heading for the creek that I was sitting over. I managed to bolt my gun and get two more rounds in him before I lost sight of him. I dropped the gun and tried to find him in my binos. I could see his tail flickering around as he stood still. Just as I was thinking that I should raise my gun and shoot again he took off down the creek coming in my direction.When I got him in my scopeI let him have it one more time and he went down. I regained my composure raised both hands and gave thanks to God, then rushed down the tree so I could check him out.
I have to admit, I'm a sucker for big antlers. You see I have been deer hunting since I was 8 years old and it took me 20 years to get my first wall hanger. Okay maybe the first deer that I mounted was only a 7 point with maybe 90 inches of headgear but to me he was the world record. Since that time I've been fortunate enough to mount 5 other deer, each one being larger than the last. In 2001 I shot 125 inch 11 point with my muzzleloader and he was the largest buck up until then. I went to Pike Co. Illinois in 2003 and hunted with IMB Outfitters and shot a 141-inch 8 point with my muzzleloader and last year went to IMB's Iowa camp and took a 169-inch perfect 10 also with my muzzleloader.
When I walked up to the buck I knew I had killed a monster buck. And to think I did it in North Carolina at my hunting club. This means so much more than the two I took I on the guided hunts. Don't get me wrong I really enjoyed those hunts and plan on going back with my bow next time when I can save the money. Anyway my taxidermist aged him at 4.5 years, weighed at 186 lbs. live weight, and he grosses 158 NT B&C. Needless to say I was happy!!!
Way to go man!! Congrat's!