most memorable hunt
03-17-2004, 02:26 PM
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: SE Wisc
Posts: 677
most memorable hunt
I know i am really looking forward to hunting again this season but it seems so far away. I just love being outdoors in the woods. In the mean time, if you care too, post your most memorable, shocking, or beautiful place or scene you have seen while on a hunt.
03-19-2004, 12:52 PM
#3
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Saskatchewan Canada
Posts: 6,921
RE: most memorable hunt
That is a tough one as the firsts rank up there for fond memories, yet some others about the company and others for the harvest that came out of it. However probably my most memorable hunt was the one I never got, main reason I say this I learned more that trip than I think I ever have and learned so much respect for game we chase. I mean I came so close it hurts to really think about what I should have done but didn't do, but I think that is part of why we love this sport so much and really what turns hunting into a passion/obession! A close second for memorable/shocking would be calling in and arrowing a bull moose at 13 paces...talk about close encounters and heart failure!!!
Most shocking event replayed by one of my hunting partners missing a 50 + bull moose at 20 yards broadside with his bow. This guys is both a good shot and hunter, honestly I can't recall a miss in our career together regardless of the animal or equipment. To hear him tell the story hurts your gut, as he watched this sucker for a long time and when the perfect shoot presented itself he says
Quote: "All I could think of was his Massive anlters above my fireplace and a huge freezer was tied to them" "I really wish I aimed for the Freezer!!!" If you can't guess what happen...He split the uprights Yeap right between the horns, funny as h#ll and very shocking!
Most shocking event replayed by one of my hunting partners missing a 50 + bull moose at 20 yards broadside with his bow. This guys is both a good shot and hunter, honestly I can't recall a miss in our career together regardless of the animal or equipment. To hear him tell the story hurts your gut, as he watched this sucker for a long time and when the perfect shoot presented itself he says
Quote: "All I could think of was his Massive anlters above my fireplace and a huge freezer was tied to them" "I really wish I aimed for the Freezer!!!" If you can't guess what happen...He split the uprights Yeap right between the horns, funny as h#ll and very shocking!
03-19-2004, 12:58 PM
#4
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: SE Wisc
Posts: 677
RE: most memorable hunt
As i was reading when you said; "Most shocking event replayed by one of my hunting partners missing a 50 + bull moose at 20 yards broadside with his bow" i had that feeling in my gut like you mentioned 2 lines later. I laughed reading just that line just down the paragraph.
03-19-2004, 12:58 PM
#5
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: MI
Posts: 53
RE: most memorable hunt
Most memorable hunt was about 6-8 years ago. About a foot of snow on the ground opening day. My grandfather on my dad's side passed away about 3 years before, I was using his 30-40krag. Shot a average buck that morning. My other grandfather helped me take it up to house then we went over and helped the neighbor track a buck. Do to health reasons it was the last year he hunted.
To good hunting & good memories
To good hunting & good memories
03-21-2004, 10:11 PM
#7
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Darien, IL
Posts: 6,744
RE: most memorable hunt
At this point I've got two "most" memorable hunts. Really can't pinpoint exactly which one is truly the "most memorable" though. But with three boys of my own in the house, I know (and really look forward to) there will be many more to come.
1. The last year my father deer hunted. He told me (kinda last minute) he just wasn't up to it and to go ahead without him. I asked him if he was sure-I mean I'll drive the truck right to your stand if you want-"No", he said. "Go ahead and give everyone my love." Off I went. I was out opening morning in my stand and had lots of deer moving thru very close. I was waiting for an opportunity at one of the greater bucks I knew were around though. I wasn't really that far from my truck which was parked at the enterance to the old strip mine road. Starting about mid morning, I was hearing some noises that definately weren't made by deer in the area of my truck. I kept that area "tuned in" for any further noise (wondering if there were some trespassers or someone messing with the truck), but nothing further came of it. About 1 o'clock I decided it was time to go to the truck for some hot lunch. When ever I want to make any kind of movement more than scanning with my eyes and neck, I always look around REAL GOOD. And there he was! One of the fellas I was waiting for. He was down in the dry creek bed about 75 or 80 yards out and he really seemed focused on the area that I had heard noises in earlier. Now I figured that there just might indeed be a trespasser. Well I shouldered my gun and watched him through the scope, waiting for a nice clear and clean shot. BANG!!! My single shot sent a smokin' hot Brenneke slug thru the wonderful beasts body, sending him off about as fast as the lead had been sent to him. A couple other deer ran off ahead of him and they were all heading generally towards the area of my truck. I remember pulling a deep breath and releasing it as I thought, "Just drop at the tailgate buddy and save me the drag". When a second startling "BANG BANG" sounded near my truck. I figured that whoever was over there (and now I KNEW someone was!) had probobly finished off my buck. I was mad! I stood on my stand's platform and slung my shotgun over my head and shoulder and slid down the uprights. I moved the 20 yards out of the woods and into the field, down along the woods edge towards my truck. Just around the corner I can start to see a vehicle shining through the trees. It's parked IN the field and this makes me even madder. How dare they drive around my truck and onto our property!?!?!
But hold your horses! It's my Dad's car! And he's leaning up against the fender eating an apple, his Higgins pump on the hood. The sight of him there was the absolute last thing I expected and it floored me! I walk up and he casually says, "I sure hope you got some hot coffee for me in one of those thermos' on your truck seat. I've been sitting over on that ladder for the last 3 or 4 hours waiting for you to show up." I grabbed my Pop in my arms and gave him a big hug as we busted up laughing. I told him I shot a nice buck and he should be somewhere nearby. He said, "I know, he's piled up over there." "I heard the shot and heard deer plowing thru the woods towards me. First I see two big does and was going to hit one of them when I saw that buck coming up behind them. I figured I'd go for him but he just started plowing dirt, so I let the first doe have it. She's right over there.", as he gestured into the trees.
We walked out and found my buck, then over to his doe, a real freezer queen. We tagged them both, spoke words with the Lord and after a quick cup of coffee and a mile drive over to pick up my cousin, we dressed both deer and put them in the truck for check in. Dad insisted we hit a couple of the local establishments so he could tell a few "my boy here" stories and we gladly agreed.
That was my Pop's last hunt. My Pop passed away the following summer and I long to hunt with him again one day-and we will. My brother, sister, and all the nieces and nephews returned to the same woods late that summer and spread a few of his ashes around the stand he was on that day. I wrote his name and his final harvest date on the wooden steps. Followed by "Born Here, Hunted Here & Passed Here" Marion, IL. I found the shells from his last two shots, they are really some of the most prized items in my vaults.
Whenever I go down there, that old stand is always my first stop. I smile goin in, cry when I'm there, and smile on the way out. I miss you Pop! I love you more than you could have ever believed.
2. My oldest nephews first hunt. I took him down to my buddy's farm in Cypress, IL. Put him on the most promising stand. I could see him some 400 yards or so off. He's got Grampa's Higgins and it's got three Brenneke's in it. Around 2:30/3:00 three does come in and start milling around in the corner of the field he's watching from his stand set back about 10 yards in the woods. I'm watching thru my glasses. And watching. And watching. And watching.......................... One is definately freezer fodder the other two yearlings. "Come on boy, let the shooting commence!", I'm thinking. A couple minutes go by (it seemed like eternity!) and still no shots. "What the heck?", I'm thinking, "Maybe he's just not able to bring himself to pull the trigger".
Then, BANG-BANG-BANG tells me to stop thinking and start watching. His first shot necks the large doe and I watch thru my glasses as she does a 25 ft. full circle rooster-tail and drops. The next two shots are directed at the fleeing siblings as they try to dive into the wooded creekline for safety. I see the red haze and fur spray out of the last one just as she makes her final leap out of the dirt and into the trees.
We make radio contact and he tells me the first one is dead out there in front of him and he's sure the last one was a hit, too. We stay on stand awhile and then come together over his first kill about 20 minutes later. His chest was PUMPING some oxygen. His eyes were bulging. I told him, "Why don't you justset that gun down for now-loaded or not. Not wanting to push the one that ran off we tag the doe, give his face it's first blood stripes and gave our thanks to our Lord. I reach in my pack and pull out Grampa's old hunting knife, setting it down on the deer for him to use finding his way thru his first field dressing. We (I mean he) drags the doe up to the farmhouse to be hung. We then tracked down the second deer which was a little button. After a quick tagging, more words to the Lord and another drag we were heading to the check station.
He never even realized until much later that his second of the three shots had blasted a 4-inch tree trunk about 20 feet out from his stand!
I did not take a deer that year. On the drive home I turned to him and said, "Thanks for the best deer hunt I think I've ever had." He said to me, "What are you talking about? You've taken so many deer, big bucks and stuff. What do you mean?" I told him that alot of youngsters take their first deer and then the hunting party meets up to check it out. But that it was a unique and priviledged experience for me to actually watch it unfold as I did. How it was almost as if I could feel Grampa's old Higgins rocking back into MY shoulder as it has so many times before. I thanked him again as tears wanted (and did) to form. I think he kinda understood that day. But I know he full well understands it now that he's older and is a great role model to his younger brothers and cousins. He's more of an "uncle" to his cousins and we all mistakenly even call him Uncle Erik.
He wrestled excellently from age 5 or 6, thru middle and high school (earning every award his HS program had in a single year-a truly dedicated role model) earning himself a scholarship to college. He is studying for a teaching degree with a bias on sports. He wants to return to his HS and coach the wrestling team-and he'll do it cause he knows how to reach his goals. He was back in town this weekend and helped run the high schools big open event-"THE RUMBLE". He has worked with the wrestlers ay his old HS at every opportunity, whether he gets paid to assist or not. A few weeks ago he was downstate with one of the state championship qualifiers from HS just to help keep the guys head screwed on straight and to keep the kid focused. He didn't really have to go there, he couldn't really afford it, but with some $$$ help he wanted to and did go.
On a truly up note. He has decided to "hang up the shoes" and will have no committment this fall so............HECK YA! He's gonna be back in deer camp this year! Permit applications for first lottery starting 04/01/2004.
Wouldn't you have a tough time deciding which is the most memorable of these two?
Uncle Matt (in IL)
1. The last year my father deer hunted. He told me (kinda last minute) he just wasn't up to it and to go ahead without him. I asked him if he was sure-I mean I'll drive the truck right to your stand if you want-"No", he said. "Go ahead and give everyone my love." Off I went. I was out opening morning in my stand and had lots of deer moving thru very close. I was waiting for an opportunity at one of the greater bucks I knew were around though. I wasn't really that far from my truck which was parked at the enterance to the old strip mine road. Starting about mid morning, I was hearing some noises that definately weren't made by deer in the area of my truck. I kept that area "tuned in" for any further noise (wondering if there were some trespassers or someone messing with the truck), but nothing further came of it. About 1 o'clock I decided it was time to go to the truck for some hot lunch. When ever I want to make any kind of movement more than scanning with my eyes and neck, I always look around REAL GOOD. And there he was! One of the fellas I was waiting for. He was down in the dry creek bed about 75 or 80 yards out and he really seemed focused on the area that I had heard noises in earlier. Now I figured that there just might indeed be a trespasser. Well I shouldered my gun and watched him through the scope, waiting for a nice clear and clean shot. BANG!!! My single shot sent a smokin' hot Brenneke slug thru the wonderful beasts body, sending him off about as fast as the lead had been sent to him. A couple other deer ran off ahead of him and they were all heading generally towards the area of my truck. I remember pulling a deep breath and releasing it as I thought, "Just drop at the tailgate buddy and save me the drag". When a second startling "BANG BANG" sounded near my truck. I figured that whoever was over there (and now I KNEW someone was!) had probobly finished off my buck. I was mad! I stood on my stand's platform and slung my shotgun over my head and shoulder and slid down the uprights. I moved the 20 yards out of the woods and into the field, down along the woods edge towards my truck. Just around the corner I can start to see a vehicle shining through the trees. It's parked IN the field and this makes me even madder. How dare they drive around my truck and onto our property!?!?!
But hold your horses! It's my Dad's car! And he's leaning up against the fender eating an apple, his Higgins pump on the hood. The sight of him there was the absolute last thing I expected and it floored me! I walk up and he casually says, "I sure hope you got some hot coffee for me in one of those thermos' on your truck seat. I've been sitting over on that ladder for the last 3 or 4 hours waiting for you to show up." I grabbed my Pop in my arms and gave him a big hug as we busted up laughing. I told him I shot a nice buck and he should be somewhere nearby. He said, "I know, he's piled up over there." "I heard the shot and heard deer plowing thru the woods towards me. First I see two big does and was going to hit one of them when I saw that buck coming up behind them. I figured I'd go for him but he just started plowing dirt, so I let the first doe have it. She's right over there.", as he gestured into the trees.
We walked out and found my buck, then over to his doe, a real freezer queen. We tagged them both, spoke words with the Lord and after a quick cup of coffee and a mile drive over to pick up my cousin, we dressed both deer and put them in the truck for check in. Dad insisted we hit a couple of the local establishments so he could tell a few "my boy here" stories and we gladly agreed.
That was my Pop's last hunt. My Pop passed away the following summer and I long to hunt with him again one day-and we will. My brother, sister, and all the nieces and nephews returned to the same woods late that summer and spread a few of his ashes around the stand he was on that day. I wrote his name and his final harvest date on the wooden steps. Followed by "Born Here, Hunted Here & Passed Here" Marion, IL. I found the shells from his last two shots, they are really some of the most prized items in my vaults.
Whenever I go down there, that old stand is always my first stop. I smile goin in, cry when I'm there, and smile on the way out. I miss you Pop! I love you more than you could have ever believed.
2. My oldest nephews first hunt. I took him down to my buddy's farm in Cypress, IL. Put him on the most promising stand. I could see him some 400 yards or so off. He's got Grampa's Higgins and it's got three Brenneke's in it. Around 2:30/3:00 three does come in and start milling around in the corner of the field he's watching from his stand set back about 10 yards in the woods. I'm watching thru my glasses. And watching. And watching. And watching.......................... One is definately freezer fodder the other two yearlings. "Come on boy, let the shooting commence!", I'm thinking. A couple minutes go by (it seemed like eternity!) and still no shots. "What the heck?", I'm thinking, "Maybe he's just not able to bring himself to pull the trigger".
Then, BANG-BANG-BANG tells me to stop thinking and start watching. His first shot necks the large doe and I watch thru my glasses as she does a 25 ft. full circle rooster-tail and drops. The next two shots are directed at the fleeing siblings as they try to dive into the wooded creekline for safety. I see the red haze and fur spray out of the last one just as she makes her final leap out of the dirt and into the trees.
We make radio contact and he tells me the first one is dead out there in front of him and he's sure the last one was a hit, too. We stay on stand awhile and then come together over his first kill about 20 minutes later. His chest was PUMPING some oxygen. His eyes were bulging. I told him, "Why don't you justset that gun down for now-loaded or not. Not wanting to push the one that ran off we tag the doe, give his face it's first blood stripes and gave our thanks to our Lord. I reach in my pack and pull out Grampa's old hunting knife, setting it down on the deer for him to use finding his way thru his first field dressing. We (I mean he) drags the doe up to the farmhouse to be hung. We then tracked down the second deer which was a little button. After a quick tagging, more words to the Lord and another drag we were heading to the check station.
He never even realized until much later that his second of the three shots had blasted a 4-inch tree trunk about 20 feet out from his stand!
I did not take a deer that year. On the drive home I turned to him and said, "Thanks for the best deer hunt I think I've ever had." He said to me, "What are you talking about? You've taken so many deer, big bucks and stuff. What do you mean?" I told him that alot of youngsters take their first deer and then the hunting party meets up to check it out. But that it was a unique and priviledged experience for me to actually watch it unfold as I did. How it was almost as if I could feel Grampa's old Higgins rocking back into MY shoulder as it has so many times before. I thanked him again as tears wanted (and did) to form. I think he kinda understood that day. But I know he full well understands it now that he's older and is a great role model to his younger brothers and cousins. He's more of an "uncle" to his cousins and we all mistakenly even call him Uncle Erik.
He wrestled excellently from age 5 or 6, thru middle and high school (earning every award his HS program had in a single year-a truly dedicated role model) earning himself a scholarship to college. He is studying for a teaching degree with a bias on sports. He wants to return to his HS and coach the wrestling team-and he'll do it cause he knows how to reach his goals. He was back in town this weekend and helped run the high schools big open event-"THE RUMBLE". He has worked with the wrestlers ay his old HS at every opportunity, whether he gets paid to assist or not. A few weeks ago he was downstate with one of the state championship qualifiers from HS just to help keep the guys head screwed on straight and to keep the kid focused. He didn't really have to go there, he couldn't really afford it, but with some $$$ help he wanted to and did go.
On a truly up note. He has decided to "hang up the shoes" and will have no committment this fall so............HECK YA! He's gonna be back in deer camp this year! Permit applications for first lottery starting 04/01/2004.
Wouldn't you have a tough time deciding which is the most memorable of these two?
Uncle Matt (in IL)
